Quadrilla Stuff

thingiverse

This is a work in progress....at least, I think thingiverse allows me to update stuff here! printing orientation: No, I didn't correct it...I think the best way is to print the blocks with the hole on the bed. This makes internal supports...but hides the initial bridging layer when another block is inserted into it. The rocker...I tried printing with no supports - printing bottom up, but the motion wasn't as smooth as I'd like. So I printed it so a round axle was on the bed. This only required cleaning up the "elephants foot" (where the part comes out wider on the first layer) The function of the color blocks are self explanatory if you have a set already, otherwise, I embossed the function of each block into the sides of the blocks. The "brown" block is the wood grained block. Base Block has no holes in it, so you can make your own. The V Blocks were my brother's idea - the brown block, for example, the marble can roll through the block and not drop if it has enough inertia. So the V version drops the marble down at a slight angle. In our limited testing, marbles always dropped down the middle without passing through. Again, the embossing will show how the block works,Now, the red block....It doesn't work as well as I'd like. Its "unfair" and "gets stuck". Its not bad, but not great. This is why there are missing f3d files for it.Quick note about lack of f3d files: I do want to include f3d files for everything. I'm just much better with inventor than I am with fusion. They're similar, but different. I find fusion far less intuitive - for example, needing to create a 2d sketch then click a checkbox to make it a 3d sketch. So strange. They're fundamentally different concepts! So on works in progress, its easier for me to iterate with inventor and then put it into f3d. So, what needs work then? Besides the red block described above, the spiral reservoir needs some help. The entrace should be a ramp and chute, not a flat surface with a step down onto the ramp! Modeling clay and other things can make it work, but it needs help. Additionally, an emptying system would be fantastic. One possible version my brother came up with is a vertical ramp into a chute at the end, so if you push on the back of the marble chain, it will ride up the ramp and exit the reservoir. We have a few other ideas. Others have posted track, ramps, plugs, etc, so I skipped those. Some even posted some of the blocks. Here's what I came up with over christmas. In all it took maybe a couple of hours. Not exactly rocket science, and difficult to call IP!