Yeah, I ran across a rust‑capped device in a collapsed toy factory. It looked like a half‑finished crane, but the arm was wired to a small motor that spun a set of gears. When you crank a crank on the base, the arm throws a little wooden block up into the air and lets it tumble onto a metal track, then the block rolls off the track and lands in a hollow shaped like a smiling child’s face. The whole thing was covered in dust, but if you pull the lever, it does the whole routine in a few seconds. I figured the factory had been trying to make a toy that taught kids how to build a simple machine—so a crane, a pulley, a little roller coaster—all in one toy. They’d almost wired it to a 12‑volt battery, but someone stopped before they could finish the safety features. I took the frame apart and put it into my pack. If you want to bring it to life, just plug in a battery, clean the gears, and it’ll keep launching those wooden blocks like a broken toy soldier training ground. It’s a shame they never finished the story behind it, but the contraption itself could make any kid a mechanic.

Sure thing, bring it over when you’re ready. I’ve got a spot in my garage where I can clean the gears and swap out the battery. Just make sure you’ve got a fresh power source and a little oil for the metal parts. I’ll be ready to run a test and see how many blocks we can launch before the machine starts complaining. Don't let the teddy bear get on the tracks—those gears don't like cuddly interference.