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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →You can make a simple spur-gear pair by matching the gears’ circular pitch and pressure angle, then setting the shafts at the calculated center distance. A Make: tutorial demonstrates the process with 28- and 14-tooth gears designed in Inkscape and cut from sheet material; a printed template and hand cutting are alternatives. Treat it as an educational maker project, not a load-rated power-transmission design.
What makes two gears mesh?
This method is for spur gears, whose teeth engage on parallel shafts. For a compatible pair, both gears need the same circular pitch and pressure angle. Circular pitch is the distance along the pitch circle from one tooth to the next; pressure angle describes the tooth geometry where the teeth contact. Tooth count can differ to change the speed ratio, but those shared parameters must remain the same. The Make: tutorial identifies 14.5° and 20° as standard pressure-angle options in its context. Its instruction is to change the tooth count, not the shared pitch or pressure angle.
Diametral pitch is another way to specify tooth size: it is the number of teeth per inch of pitch diameter. Circular pitch and diametral pitch are related descriptions of gear size, but they are not interchangeable numbers. When selecting an existing gear or designing a mate, check the actual specified pitch and pressure angle rather than relying on tooth count alone. Boston Gear’s catalog, for example, specifies model H2442 as a 42-tooth steel gear with 24 diametral pitch and a 14.5° pressure angle, along with material, bore, and dimensional details: Boston Gear product catalog.
Calculate the shaft center distance
For a pair of gears with matching diametral pitch, calculate the center distance from their pitch diameters—not their outside diameters. The general relationship is half the sum of the pitch diameters. In tooth-count form, when both gears have the same diametral pitch, use CD = (N1 + N2) / (2P), where N1 and N2 are the tooth counts and P is diametral pitch. Boston Gear publishes this formula for full-depth involute spur gears in its Spur Gears engineering information.
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In the Make: worked example, a 28-tooth gear and a 14-tooth gear use a circular-pitch setting of 24 pixels and a 20° pressure angle. The article assumes Inkscape’s setting is measured at 90 pixels per inch, making 24 pixels approximately 0.267 inches of circular pitch and approximately 11.781 diametral pitch. With those example dimensions, it calculates a center distance of 1.783 inches. These are that tutorial’s example settings and calculation, not a stock pitch specification for choosing arbitrary gears.
Set the shaft holes at the calculated center distance so the gears engage as intended. Center spacing is also a fit adjustment: changing it changes backlash, the clearance between mating teeth. Boston Gear discusses this relationship in its engineering information. A design that merely has matching tooth geometry can still bind or have excessive play if the mounting distance is wrong.
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Choose a fabrication method
| Method | What it involves | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Laser cutting | Generate gear outlines as vectors, configure the file to the cutting provider’s requirements, and cut the gears from sheet material. | Useful when a laser cutter or cutting service is available and repeatable outlines matter; material suitability and current service details depend on the provider. |
| Printed template and hand cutting | Print the gear outline, attach it to cardboard or wood, then cut around the teeth by hand. | Accessible without a laser cutter, but the result depends on careful cutting and the material used. |
The Make: article describes an Inkscape gear extension and a provider template for configuring a laser-cut file. Software interfaces and service requirements can change, so confirm the current extension behavior and the chosen provider’s file specifications before making the part. For a hand-cut version, the tutorial suggests a printed template attached to cardboard or wood; it also lists a hobby knife and a caliper for measuring an existing gear.
Make the pair in the tutorial’s sequence
- Choose the shared geometry. Decide on circular pitch and pressure angle first. The tutorial’s worked example uses 24 pixels for circular pitch and 20° for pressure angle.
- Generate each outline. In Inkscape, use the gear extension to make one 28-tooth gear and one 14-tooth gear, keeping the shared pitch and pressure-angle settings the same while changing the tooth count.
- Add shaft holes. The example uses centered 0.250-inch holes. Size holes for the shafts and the fabrication method you actually plan to use; the example dimension is not a universal fit recommendation.
- Set mounting-hole spacing. Calculate the center distance from pitch diameters or the shared diametral pitch and tooth counts. For this example, the tutorial calculates 1.783 inches between the gear centers.
- Prepare and fabricate the parts. For laser cutting, follow the current provider’s vector-file and stroke requirements. For hand cutting, print the template and attach it to the chosen sheet material before cutting.
- Assemble and check the fit. The tutorial uses quarter-inch wooden dowels cut into two-inch sections as shafts. Check that the pair turns without binding and that the teeth have appropriate clearance; do not assume the tutorial’s materials or dimensions establish a load capacity.
Account for tooth-count and application limits
Small tooth counts can cause undercut, in which the tooth-root geometry is compromised. Boston Gear’s 2023 engineering guidance recommends minimum tooth counts of 13 at a 20° pressure angle and 16 at 14.5° for its stated guidance. These are manufacturer recommendations, not universal design limits; a real design may require analysis of its geometry and operating conditions.
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The Make: example is a simple educational build. It does not establish a load rating for laser-cut wood, cardboard, or other homemade gears. Do not use the demonstrated design as evidence that a gear pair is suitable for a loaded, safety-critical, or otherwise demanding mechanism.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the original tutorial does—and does not—establish
Gareth Branwyn’s Make: article, “How To: Make Your Own Gears,” was published June 28, 2010, and the page also displays February 11, 2018. Its Inkscape and Ponoko workflow is a historical example, not confirmation of current software features, cutting-service availability, pricing, materials, or delivery times. The article’s reported $4.13 plus shipping and couple-of-weeks delivery describe the author’s historical order only, not a current quote.
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