Need a source for CF gear???

[Paul Taylor]

 I am looking for CF gear for my gifted Nobler project. Who sells gear for our smaller planes? Google shows tons of CF gear, the smallest being too big for our use.
Thanks

[john e. holliday]

Do a search on Ebay.  Several listings look about right size.  But why not go aluminum and make your own?

[Paul Taylor]

Do a search on Ebay.  Several listings look about right size.  But why not go aluminum and make your own?

Thanks Doc
I don’t do fleebay.
It takes a special kind of aluminum for gear. Then a lot of filing and polishing in hopes of getting a nice set. Before I do all that work and effort I would buy aluminum gear from Brodaks. That might be my only solution if no one has a source for CF gear. 

[Alan Buck]

  Paul   try  Randy Smith

[Matt Colan]

Thanks Doc
I don’t do fleebay.
It takes a special kind of aluminum for gear. Then a lot of filing and polishing in hopes of getting a nice set. Before I do all that work and effort I would buy aluminum gear from Brodaks. That might be my only solution if no one has a source for CF gear.

Check with Randy Smith. He usually has CF gear in stock

[Paul Taylor]

Thanks guys. I will hit Randy up.

[doug coursey]

Check with Randy Smith. He usually has CF gear in stock

The gear for the vector will work just about the right size,,..

[Motorman]

Hobby King has allot of CF gear.

[Steve Helmick]

Thanks Doc
I don’t do fleebay.
It takes a special kind of aluminum for gear. Then a lot of filing and polishing in hopes of getting a nice set. Before I do all that work and effort I would buy aluminum gear from Brodaks. That might be my only solution if no one has a source for CF gear.

SIG sells flat blanks for LG's of all sorts. They're common 6061T6, commonly known as "commercial grade" aluminum. It's no big deal...you can bend it at home, without heat treating. I'd suggest about 3/32" thick.  Steve

[Scott Richlen]

The problem I have seen with the aluminum blanks is that although you can bend them to shape, they also "unbend" very easily.  How do you heat treat them after bending so they retain their shape?

[John Rist]

The problem I have seen with the aluminum blanks is that although you can bend them to shape, they also "unbend" very easily.  How do you heat treat them after bending so they retain their shape?

As far as I know you can't harden aluminum with heat treating. Aluminum gets hard by "work hardening". IE when aluminum comes out of the rolling mill it's as hard as it gets.  You then can anneal it through heat treating to a softer level.  T6 after an aluminum PN means hard.  "O" after a PN is dead soft.  I think this is how it works,  I am no metal expert sooooo  I could be all wet.   

[Tom_Fluker]

Try Steve Wilk - Eliminatorprops.com    He makes them.

[Paul Taylor]

Try Steve Wilk - Eliminatorprops.com    He makes them.

He only has profile gear. 😖

[Paul Taylor]

Hobby King has allot of CF gear.

Again- try and find it on there site. It’s useless.

[Steve Helmick]

The problem I have seen with the aluminum blanks is that although you can bend them to shape, they also "unbend" very easily.  How do you heat treat them after bending so they retain their shape?

Yeah, "T6" is as hard as it (6061) gets, and it works ok. Smashing your plane into the ground on landings doesn't help. If it works for R/C planes, it should work way better for us. Have you ever seen the way those guys land? OMG. 

Several local guys...Howard Rush, Randy Powell and Bruce Perry at minimum...have molded their own CF gears. Somebody local laminated a LG out of wood veneer...not sure how that worked, or who did it.    Steve 

[Steve Dwyer]

I have never tried CF landing gear but over the years I have made my own aluminum gear many times. Having some experience years back as a licensed Aircraft Repairman where I found the aircraft industry favors 2024 aluminum sheet over 6061. 2024 alloy is harder, and has about a 17% higher yield and fatigue strength. Both alloys are workable and weigh almost the same.

I have bought 2024 from "On-Line Metals" in 12' x 12" and 12" x 24" sheets. From trial and error after using .063, .078 and .090 the .078 works best if the gear is in the area of 3/4" width.  The .090 is ok for thinner 1/2" width and the .063 is just too light and tends to distort more than desired.

I have an old garage sale band saw I use for only for aluminum cutting with a medium coarse blade. After cutting I use a 1" thick Scotch Brite Finishing Wheel on my bench grinder and a small hand reamer to chamfer the drill holes. Following the wheel finishing to remove the cutting marks I polish the gear with either a fine 0000 steel wool or fine Scotch Brite pad. This produces a beautiful gear set with minimal work.
 
The 6061 sells for $26.09 for a 12" x 12" while the 2024 is $36.65. Either will work and you can easily make several gear sets for our size models from a 12 x 12.

Steve

[mike londke]

Again- try and find it on there site. It’s useless.

On the Hobby King site- "Carbon Fiber Landing Gear' typed in the search box provided 36 results. Full body and profile. Most is bigger stuff for 3D gassers but there are smaller sizes to choose from. You'll have to convert it from mm but I think you can find what you need there.