Lego & Haskel
Lego
Hey Haskel, how about we build a tiny, fully functional mechanical clock out of Legos? It’ll let us test our precision, design, and maybe even outsmart a few time‑keeping bugs together.
Haskel
Sure, because nothing says "precision" like a plastic block that could be a different color each hour. But if we insist, we might as well design it with modular logic blocks and a timer circuit that actually works. Just don't expect it to beat a quartz watch.
Lego
That sounds good—let’s use a step‑by‑step approach: first, a sturdy base, then a rotating gear train powered by a small motor, and finally a digital display to show the time. We can swap out the motor for a spring if you want a purely mechanical version. I’ll sketch a prototype plan, and we’ll fine‑tune the tolerances together.
Haskel
A base that tolerates a millimeter of play? Good, let's not let gravity ruin our elegance. The motor can drive a gear train, but the ratio must be exact—otherwise we get a timepiece that runs like a drunk. A spring would be nice if we can keep the tension consistent; otherwise, it’s a romantic disaster. Draw the plan, but remember, every tooth counts.
Lego
Here’s a concise plan: 1. Start with a square aluminum base, 100 mm per side, holes at each corner for mounting; 2. Mount a 12 mm diameter, 2 mm thick stepper motor in the center; 3. Attach a 30‑tooth spur gear to the motor shaft, then a 90‑tooth gear on the second shaft; 4. Use a 5‑tooth pinion on the third shaft that drives a 20‑tooth gear on the minute hand; 5. For the hour hand, link a 15‑tooth gear to a 45‑tooth gear that turns once every 12 hours; 6. Add a small, pre‑tensioned coil spring between the 30‑tooth gear and the motor housing to smooth torque; 7. Mount a 16‑segment LCD on the top of the base, wired to an Arduino Nano; 8. Program the Nano to count steps, convert to time, and drive the LCD; 9. Test with a calibration jig to confirm each tooth spacing within ±0.1 mm; 10. Finally, seal the assembly with a clear epoxy to prevent dust. That should give us an accurate, modular timepiece.
Haskel
The plan is solid, but you forgot to account for backlash in the spur gears. Even a 0.05 mm clearance can make the minute hand drift. Also, the Arduino clock will drift if the stepper isn’t regulated; consider a crystal reference. Epoxy will preserve dust, but it’ll also lock in any misalignment you miss now. Double‑check the tooth profiles before you glue.
Lego
Good point on backlash – I’ll machine the spur gears with a tolerance of 0.02 mm and add a small, adjustable spring‑loaded collar on the drive shaft to take up slack. I’ll also integrate a high‑accuracy 32‑kHz crystal with the Arduino to keep the stepper steps timed correctly. Before epoxy, I’ll run a bench test with a laser interferometer to verify the tooth profiles and alignment; that way we lock in precision without risking hidden misfits.