You can choose from a variety of materials, depending on the type of transmission you build. If you decide to build a belt drive, try stiff, rubbery materials for the belt (such as a slice of inner tube or an 0-ring). Make sure your pulleys are pulled away from each other so that the belt is tight. One suggestion: one way to change the gear ratio on a pulley drive is to add or remove masking tape around a pulley. This will change its diameter.
If you use a friction drive, make sure you have enough traction on the friction disk, or it will slip (see the materials section for wheels and bearings). Also, make sure the friction gears are pressed against each other snugly to ensure traction
In all cases, you will need wheel-like parts to put on the motor shaft and the wheel and you can get ideas from reading the suggestions for wheel materials.
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