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Have you wanted to get started on making your own rolling
ball sculpture?
Do you have some great ideas that would work
perfectly in a ball run?
I like to make things, and I especially
like it when the something
I make moves - That's why your here, right?
You want to make a rolling ball sculpture
for yourself. Stop your
looking, and take some time looking around here. I can't
add everything
at once, so keep checking back for added pages. Enjoy!
Click on each
picture for another page of pictures and explanation related to that
subject.
Make your own marble run! Send me your picturs and I'll start
a user submited section.
E-mail
Click on the pictures to the right of the description to access the page.
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1) Track
This is a Loop d' Loop
after getting
all of it's track
spacers welded on. This
loop isn't done, it
gets one
more to make three and
is found on #64
**updated
2-05-08**
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2) Motors
This pictures shows a
DC gear motor
and the
aluminum pad it attaches
to. See the blue thrust
bearing
and the insert that connects
the shaft of the
motor to
the tube in the helical lift.
**updated
2-03-08** |
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3) Marble
Collectors
This marble collector
has 6
marbles on it, it
only needs two more to
complete the
set and have
enough weight to tip and
release them
all.
**updated 02-03-08** |
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4) Marbles and
Balls
The size and type of
marble
or ball you choose will be
important. But the rule of
thumb is that the bigger the
sculpture, then the larger the
ball.
Want one of a kind marbles? : )
www.weberglass.com
**updated
02-04-08** |
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5) Frame
Think
of the frame as the
bones of your sculpture. It
will
hold it up, and it will
be what everything else is
attached to
for support.
New Pics! **updated 03-15-08** |
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6) Track
Switch
There are lots of
ways to
split one ball path into two,
or more
paths. I give you a
peek at THREE very
different
track switches. - New! -
**updated 02-04-08** |
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7) Welding
There
are a couple different
types of welding you can do;
MIG - TIG
- OxyAcetlylene
Spot - Soldering. It really
just
depends on the type of material
you will be
using.
**updated 03-15-08** |
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8) Your
Workspace
Your workspace is
a
personal place. You will
need to find one that
works with what
you
want to do.
**updated 02-04-08** |
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9) Shipping and
Boxes
This is a very important
part of
making something.
Eventually, you will need
to ship something
somewhere.
Check out this easy guide
to help you
out.
NEW! **updated 04-13-08** |
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10)
Steel
Where do I get my
steel?
Locally. Use your yellow
pages and call around
for
suppliers and the best
deal. Stainless
Steel isn't
easy to find, be prepared
to make a few
calls.
**updated 02-08-08** |
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11)
Spirals
Spirals
take a perfectly straight
track and twist it all up into
a
nice compact package. They can
speed up, slow down, merge,
separate and randomize the marble.
This handy element is the
staple
of any rolling ball sculpture.
**NEW
PICS 02-03-08**
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12)
Chain
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13) Elements
Besides track, you
will
have to decide what
fun things you want the
ball to do. Let
this list just
be a guide and use
your
imagination!
**updated 02-02-08** |
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14) Bearings
Bearings make sure everything
on your
moving sculpture
runs as smoothly as possible for
a long, long
time. This is a thrust
bearing that is used to take the
weight
of the helical lift and glass
marbles.
**updated
02-03-08**
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15)
Banking corners VS railing
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16) Tooling
The
tooling you use will be
standard, like a grinder and
pliers.
But it will depend on what materials
you are going to
use to build your
Rolling Ball Sculpture. I discuss
some
here, but a LOT more can be
said!
**updated 02-03-08**
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17) Pre Made
Sets
Take the guess work
out of
deciding where to begin making
your own rolling
ball sculpture.
Check out some of the pre-made
sets you can
buy to get started now!
**updated 02-04-08**
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18) Helical
Lift
Helical lift, and chain
lift.
Both work well to get your
marbles back to the top
of
your sculpture. The lift
brings the marbles back
to the top,
without any
help from you.
**updated 02-04-08** |
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19) Chain Lift
My first chain lift.
See the pictures
now!
I will update again as I get
the chain
lift completed,
and the lift actually running.
**updated
02-3-08** |
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20) Wood Ring Lift
NEW! My first ring lift.
See the pictures
now!
I didn't make the ring,
but I have the pictures of it
being built. Enjoy! |
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