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.
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