Gravitrax Hyperbolic Funnel

thingiverse

Hi, I tried using the hyperbolic funnel from MK_Design, but I noticed several issues: The funnel requires a lot of support to print and even with the support, it doesn't look great, at least on the bottom side. I don't need so many inputs; they only lead to needing blockers, so the marbles won't fall out the opposite side. When trying to get multiple marbles into the funnel at the same time, it's not very stable. Here is my complete redesign. It uses only the hyperbolic curve, and everything else is new. It can be printed completely without support because it uses two parts that simply snap together, even glue isn't necessary but of course possible. Printing the two parts in different colors gives a great look. It's very stable because you have the central spot for placement as well as three places where you can build small towers below to get a robust stand. You don't need to close the input on the opposite side, as the inputs are some millimeters higher than the main funnel and thus the marble stays in the funnel even at higher speeds. At very low speeds, this funnel doesn't work well; in that case, you should prefer the original version from MK_Design. This funnel doesn't allow you to place another tile directly beneath the inputs. This would collide with the funnel. Maybe I'll create another version of this funnel with 3mm less diameter... I recommend printing with an adaptive layer height setting from Cura. The first "make" gave feedback that the little nobs don't print very well. I noticed that as well when printing, so I made another version. The nobs are a bit bigger in diameter and height, and most importantly, they're now cones instead of pyramids. This should print much better because there are fewer corners on the first level of printing. Update November 2020: Finally, I made a slightly smaller version of the upper part. If you need to put some of the six-sided tiles directly next to a funnel entrance, use the v3 version. I also added two designs for a funnel exit. This is not a complete tile but an inlay for the flexible tiles of the starter set. You'll also find many of these flexible tiles in the tunnel expansion. Use the inlays if you need more speed after the marble leaves the funnel.