It begins with a clock. It always does.



I used a screwdriver and a pair of pliers to take it apart, hoping not to damage the pieces.



But I was looking for gears of a more aesthetically desirable nature, and was not satisfied with nylon. So I turned to another source - a sturdy kitchen timer.



This one proved to have much better pieces inside.



But it isn't destruction I was after. I had plans for the pieces that went further than separating them from their clock.



The goal was a wearable lapel pin or other accessory, made of gears - and I'd say it worked out well.