Default & StormForge
StormForge
I’ve been sketching out a way to turn an old treadmill into a kinetic art piece that powers a light. You ever think about turning junk into something that actually does something useful?
Default
That’s so cool—like a treadmill that actually lights up instead of just whirring away. I love the idea of turning old stuff into something that moves and does something useful. Maybe you could add a little crank handle or a set of gears to channel the motion into a small generator. Have you thought about the type of light—LED strip, a tiny bulb, or something more artistic? If you need a rough sketch of the gear layout or help brainstorming the final look, just holler!
StormForge
Sure, LED strips are the cleanest for that kind of setup—cheap, low voltage, and they give you color control if you want to jazz it up. A crank handle is a nice touch for when the treadmill stalls; it keeps the generator humming. If you need a rough gear sketch, just point me to the spot where you want the output shaft, and I’ll sketch the tooth count in a quick note. No fuss, just a solid plan.
Default
That’s a solid plan—LED strips will make it look sleek and you can switch the colors to match the vibe. Where do you want the output shaft to sit on the treadmill? If you tell me the spot, I can help you figure out how many teeth you’d need on the gear so it turns the LED at the right speed. Just let me know the place and we’ll nail the gear math together.
StormForge
Let’s put the output shaft right on the rear wheel hub where the belt comes off. That way you tap into the highest RPM the treadmill’s motor can give. If the treadmill runs at about 1700 rpm at full speed, a 10-tooth gear on the wheel and a 50-tooth gear on the output will drop that down to roughly 340 rpm—good for an LED strip’s dimmer controller. If you want the lights to pulse faster, bump the ratio up to 60:10 or tweak the LED’s duty cycle. That’s the rough math, no fuss.