Marble Exercising Machine - Overview

thingiverse

Don't want to lose your marbles? Then keep them fit and happy with this Marble Exercising Machine! Before we start, a few cautions need to be considered. Firstly, this machine requires a significant amount of filament, consuming about 5kg including supports, and takes approximately 50 days of continuous printing on the Ultimaker 3, which is not known for its speed. Secondly, it needs a dual extruder printer that can print dissolvable support material like PVA on the Ultimaker and co-print flexible and rigid filaments - I used TPU95A and ABS on my Ultimaker. Thirdly, while I initially aimed to keep the print area to 150x150mm, some parts have exceeded this size. Fourthly, the model has exposed moving parts that present a trap hazard, and contains small parts that could be swallowed, so care needs to be taken if children or pets are present. The machine is designed in a 'Heath-Robinson' style, with simplicity not being a priority. Since everything needs bells and whistles, it's complete with a bell (1/8 scale approximation of the bell from ss Braga) and a whistle (1/10 scale simplified version of the steam whistle from ss East Point). The machine is based on 12mm steel ball bearings, requiring about 40 to 'populate' the model in operation. I printed most of the machine with PLA, but used Ultimaker 'tough PLA' for the cap and thumb screws. Feel free to use your own materials and colours - the rainbow ramp benefits from rainbow colours. The machine uses 3mm and 2mm diameter steel rod for axles, et cetera, to keep friction down. See the file "rods" for a list of required rods. The machine uses a 12v 50rpm electric motor, which can be sourced on Ebay or similar websites - search for "XD-37GB520 Brushed Geared Motor DC 12V 10W 50RPM CW/CCW Gear Motor". The cost is around £9 from China. The machine can be powered from either batteries or a 12v PSU. A PSU is recommended for all but short run times, but batteries are useful for testing during assembly. I used a battery box sourced from Ebay, "1Pcs 10 AA 2A Battery 15V Clip Holder Box Case Storage w/6" Wire Leads Black". The cost was about £1.50, plus ten AA NiMH batteries. Alternatively, you can use a 12v PSU with a centre positive 5.5mm x 2.5mm DC plug, costing between £5 and £12. You'll also need a 5,5mm x 2.5mm DC plug and socket, as well as some two-core LV wire. The project is broken down into several parts to make it more manageable: 1. This overview - includes common components (screws, gears etc) 2. Base 3. Motor and electrics 4. Gear train 5. Open Archimedean screw 6. Bucket wheel & hopper 7. Closed archimedian screw 8. Piston engine 9. Bell spinner 10. Bucket lift 11. Wheel wall 12. Rainbow ramp 13. Railway bridge Note that the build list (pdf) is based on how the project was designed rather than how it's best assembled, and so components may appear under different parts. For example, the half rpm shaft of the gear train is assembled with the open Archimedean screw.