Have you ever wondered how new machine gears get their intricate, well-defined grooves? The answer is just like anything new made in this world: through the pain and suffering of much older gears and machines.
Medley’s Mechanical Engineering is an Instagram page dedicated to showing the behind-the-scenes work done by machines that make parts for a new tech generation. Most of the videos feature various types of CNC machines which use sharp grooves to sculpt different kinds of metals:
Different machines have different methods of cutting specific gears. Some use a single rotating cutting tool while others use two simultaneous parts that cut the gear while oil is poured over the metal. No matter the process, the resulting gears look smooth, precise, and are customized to fit the machines they will soon power.
It also helps that watching different methods of mechanical machining is hugely satisfying. Seeing the clack of two gears and the smoothness of the cutover pouring oil is just as calming as a single tool making the screw cut of a long bolt or file out a giant, cast-iron shaft.
Medley’s Mechanical Engineering Instagram page has more satisfying CNC machining videos. He also has a YouTube channel in the works, so be sure to keep an eye out for it as well.
