Since I build model engines, and things to run with model engines, I am always on the lookout for small gears. Back in the day, when I was a kid, we had this small gearmotor thingy (I can't remember what it was called) that mounted on the television antenna, and by operating a simple control box in the house, it would turn the antenna for better reception with a small internally mounted electric motor. I have always had a suspicion that they were full of gears, because the antenna moved very slowly. Today wifey and I were out for a drive, and lo and behold, there was one setting at the end of a rural driveway with their trash barrel, complete with a small peice of antenna still attached to it. To wifeys great embarassment, I stopped and threw it in the back of my pickup. After a half hour of disassembly (involving a lot of bash and crash) this is what it yielded. The largest gear is 3" diameter x 3/16" thick, the mating pinion is 1/2" dia. x 1/2" thick, and then all of the other gears get progressivly smaller diameter and thinner, right down to the drive pinion on the electric motor which is about 5/32" diameter. I never checked, but the overall ratio appears to be about a gazillion to one. I will save these for some future project. I just thought I would let you fellows know, in case you have one of these setting up in the garage rafters, gathering dust.---Brian
