Customizable Marble Machine

Get the ball rolling with the newest maker design toy: your own custom marble machine. I created a set of 3d printed parts that allow you to build the marble machine(s) of your dreams as big or small as you want. With crossovers, loops, switches, and curves its a bottle of Instant Roller Coaster Engineer! (Warning, side-effects may include: Increased Success in the future and swelling of Awesomeness in areas of STEM.) Inspired by the marble machine in the Maker Bot Retail Store. I just had to have my own. And now you can, too!

To 3d Print:

Download all the parts you need from thingiverse.com

Print out as many of each as you need to turn your imagination into a reality.

• Large and small curves
• Half circles
• Straights
• Crossovers
• Switches / Spliters
• Angle and T connectors
• A funnel to drop your marbles in
• Stands and connectors for the upright rods
• Three styles of clips to connect the individual tracks

I used 3d printing filaments from 3dxtech.com they have great products and even better prices.

Hardware:

• Marbles (1/2" round) I used these from amazon
• Dowel Rods (3/8" round)
• Zip ties
• Super glue
• Screws to hold the parts to the dowel rods I used these from Fastenal
• Screws to mount to a display board

The individual track parts will need assembled. All you have to do is put one drop of supper glue in each hole of the rings and slip in the track rails. For the curves I also used a small spacer block to help hold the shape until everything dried.

Layout all the parts you printed and start imagining your design.

Insert the dowel rods into the stands and secure with two screws.

Set your stands on your work surface and slid on a rod connector onto the dowel rod.

Attach a clip onto the end of the dowel in the rod connector.

Then start attaching your track.

Join each track with a clip and secure with a zip tie for added strength.

Repeat and adjust until you have built your epic roller coaster.

Secure the stands to your display board and enjoy the marble madness.

You can create any combination of rods and clips in order to support the track right where you need to. The rod connector can be used to make right angles and attach those hard to reach spots.

There are many configurations possible. Use your imagination to create the fastest or slowest coaster you can. Do you have enough momentum to create a loop? Will the marbles collide on the crossover? How many different tracks do you want to make? Just one long track or maybe multiple tracks and splits. Is there a part I still need to invent to make your dream a reality? Just leave a comment and I will try to make your wish come true.

There were many errors and failures along the way. The first track design was to weak to hold the marble without the track flexing and dropping the ball so to speak. The second was so strong you could hardly see the marble. After many revisions and tests I came up with what I hope to be a fair balance. You have to love 3d printers for there ability to create fail and recreate until you have just the right design.

I will be displaying this project at the 2015 Maker Faire Detroit in the Henry Ford museum. Please come by and see it in person. I would love to meet you. I will bring some of my other projects as well.

Any project worth doing is never complete. I hope to create a automatic ball lifter to keep the machine working without my help. Stay tuned if I get it working I will post it right here on Instructables! Let me know if you have any ideas for other track parts I could add to the collection in the comments.

What would you have done different? How can I make it even better? Let me know.