On: Show HN: Mechanical clock simulation in WebGL

[blacksmith_tb]

The mainspring provides all the mechanical energy. The small spring is called the escapement, it spins one way, then back the other at a set frequency (typically 4, 6, or 8 times per second), letting the energy of the mainspring 'escape' gradually (instead of unwinding all at once, in a rush).

[beeboop → blacksmith_tb]

So the small spring is what makes it run accurately? I wonder how hard it is to make the small spring accurate without modern tools (1800s technology).

[rcurry → beeboop]

This provides a good description of how the balance wheel works:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_wheel

It is manually tuned, via weights and spring tension, to oscillate at a precise interval.