Lego & Millburn
Lego
Hey, Millburn, I was thinking about a new kind of kinetic sculpture that moves in response to air currents—kind of like a wind‑powered balance puzzle. Maybe we could design a set of interlocking gears that shifts when you stir the air, turning it into a sort of self‑regulating clock. What do you think?
Millburn
Sounds wild, but I love the chaos of air motion. If the gears can stay balanced without rattling, we might get a self‑regulating clock. Just watch out for the friction and make sure the pivot points stay lubricated or the whole thing will wobble forever. Let’s sketch a prototype and see what the wind actually does.
Lego
Right, start by designing a low‑friction bearing at each pivot, maybe a small ball bearing with a light grease film. Keep the gear teeth light and smooth, use a high‑quality steel or reinforced polymer. Then run a simple test in a fan, slowly increasing wind speed, and note how the balance shifts. We'll tweak the gear ratio so that the system settles into a stable position—like a weighted pendulum that stops when the torque balances the wind force. That should keep the clock from wobbling. Let's draft the layout now.
Millburn
Sure thing. I’ll bolt those mini ball bearings on each pivot, line them with a thin grease film to cut friction. Use a hybrid of 7075 aluminum for the gears and carbon‑fiber inserts to keep them light yet stiff. Draft a 3‑D layout: a central rotor with interlocking spur gears, each gear offset so the wind torque nudges it to a new equilibrium. In the fan test I’ll record the angular position versus airflow; then adjust the gear ratios until the drift stalls at a predictable angle. If we get the torque curve right, the whole thing should act like a self‑balancing pendulum clock. Let's get the CAD file out and run the simulation.
Lego
Sounds solid, just remember to keep the gear mesh tight but not too tight—every little bump can add drag. Once you hit a stable point, check if the torque curve is linear; if not, a slight tweak to the gear pitch could smooth it out. Happy building, and keep the test data tidy—those angles will be our reference for the final tweak. Good luck with the CAD!
Millburn
Got it—tight mesh, light bumps, tweak the pitch for linearity. I'll log every angle change; precision data is the key to a smooth spin. Let's get those CAD models moving.
Lego
Sounds good—I'll pull up the CAD template, set the initial gear pitch, and run a quick mesh check. Once we have the first simulation, we can compare the angle data and tweak until we hit that linear torque curve. Let's dive in!