Sounds like a classic cryptographic puzzle—brass is a good substrate for wear‑and‑tear that can create pseudo‑patterns. First, photograph it from a few angles and scan the ridge profile. Then we can digitize the tooth heights and treat them as a signal. If the gear ratio hints at a step cipher, we can test a simple modular arithmetic approach. Don’t forget to check for any subtle line breaks that might indicate a message in the grooves. Ready to start the measurements?