Monday, April 25, 2011

More unusual ball lifters

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!

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Friday, April 22, 2011

An upside down spiral ball lift!

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.
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Monday, April 18, 2011

Rolling Ball Sculpture

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: Other Websites: Artists Websites: You Tube Channels:
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