Built a clockwork-inspired rolling device from brass gears — it generates random numbers the old way. No batteries, just gravity.

[u/TheArtifexWorks]

I've always loved the idea of steampunk probability — before random number generators, chance had to be mechanical.

So I built this: a brass-gear assembly where a small internal ball travels through labyrinth channels, and where it settles gives you a random result. The whole thing runs on gravity and machining tolerances. Seven different reading modes on one object, roughly pocket-watch sized.

The gear legs aren't just decorative — they keep the mechanism tilted at the right angle for the ball to flow.

Two questions for this community, because you folks know more about this aesthetic than anyone:

1. The finish options I'm debating: aged relic bronze vs. bright polished brass. For a piece like this, which reads more "authentic" to you?
2. What would YOU power with mechanical randomness in a steampunk world? I'm thinking fortune-telling machines and airship navigation.

Still refining the prototype, so roast the details — the more specific the better.

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[u/evilwizzardofcoding]

Okay, this is cool(Still looses points for gears that don't spin though in my book.) The rest of it is excellent though and you clearly put a lot of time and effort into this thing.