How to use cogs?

[Bill]

I'm not sure how to use them. I thought I can use cogs to stretch back a spring by tying it to one of the cog's teeth, but I can't. I tried putting a block in the middle then spin the cog back as if spooling a string but it doesn't work. So far I'm only using it like a toothy motor wheel.

[Ext3h]

For once, you can use them to make parts move in sync.

But there is a possibly better use for them:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=389858653

Combine multiple powered cogs to form an engine which can create larger forces than any single building block could.

With 4 powered cogs, you can create enough force to break a wooden bar instantly.

[EightRooks]

Originally posted by Ext3h:

For once, you can use them to make parts move in sync.

Not wheels, though, unless I'm missing something.

...I may well be missing something. Seriously, though, how I saw it: you can't have wheels and cogs at the same time - you can't drive a wheel with a chain of cogs because the last cog has to be on the same level as the wheel, and because the cogs are bigger than the wheels that won't work. My first thought was some kind of mechanical arms that moved up and down as the "vehicle" moved forward, but as far as I can tell that's not possible (not possible to have it driven by cogs, I mean).

Believe me, I'll be happy if someone points out I have missed something/I'm being dumb! Or even if I'm not being dumb I can still see how you could do a ton of static machines using the cogs in the sandbox all the same, and that's cool. Just saying, OP is not the only one thinking "But how do I do X with them?".

[Ext3h]

I would expect that the torque of the spinning and steering block would be reduced in a future update.

And the adition of large and small cogs.

However, I don't see how they are of any use yet. What's missing most in this context, is a toothed rack. With that, many of the constructions simplyfy as a stack of pistons can simply be replace by a long toothed rack which is driven by a single cog.

Possibly even "ammunition" consisting of toothed racks, a bomb at the tip, which is then driven out by force.

That, and a fixed(!!!) cog which can also be mounted on a hinge, so you can use it to drive the hinge with huge force.

[Manthrottle Beefdeath]

The cogs are a bit too wobbly and weak ATM

[Ext3h]

Originally posted by Slap McManmuscle:

The cogs are a bit too wobbly and weak ATM

It's not so much the cogs wobbling, but mostly the blocks they are mounted on. You need a lot of braces to make the construction sturdy enough. You can also oppose the cogs with swivels to prevent them from skipping (at least mostly):
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=389972822

Keep in mind that the powered cogs have virtually no force limit, so they WILL break your machine when forced into impossible positions.

[Share the Load.]

I did my best to try to find a way to make a differential, which would really help steering. But the cogs didn't seem like enough to do it, unfortunately

[Wyris]

This is the purpose of cogs:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=416857576
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=416861503
Cogs are useful to change the axis of rotation or to translate it elsewhere.