My Challenge to Make a Marble Run Machine - The Ball Rising Function

It was a hot day today. I didn't feel like doing anything, but I tried to be motivated to design a marble run machine. Luckily, I could make a little progress. The rough idea of one of three systems of raising balls became specific, and I drew it on 3D software. After I finished drawing, I experimented with the system to make sure it worked well.

Luckily, there are plenty of timber off-cuts. I made some holes using the CNC router and tested how a ball rotates. I always realize that even though I thought I considered a mechanism well, something that I didn't expect happens. Therefore, the experiment is crucial.

I always knew that I wanted to make something that nobody had thought of. However, it's arduous unless I'm a genius. I try to not use the same design as others made, yet after all, what I thought of were not exactly the same, but very close. Honestly, I wanted to make something more unique, maybe next time.

The other two ball-rising functions' designs have been decided. One is the chain, and the other is a cam function. I have already made sure these two could work well. Therefore, this disc function was the last one. If I could complete it, the mechanism of moving balls from the bottom to the top is getting closer to accomplish.

As you can imagine, rolling balls down to the lower level is easy. Pulling balls to a higher level is a bit tough. If I could complete these three functions, I would be relieved a little.

The details of these functions will be released when my first marble run machine is completed. Until then, the details of my marble run machine are secret. There is no reason to keep them secret, but I believe it's much more fun to see the marble run machine without advanced information when it's completed.

Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow's highest temperature will be hotter than my body temperature. I don't know how much progress I am able to make. Hopefully, I would like to make some gear tomorrow.

 

If Japan Wins

There was a football match between Germany and Japan last night. I was convinced that the German team was powerful, and I didn't expect Japan to win. The match was held at midnight in Australia, so I didn't watch the live broadcast and went to bed.

However, I saw the news that Japan won the much this morning. It was surprising. The Japanese team defeated the German team.
It wasn't only me. Many Japanese believed that Japan would lose.

Then, there were some exciting things that happened.
Before the match began, many Japanese declared on Twitter, "If Japan wins, I will do XXX."
One guy said, " If Japan wins, I will ride from Yamaguchi to Tokyo by bicycle." The distance between Yamaguchi and Tokyo is about 1,000km. He regrets what he just tweeted.
The other guy said he would change his hairstyle to a strange design. This isn't a bad declaration. He can cut his hair short if he doesn't want to keep it.

Here is the terrible one. There were guys who said that they would run in a town naked. The same declarations were seen here and there. They probably chose the most embarrassing thing and hesitated to act because they didn't think Japan would win at all.

Well, what are they going to do?

Yohei Nagatomi - The Tiny Gear Accessory Creator

There was one accessory I had always wanted, and I finally bought it. It was designed and made by Yohei Nagatomi. Here is the accessory. 

Unbelievably, those tiny gears rotate perfectly and smoothly. I love the linkage mechanism, so when I saw it for the first time, I thought this was perfect for me.

オーダー品完成！
この作品は見た目、構造こそ単純だけど裏にはそれなりの試行錯誤があったり…
意外とどの作品もそれなりの数の試作を行ってます pic.twitter.com/sHRLJbCEec

— Y.NAGATOMI (@Tominaga_Tech) July 23, 2022

Yohei creates accessories with gears based on the idea of a "wearable link mechanism."
He started the creation for the purpose of making watches. From the knowledge acquired in the process, he started making accessories. For instance, this is one of the watches he made.

Let me show you more of his unique creations.

Here is Kinetic Heart. Rotating a gear in the lower heart-shaped frame, the piston moves up and down, and the Geneva mechanism makes an intermittent motion.

One of the great things about his creative work is that he integrates various mechanisms into his work. When planetary gears are also made as his creation, it looks like this. 

Until I started writing about his creation, I didn't notice he had also made a flower-shaped automaton.

It's interesting to see the different mechanisms of the automaton because I have made the flower-shaped automaton, "Columbine" before. As a matter of course the petal movements are similar, but the mechanism is different.

As he says he is interested in watches, he has got tools I have never seen.
Look, this is a Boley's watch lathe. It's small!

This is a projector to scrutinize the shape of gears. I can imagine how much effort is required to make those small things.

His pendant head accessories are made with brass and duralumin. Duralumin is commonly used for aerospace parts; it is a very light and durable material. 

He makes those accessories by build-to-order manufacturing, so it requires about one week to be shipped. His shop can use PayPal, and it was convenient for me.

Most puzzle lovers are also gear lovers. If you are interested, please take a look at his shops.

Creema : https://www.creema.jp/c/Kinetica/item/onsale
minne :  https://minne.com/@kinetica
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tominaga_Tech

Working in A Puzzle Workshop

There are many different types of jobs, and workers require suitable abilities. For working at a puzzle workshop, you definitely need patience. I really felt it yesterday.

I chamfered puzzle pieces yesterday. It's an easy job, yet I had to chamfer an enormous number of small pieces' corners. Even though it's an easy job, having no focus is dangerous. I had cut my fingers and fingernails several times before.

I know two puzzle creators who lost their fingers. Working at a woodwork factory is really dangerous. Don't underestimate it. There are lots of machinery that have sharp blades. If you lose your concentration, the number of your fingers may decrease or increase. (If cut vertically) Sorry, this is a bad joke.

Joking aside, I keep in mind that if I feel sleepy or tired, I take a coffee break or stop working. In addition, wearing glasses and a face mask is more secure. It depends on what you do.

Taking a random break makes it hard to grasp working time correctly, so I use an app with my iPhone. It's Timesheet.

Timesheet - Time Tracker
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id870644777?ign-mpt=uo=8

This app is very convenient and sums up the total working hours correctly. The entire working time is reflected in the price of the puzzle. So, don't worry. The time I enjoy a cup of coffee, play with cats or am spacing out doesn't affect the price.

As you know, this isn't a blog for the puzzle shop Pluredro. If you want to know about Pluredro, please visit the Pluredro blog. 

Pluredro Blog :https://blog.pluredro.com/

Bill Bailey's Video

When I first arrived in Australia, I was bewildered by several words I hadn't learnt in Japan. One of the words is "awesome." I remember "awesome" very quickly because everybody said, "Awesome!" quite often.

In daily conversation, TV, and everywhere, there is "Awesome!" I sometimes wondered whether there isn't any other adjective to replace it.
However, it's easy to use words that are already remembered, especially for me, who isn't a native English speaker. If you cannot think of any good adjective, you can use "Awesome." It's convenient.

Australians are friendly and cheerful. When they say, "Awesome!" it always sounds bright and happy. I like that.

Coincidentally, I found a fun video of Bill Bailey, a British comedian. I usually need help to understand the talk of stand-up comedians. However, I could understand the beginning of his video. He talks about Australians who love to say, "Awesome. His story's hilarious. He explains Americans and Australians are much more positive and upbeat. That's what I thought.

It seems like the British sense of humour is masochistic and sarcastic. I like that.
I want to watch his video more, yet I need help understanding jokes in English. I need to know the background of society and customs. If you are interested, please watch Bill Bailey's video, "What British Happiness Looks Like." It's hilarious.

What British Happiness Looks Like - Bill Bailey