Building a Gorgeous Mechanical Calculator With 3D-Printed Parts

The Curta calculator, a small cylindrical math machine with a hand-crank on the top, was first dreamt up by Curt Herzstark in the 1930s who finished its design while imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp during WWII. With its unique design and fascinating history, these antiques can sell for well over $1,000 today. Don't have $1,000 to drop on one? Good news, you can 3D print it too.

Redditor marcus_wu embarked on exactly that quest, and just finished his project after nearly two years of research and testing. The finished product has about 240 printed parts, and 100 or so non-printed parts, and weighs about three pounds. Wu posted an extremely in-depth project journal on Imgur, but here are some of 

If you're inclined to give this a try yourself, you're in luck. The print files and a build guide are posted on Thingiverse. Just beware, as Wu's project diary shows, it's not quite as easy as throwing together some Legos. Still, it's a terrific project and a replica of a true marvel of engineering. And a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a real one.