Juggling Tower

Derived from Greg Quat's Juggling Board, we reimagined it as a modular tower with stackable components. This flexibility lets you tailor the exercises to your desired complexity. Juggling is an excellent means of enhancing cognitive and motor skills, but it isn't universally easy. That's where the concept of functional juggling comes in, making it inclusive for everyone. By integrating functional juggling principles into the product design, individuals with disabilities can also access the many benefits of juggling.

TOOLS

• hacksaw
• handheld saw or panel saw (optional)
• CNC-router
• 6mm router bit
• multitool or jigsaw
• table router or handheld router
• flush trim router bit
• roundover router bit r=5mm
• some sandpaper

MATERIALS

• 1250x2500x15 board of film-faced plywood (about €59.99)
• 100x1000 pvc-pipe (about €10.99)
• some sacrificial material to lay under the workpiece on the CNC-router, MDF works well

(optional) We'll only need half of the plywood board to make one finished product, so you can cut it in half or just make two finished products on one board.

To make one final product, we'll need two lengths pvc-pipe of 150mm each. You can use a simple hacksaw to cut them to length.

Upload the dxf-file to the Estlcam software. There the toolpaths and cutting depths can be defined. Make sure to select a 6mm router bit from the tool library and use the correct speed and feed.

Esltcam software: https://www.estlcam.de/index.php

IMPORTANT

• Install the 6mm router bit onto the machine.
• Ensure that the routing bed is clean, with minimal dust present.
• Place a scrap sheet of wood or another material on the router bed to prevent the cutter from making contact with the machine. Attention! this material needs to be appropriate for the machine to cut.

MOUNTING THE WORKPIECE

When it comes to securing the workpiece, there are typically two options. Most machines utilize clamps to affix the workpiece to the router bed. Alternatively, certain machines feature a built-in vacuum pump that allows the workpiece to be secured to the router bed by suction through the scrap material. This method necessitates a non-porous surface for the workpiece, making film-faced plywood a suitable choice. The scrap material, in turn, should be a more porous material like MDF.

This step can vary greatly from machine to machine. The typical steps before starting the machine would include:

1. Using a probe to measure the toollength.
2. Uploading the file to the machine-controlling software.
3. Setting the machine zero point.
4. Starting the machining operation

Because we used tabs to hold the workpiece in place, it is still attached to the stock material. You can use a multitool or a jigsaw to cut the parts loose.

The parts still have some pieces sticking out where the tabs used to be. To smooth these out, you'll need to use a handheld- or table router with a flush trim router bit.

The rings where the ball rolls have sharp edges that should be rounded to prevent the ball from easily rolling out under strong pushing forces. This also lowers the risk of cuts for users when using the Juggling Tower. Additionally, you can sand the other edges to eliminate any protruding wood fibers.

Assemble the pieces following the instructions in the manual. It is strongly advised to sand the edges first, as the unevenness of the wood may makes it more challenging to fit the pieces together and later disassemble them.