What the numbers mean:Gear sets have many numbers on them to help you use the gear sets.
Then numbers have many different uses, they are:
Then numbers have many different uses, they are:
- Tooth Count and the Prime Factors. These two are listed for every gear on the gear and on the frame by the ring. Tooth count tells you how many gear teeth are in the circumference of the gear (18). The numbers below the tooth count are the prime factors of the tooth count (2*3*3). These can be helpful in determining how complicated a design is going to be.
- Side and Corner numbers. Most non-circular gears are made of arc-segments of two (or more) sizes of circles. This means that the sides have one circumference and the corners have a smaller circumference. These two numbers are shown as a fraction that is listed near the Tooth Count and Prime Factors.
- In the example to the right it is a 48 tooth gear with prime factors of 2*2*2*2*3. It is a triangular gear with sides of circumference 64 and corners of 36. This means that if you use the gear it won't work in anything smaller than a 64 ring. If you use the ring of this triangular shape then only gears smaller than 36 will work in it. Anything bigger than 36 will get stuck in the corners because they are too small.
- In the example to the right it is a 48 tooth gear with prime factors of 2*2*2*2*3. It is a triangular gear with sides of circumference 64 and corners of 36. This means that if you use the gear it won't work in anything smaller than a 64 ring. If you use the ring of this triangular shape then only gears smaller than 36 will work in it. Anything bigger than 36 will get stuck in the corners because they are too small.
- Oblong Gears have a straight portion. They have three numbers: 1) the total tooth count (biggest), 2) The size of the circle that makes the rounded ends (labelled curve), and 3) The length of the straight section on each side (labelled flat)
- Numbers on the modular pieces: Modular pieces are made from pieces of a 180/120 hoop. The numbers on each modular piece show how many gear teeth the piece has and how many degrees of the hoop the piece is made of.
Because it is a 180/120 hoop that they are made of you can only use gears smaller than 120.