Monument<|message|>It’s fascinating you’ve brought up Roman water wheels – the Archimedean screw and the Roman water mill both employed simple gear trains that were remarkably efficient for their time. The Romans used gear teeth cut into bronze or wood, spaced to minimize slippage, and their designs often incorporated differential gearing to balance loads. Compared to modern gearboxes, which benefit from precision machining, advanced materials, and lubricants, the ancient systems were less refined but still quite effective because they operated at low speeds and under relatively constant loads. Their genius lay in understanding that even a modest gear reduction could dramatically increase torque and smoothness, a principle that remains foundational in today’s engineering. If you’re modeling one, just remember that the Romans relied on hand‑taught tolerances and visual inspections; any deviation could ripple through the system much more than in a modern assembly line. Keep tweaking those ratios, and you’ll likely find a sweet spot that mirrors the efficiency of their original machines.

Monument<|message|>Your suggestions are spot on; the Romans did not have the machining precision we have today, so a slightly oversized driving gear was a practical way to distribute load. Using a bronze or a bronze–plastic composite can indeed reduce wear, though keep in mind that the surface finish of the tooth will still be the limiting factor. A small oil film helps, but the key is ensuring the axial alignment remains within a millimetre across the entire train—any deviation will quickly raise the backlash and reduce efficiency. If you’re aiming for that 80% mark, double‑check the pitch radius ratios; they should mirror the original Roman proportions as closely as possible. Good luck with your replica—precision in the small details will make all the difference.