My Challenge to Make a Marble Run Machine - Unexpected Changes

I stopped making a marble run machine for about a couple of months and found a few changes. Balls drop off from somewhere a lot. It didn't happen before. At least, I can think of two reasons. When I reset the rails, the positions changed slightly, or the rails or gears dried, and their sizes changed.

However, the timber I used was all dried enough. The percentage of moisture was the same as the timber used for puzzles. Probably, when I screwed each part, the positions were a little different from before.

I scrutinized the movement of the balls to find where they dropped from. It wasn't easy to find out because balls dash. Maybe, I should use a camera and take a video.

There was a good thing that I didn't expect.
I made a tray that can catch the balls from the trumpet-shaped part I wrote about in the previous blog post. This tray was made for getting the balls from the trumpet-shaped part. However, it also catches the balls dropping from different positions. Those balls that are supposed to be dropped on the floor can be caught and go back to the rail. It was not what I originally intended, but useful. Here is the tray. I scraped it inside more than I wanted, but it worked well.

There are still issues that remain. I must specify where the balls drop. I may have to remove and partially rebuild the three big gears in the worst case. I don't want to do it, but probably, I have to.

If something goes wrong, I realize how hard it is to make things although it is exciting when it moves as I expected. That is why I cannot stop making it.

I have been busy, and tomorrow will be busier, so I will start making it next week. I hope to find the reason for the dropping balls and fix the issue.

My First Challenge - The Lathe

I have been away from making marble runs for a long time, and it is time to start again. 

I made a little part shaped like a trumpet. The function is to catch a ball that jumps out of the looped rail. (I have written about the looped rail in the previous blog post: https://puzzlesense.blogspot.com/2023/02/my-challenge-to-make-marble-run-machine_21.html)

The looped rail looks like a roller coaster, and it is pretty fun to look at. Making a shape-like trumpet requires the use of a lathe.

Well, I wondered what to do. I have never used the lathe to curb wood, so I watched some YouTube videos and learnt how to use it. My husband, Juno, found nice timber. It was New Guinea Walnut. He cut it to a length of about 10 cm (3.9 in) and cut off every four edges, and made it an octagon bar. It was because it should have been many jobs to cut square timber into a cylinder shape.

Juno and I made sure again how to fix the timber on the lathe by watching YouTube videos. Then, set the tool rest, wear the face mask, and we are ready to curb.

In conclusion, it was not as difficult as I imagined. People who are professionals in using lathes might think my way of curbing was not good, but I was happy with the result; at least I could curb the timber in the shape I wanted with no injury.

Here it is, the ball catcher!
I like the grain; it is beautiful.

The next step should be fixing the ball catcher onto the marble run machine board, yet I still need to design the rail connecting with the catcher.
Even though I could not fix the ball catcher to the marble run machine, I could not wait to see catching jumping balls. Therefore, I held the ball catcher with my hand and tried.

Here is the video. It looks good.

All right, let's design the rails after the balls go through the ball catcher.