Youtuber making a Curta Calculator!

That's going to be one hell of a project. I've seen exploded views of those calculators and there are a ton of really small gears. I would think the tolerances would have to be pretty tight for the machine to work. Thanks for the link!
 
Crazy something you can buy now for a couple bucks, mass produced from China, has taken over the role of something made by a top notch machinist (God know how many hours) to make. I see they have one from 1953 for sale on ebay right now for $3600. What a thing to own just to marvel at the complexity and precision.
 
Back in high school (early sixties) I worked summers with a land surveyor who used one of these machines all the time. I was totally awestruck and amazed and drooling to get my hands on one. The problem is that I couldn't afford one. Then came the HP35 and I forgot all about the little mechanical wonder. Jump foreword 40 years and I just happened to walk into an estate sale and there on the mantle was a very familiar looking black canister which contained a pristine almost unused Curta. I asked what they wanted for it and after glancing at it was asked if 20 bucks would do?! It now is one of my favorite possessions that my kids will probably sell for several grand at least after I'm gone. I've seen 2-5 X sized models made by hobbyists but never run across a successful reproduction. I'm not saying it can't be done, but...... Best of luck finishing this project! In the meantime, I'll be smiling while I'm fondling my precious.
 
While I would love to have the time and energy to make a Curta calculator, I would be happy to really understand how it works. To me, these seem like something the aliens brought to earth. :)
 
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