Ground a coding agent in service manuals before it builds a mechanical recreation
by PaperChaseWebb
A builder recreated an airport split-flap departure board in the browser with Claude Code. Before any code, research skills pulled real specifications from the manufacturer's old service manuals, patents and teardowns; then the board was built module by module with browser tests that click through it.
- Price
- Free
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Setup
- 30 min
- Format
- .md file
ground-a-coding-agent-in-service-manuals-before-it-builds-a-mechanical-recreation.md · 2 KB · direct download, no signup
What you end up with
The point is that results came from grounding and small pieces, not one perfect prompt.
What you get
- A plain-language summary of the workflow
- A fill-in prompt template
- What to watch out for
- A link to the original source
Who it is for
Builders who already use AI agents and want a proven workflow they can copy into their own project.
Works with
Solid chips: the agent is named in this listing's own tools list. Dashed chip: Plain Markdown, so it also pastes into other agents such as Grok Bot, Hermes, OpenClaw or Muse. We list those as compatible by format only, not as tested.
Tools needed
Cost to run: Free with the agent plan you already use.
Time to result: One working session
How it works
Collect primary sources first: manuals, patents, teardowns
Collect primary sources first: manuals, patents, teardowns.
Expected: Done before you move to the next step.
Have the agent turn them into a short spec with measurements and cite
Have the agent turn them into a short spec with measurements and cite where each came from.
Expected: Done before you move to the next step.
Build one module, review it in the browser and give specific feedback
Build one module, review it in the browser and give specific feedback.
Expected: Done before you move to the next step.
Have the agent write browser tests that click through each part
Have the agent write browser tests that click through each part.
Expected: Done before you move to the next step.
Keep a decisions file so a fresh session can pick up the work
Keep a decisions file so a fresh session can pick up the work.
Expected: Done before you move to the next step.
Sample prompt from the pack
Apply this workflow to [your project]: 1. Collect primary sources first: manuals, patents, teardowns. 2. Have the agent turn them into a short spec with measurements and cite where each came from. 3. Build one module, review it in the browser and give specific feedback. 4. Have the agent write browser tests that click through each part. 5. Keep a decisions file so a fresh session can pick up the work. Stop and ask me before anything irreversible: deploys, payments, sends or deletes.
Adapted by PaperChaseWebb. Not the original author's prompt.
Free preview of the file
# Ground a coding agent in service manuals before it builds a mechanical recreation PaperChase agent use case (free feed entry), version 1.0. Source: [u/SelectionNo3613](https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1xi3s3l/i_used_claude_code_to_reverse_engineer_the_old/), 2026-10-28. ## What they did The research step gave the agent real mechanical measurements instead of guesses. From there the loop was research, build, review in the browser, give specific feedback, test and repeat. Claude wrote browser tests that click through the interface, which caught problems that were not visible in the code, and project decisions were written down so work carried across context resets. ## Worth knowing The point is that results came from grounding and small pieces, not one perfect prompt. Writing decisions to a file is what let the work continue across context resets. The builder works at a robotics company and used its in-house research skills, so the exact tools are not all public.
Worth knowing
- The point is that results came from grounding and small pieces, not one perfect prompt. Writing decisions to a file is what let the work continue across context resets. The builder works at a robotics company and used its in-house research skills, so the exact tools are not all public.
- Figures are as reported by the original author and were not re-measured by us.
Questions
Where does this come from?
A public post credited to u/SelectionNo3613. Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1xi3s3l/i_used_claude_code_to_reverse_engineer_the_old/
Is it free?
Yes. Feed entries are free to read and download.
Details
Version 1.0 · Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Markdown version of this page
License: Personal and commercial use. Credit the original source when you share the workflow. Download terms
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