GearHeads Corner

When making a device out of acrylic, how do you manage mounting gears to shafts (idler gear) or shafts to plates (when the axle rotates).    Do you cut the holes in the plates the same size as the axle and use some lubricant on them?  Or are there bushings made for acrylic?

I cut bushings from the same material as the gears, and the gears have larger loose shaftholes if their meant to idle, but tight if they are meant to spin.
So each shaft is full, with either gears or tight bushings. If the gear is meant to be tight it is glued to the bushings on either side, if its an idler it isnt glued to anything. The bushings are all tight on shaft. This helps keep spacing nice and even as well...

  Lots of ways to do it I think, but thats what I do.

Art

That sounds like a great way to approach it.  Do you use acrylic rods for the shafts as well.  Have you tried using colored acrylic for different gears?

Hi:

  I found metal shafts to be better, acrylic ones seemed to bind too much. I have used different colours for gears and done inlay using different colors for numbers.. benefits of having a laser I guess. :)

Art