Marble Pump

thingiverse

The crank handle rotates, propelling marbles through the vertical shaft and down the spiral. Inspired by this mechanism (http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/marbles/pump.html), it can be combined with various marble runs from Thingiverse. Acrylic front, back, and top panels reveal the internal piston and cylinder components. Both STL and DXF versions are provided for printing or laser cutting. Hand-cut and drilled, the project requires 8 small panel screws (4g x 10mm), two 3mm diameter metal rods (110mm long), and twelve glass marbles (approx. 15mm diameter). Three millimeter filament is used for spiral rails, vertical supports, and right-angle bends. Bending ordinary PLA may necessitate gentle heating for smooth curves. Assemble the 3D printed pieces: two side panels, one piston, one cylinder block, a set of crank pieces, eight clip_2_rail, and sixteen clip_4_rail. Attach the front, back, and top acrylic panels as well. Motor connection to the crank offers amusement potential.