Trick to counting splines?

kaiser715

kaiser715

Doing hard time
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Location
7, Pocket, NC
I got a shaft I'm trying to figure out the spline count on, but it's got the better of me. Shaft is 7/8", its around 40 splines, but I get cross-eyed and lose my place. Any tricks to count easily and accurately?

Edit: It's on a machine part (90 degree gear box), not a car part you can look up year/make/model. No markings on the box. China's best.
 
Marker of choice to hit the high spots as you go. And I count out loud. I guess a man could mark five then write it down, tally the fives and any odd number in the end to give your eyes a break.
 
I generally grab a sliver sharpie or one that contrasts well. Mark a long line on the spline and end of the shaft for the first. Short mark at every 5 and sometimes I'll do medium mark on the 10s. Makes it easy to go back and verify.
 
I just measure the width of a spline crest and valley at the OD, measure the diameter, multiply the diameter by 3.14, and then divide that by the sum of 1 spline and valley. 🤷‍♂️
 
kaiser715 said:
I got a shaft I'm trying to figure out the spline count on, but it's got the better of me. Shaft is 7/8", its around 40 splines, but I get cross-eyed and lose my place. Any tricks to count easily and accurately?

Edit: It's on a machine part (90 degree gear box), not a car part you can look up year/make/model. No markings on the box. China's best.
Click to expand...
take a picture with your phone. Zoom in the picture then count the splines with a finger / pencil / pretzel stick
 
justjeepin86 said:
get out of here with that shit!
Click to expand...
Fine. The other way I do it is set it up in an indexer with a dial indicator on a NOGA long arm indicator base, indicator traveling along the OD of the splines, make 1 full rotation, and record the clicks via an RS232 interface to an oscilloscope which outputs to a black and green screen on a DOS based computer. Then I ask my 4 year old to count the peaks. This is the most accurate method.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Fine. The other way I do it is set it up in an indexer with a dial indicator on a NOGA long arm indicator base, indicator traveling along the OD of the splines, make 1 full rotation, and record the clicks via an RS232 interface to an oscilloscope which outputs to a black and green screen on a DOS based computer. Then I ask my 4 year old to count the peaks. This is the most accurate method.
Click to expand...
But, how do you know you went 1 full rotation if you didn't mark it first?:shaking:
 
justjeepin86 said:
But, how do you know you went 1 full rotation if you didn't mark it first?:shaking:
Click to expand...
Amateur! That's what the indexer is for. I just set it to match however many splines are on the shaft, and each index click is a spline. Go from 0 degrees back around to zero degrees. It's so easy! 🤷‍♂️
 
justjeepin86 said:
Well damn, I guess I didn't pay enough attention when I read your nonsense, lol
Click to expand...
It's all nonsense anyway. I just hit one spline with a sharpie and count around with a pick/fingernail/flathead screwdriver like any other person who is not in a mental institution. :D
 
jeepinmatt said:
It's all nonsense anyway. I just hit one spline with a sharpie and count around with a pick/fingernail/flathead screwdriver like any other person who is not in a mental institution. :D
Click to expand...
Or a pretzel stick. That is the most effective counting aperatus for splines as @RatLabGuy mentioned earlier. Precision is the key.
 
No fries said:
Or a pretzel stick. That is the most effective counting aperatus for splines as @RatLabGuy mentioned earlier. Precision is the key.
Click to expand...
What are the preferred brands? And is there a desired staleness?
 
No fries said:
Or a pretzel stick. That is the most effective counting aperatus for splines as @RatLabGuy mentioned earlier. Precision is the key.
Click to expand...
Note, pretzel stick requires a solid 175% zoom.
Also, Rold Gold. Snyder's don't work.
 
Great ideas and methods, all of them. Even @jeepinmatt

Spline end had a coating like black oxide, my only silver sharpie is a fat tip, so I ended up wrapping with painters tape, covering half the splines, and using a fine black sharpie to tick them off.

End result is, since connecting shaft was missing (used equipment), went to grainger and bought a better gearbox, that had a keyed shaft, instead of this chicom oddball.
 
kaiser715 said:
Great ideas and methods, all of them. Even @jeepinmatt

Spline end had a coating like black oxide, my only silver sharpie is a fat tip, so I ended up wrapping with painters tape, covering half the splines, and using a fine black sharpie to tick them off.

End result is, since connecting shaft was missing (used equipment), went to grainger and bought a better gearbox, that had a keyed shaft, instead of this chicom oddball.
Click to expand...
Yowzers. Grainger gearboxes are high$$. Next time check out automation direct's gearboxes. Seem to hold up good for me for less $$$
 
Use a sharpie and make dots
 
Back
Top