Rolling Ball Sculpture: behind the scenes

PCUSA church votes to split in Enid, Ok

2011-10-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

Tulsa World Story
Enid News Story
The Rev. Roy Schneider, senior pastor of Enid First Presbyterian Church, believes he felt God’s call to retire.
Members of the church voted 131-69 Sunday to leave Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

RBS info is Moving: to my webpage

2011-05-12T14:38:00.000-05:00

There is just too many limitations to a blog: Rolling Ball Sculptures

Blender 3D

2011-05-11T11:08:00.001-05:00

Now I want to learn to use Blender 3D, an open source (free) program to make a RBS track with all of the possible effects, lifters, and other choices in an RBS. Then I will have videos and pictures of each item in the track. I will publish both the results and the source files - so others can use them.

More RBS on youtube

2011-05-09T11:46:00.018-05:00

There are so many on youtube, it is hard to find different ones that you already seen. Here are a few RBS, that I stumbled upon:

phoebus666able Harlequin Marble Machine
carin_vancouver Hand Crank Crane magnetic
specallez Miniature USB powered marble machine
MosuWet Several parts: Ferris arm, Tri-Wheel - 1/2 wheel w/ track
bakerTime361
dc9apu Several RBS
aerovuelolibre
R107150 Metal tracks - unique arm lift
Student - Metal
Wooden w/ Wheel lift - check out the tracks
Unique Combo of Wood, Metal, Plastic Tubing
More Rube Goldberg than RBS? String, solenoids, ...
Bamboo skewers RBS
A very old RBS/RG - First pump?
684mrwright A very beautiful wooden RBS - Mike's Marble Machine - 4way gate, unique spiral

Another Modular RBS with a unique lifter.

2011-05-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

You Tube video

Lift: Elevator - one side moves, one side "locks"
down side is modular - but has no base!
Hand Crank
Modular #2 has wheel
Gates
clear plastic funnel

Many types of RBS effects in a tiny package

2011-05-06T16:20:00.000-05:00

You tube aletof

Lift: magnetic wheel
Lift: Double holes in wheel
Lift: Steps - 4 stage
Effect: funnel
Effect: Plinko - 2 out
Effect: Hand crank - wooden
Effect: 2x switch back - Vertical
Effect: gate
Effect: zig zag
Effect: sprial
Effect: wave

More unusual ball lifters

2011-04-25T10:26:00.001-05:00

This youtube video is a collection of different lifters for the modular wooden RBS. The "Mine Elevator" is the most unusual version at 00:32!

The wheel version is also different at 0:00 using discs with a single cut out!

An upside down spiral ball lift!

2011-04-22T17:06:00.000-05:00

On youtube, a spoof video of RBS, BUT.... it also shows a spiral lift with

the motor at the top
the vertical rails entwined with the spiral (2 inside, 2 outside)
and no support at the top
the bottom spiral support is the spiral itself.

Rolling Ball Sculpture

2011-04-18T10:41:00.038-05:00

I love rolling ball sculptures. I found out that they come in all sizes, not just the big ones I've seen in museums. Tiny desktop, large desktop, wall hanging, large free standing, and enormous Museum types. There are several places on the web that tell how to make them, but none of them have all of the info in one place.

Track Materials:
- wire: Steel (must be painted), Stainless Steel, Copper, Clothes Hanger, Ceiling Hanger
- plastic tubing - lots of support - either insert wire or support often
- wood - extra beauty possible
- plastic - 1/2 pvc pipe, flexible tubes,
- legos/kenix - structure and track in one kit.
- sheet metal - can be heavy
- pipes - for bolwing balls
- paper - limited life time.
- cardboard - limited life time.
Balls:
- glass (marbles)
- metal(bearings)
- plastic
- pool, mini-pool
- ping-pong
- golf
- bowling
- tennis
Gates - allows balls to be diverted to different tracks.

flip-flop - switches back and forth between two tracks
circle - switches between multiple tracks
plinko - switches between multiple tracks randomly
Multiple - one builder even has a 24 output gate

Collectors - combine tracks into one track.
Tilts - takes multiple balls before they all dump into next track or teeter totters for single balls.
Spirals - Balls spin around until they reach the bottom - funnels, single wire, dual wire
Arm swings - catches a ball in an arm, they rotates it onto the next track.
Newton effects - uses the conservation of momentum, to stop a incoming ball and release a previous ball or reverse the direction.
Musical - xylophones, chimes, bell, electronics
Decorative - spinners, objects, logos, paintings
Lifts - to get the ball from the bottom to the top:

Power sources: motors, people, water, air, weights (wind-up)
Spiral screw (Archimedes?)
chain / arm
ball pump
wheel: hole, notch, spiral
"mine" elevator
pin
offset bucket

track effects:

curve - 90°, 180°, 360°, are the most common
drop - small drop from track to track
fall - large drop onto a drum and then bouce back into a "funnel" or cup.
waves - S curves either vertical or horizontal
loop-d-loop
Dip - a ball enters a track with a dip, at the bottom of the dip there is an exit, but the ball cannot leave the track until its energy is dissipated enough for it to fall out

How-to-RBS Websites:

Juergen's Rolling Ball Page - Detailed, Engineering, Whys - German Only- Last Update: Aug 2004
The Rolling Ball Web David M. MacMillan - Last Update: July 2001
How To Make A Rolling Ball Sculpture - pro builder - good tips. mcwgough - Austrialia - Last Update: Sept 2010
Eddie's Mind Eddie Boes - Last Update: June 2008
Matthias's Marble Machines (Matthias Wandel)- Last Update: May 2010 Plans for Sale
RBS Guy Blog - A beginner's Blog - Last Update: Nov 25, 2007
Chaney Productions w/computers! Dentist!- Last Update: April 2011
Rolling Ball Sculptures Matthew Gaulden - pro - Last Update: April 2011
How to make the spiral wire!scrollylolly - Last Update: Jan 2009

Other Websites:

Links to RBS
Yahoo Group - Rolling Ball Sculptures

Artists Websites:

Gravitram Shab Levy - 1973 1st RBS!
Pierre Olivier
Créations Didier Legros
Ben Jackson
Tom Harold - A beginner's Blog
Rolling Ball Sculptures by Charlie Francus
Stephen Jendro

You Tube Channels:

xeniaguy2 The most unique machines! 1st RBS - 1947!
denha Desktop collection
hobiadami Simulations
Cesardeb1

Lost Movie

2011-01-31T11:50:00.000-06:00

I remember an old movie (B&W?). A man ironing (Mr. Belvedere?-Clifton Webb?), is watching a game show and says he can do better. So he goes on the show dressed as an Encyclopedia, which means the host can ask any question. Each week the prize doubles if the answer is correct. The contestant can then chose to come back and do double or nothing. The week before he would end up owning the TV station, he secretly agrees to lose, for a new car and money? So the host asks for his wallet and then what is his Social Security number? He "loses"

Anyone know what the name of this movie is?

FOUND IT: Champagne for Caesar 1950. The character of Beauregard Bottomley reminds me of Mr Belvedere.

Linux Works for ME! - Kubuntu 9.04

2009-04-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

I finally have wireless working on my Compaq laptop.

Lost Sci-Fi Story

2008-08-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

Starts in space as a military (dictator) ship gets energy from a sun/nova? When they return to the moon base (a prison) years later. It is deserted. Everyone seems to have left in a planned, slow manner, as though it just was no longer needed. When they get to Earth, the cities are also deserted. Everyone seems to live a rural life. A prisoner had invented cheap energy from just a few coils of wire. It transformed the way of life. Son of the inventor? is given more time to adjust. His father created the library system.