Rolling Ball Sculpture Elements

Rolling Ball Sculpture elements you can choose for your Kinetic art project

Here is a list of the possible Rolling Ball Sculpture elements I can include in your piece of kinetic art. This list is not exhaustive – if you see something you like on another RBS please let me know; I can build anything Rolling Ball Sculpture into your art piece.

Chain Lift

An automatic ball lift. This lift is a continuous chain with marble pickups spaced out to pick up a marble at the bottom and release at the top. Advantage is you can group pickups for action that is not the same rhythm or timing.

Helical Lift

Based on the Archimedes Screw design. A tall coil that spins around and raises the marbles to the top, like an Archimedes screw. This type is more elegant than the chain lift, but the release of the marbles is always the same.

Tipping Arm

Marble enters arm from upper track and drops it to lower track and then returns to its previous resting position waiting for next marble; can be made to handle multiple marbles. This Tipping Arm can process more than one ball at a time.

Multiple Ball Track Switch

This tipping arm can collect 2 or more marbles and tip to release them on to multiple tracks. This can be used as an alternate to a track switch.

Flat Spiral

These can be very flat… to a steep cone shape. A flat coil of track where the Marble enters from the outside and spins around until it exits at the center. Can handle one or more marbles at the same time.

Loop d’ Loops

Probably the coolest element on an RBS, the track goes upside down for several loops, up to 10 in a row and usually exits upside down with the spin of the marble slowing itself on the exit. (Fast track option).

And here’s another video of the loop d’ loop I call “The Pretzel” with a lot more slow-motion action.

Yeah, I’m proud of this one 😀

Track Switch

Turn one track into two tracks with a simple switch. This standard elment takes one path and turns it into two. Buy chaining several together you get multiple tracks on your RBS.

Marbles on Track

A line of stationary marbles on the track gets hit by a moving marble. The incoming marble stops and the end marble of the stationary line gets shot into play.

Horizontal Zig-Zag

A tight zig-zag track that slows the marble down by 66% and the marble quickly zig-zags down this path. Fun to watch and keeps the marble action going for longer.

Vertical Zig-Zag

This zig-zag drops the marble down through enclosed zig-zag tracks. Fun to watch and fun to listen to as it makes a cool tinkling sound as the marble falls.

(Fast track option)

Tall Skinny Coil

This fun element is a coil that spins the marble very quickly as it rides inside the coil – making the marble a blur as it descends. The marble can exit with a couple options

(Fast track option)

Wavy Track

A track with a series of ups and downs, whereas the track will have hills and valleys. The marble seems to bounce around as it rolls across these hills and valleys. Can be any length and can be made to have little hills or longer, more gentle hills – several different options here,

Teeter-Totter catch and release

A teeter-totter where the marble rolls over it and tips the far end down, it then releases a caught marble, then the marble that just rolled over becomes caught itself, waiting for the next marble to roll over the teeter-totter and release it.

Large Track Dip

As you’d think… it’s a large dip where the marble rolls down into a deep trough and then rolls back up the other side. Very fun to watch as the marble speeds up for the dip and then slows down when it rolls up the other side. A large dip in the track on your makes a bold statement. See both a track and Sheet-metal version in this video:

Ferris Wheel Lift

This large, complicated element has several marbles roll around the outside of a large rotating circle. Their weight turns the circle. Inside the circle is another marble that gets lifted by their weight onto its own personal track. After this marble rolls on that track it returns, waiting for another group of marbles to lift it again. Combines with multi-ball tipping arm collector.

Multiple Ball Tipping arm ball collector

This tipping arm one can collect 1, 2, 3 or 4 marbles (or more!) to roll together in a train chasing each other down the tracks. Not suitable with all elements – but is quite fun to watch the marbles roll together.

Free Spinning Tipping Arm

A fun tipping arm that keeps spinning/twirling once it releases the marble it has captured. A great way to add some extra movement to your RBS. This element requires some extra timing, to allow it to return to its resting position, and cannot be used on every piece.

Large Flat Spiral

This very large spiral has narrower winds for more of a gravity well action. Can easily merge several tracks into one as they fall through the center.

These spirals are great. Large enough to keep the ball moving around and around for a good amount of time, but they are a great way to merge several tracks into one. With the spacing of the winds kept small the ball can easily roll around inside of the large spiral freely.

Very Large Spinner

The ball hits the end of the long spinner and makes it rotate around and around. Settling back into place, the spinner waits to be spun around again.

These spinners are very big – about 18″ long each. The ball goes around the outside and makes them rotate around and around.

Tall Skinny Spiral

A very tight coil stretched as long as you like. The ball spins around very fast from top to bottom. Can be very short up to very long, curved or straight, these spirals are very versatile.

These fun tall skinny spirals are fun to watch and have a tight coil of rod making them the skinniest of the spirals that I make. Usually they are quite vertical, straight up and down, this one has a nice bend on it for a cool visual.