The Busted Bricks Marble Machine #2 kit has a wheel elevator and two tracks

A while back, I posted about a new laser-cut marble machine kit from Michael Henriksen, the man behind BustedBricks.com. His second marble machine design is shown in the video. It is is now available as a kit also.

Marble machine #2 is a larger, more complex machine than his first. It has a 150x150mm base and stands 170mm tall. It features a wheel lifter to elevate the 7mm chrome steel balls, which come with the kit. A track switch distributes the balls between the two independent tracks, one of which has a collector that dumps the balls when three have been collected. The lifter wheel is pre-assembled to make sure everything operates as it should.

If you would like to get a good sense for what is involved in making the kit, here is where you can download the assembly instructions.

Here is where you can get the Busted Bricks Marble Machine #2 kit.

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Laser-cut wood clamp for fusing your own belts with urethane belt material

Did you read my latest automton-making tips article? If not, it shows you how to fuse urethane belt material to make belts of any size for your mechanical projects. The method desribed works well and is much, much cheaper than purchasing a belt welding kit made for the job. Still, the method I present could be improved. Probably the trickiest part is pressing together the two ends of the just-melted belt material. If you are just a little off, or the ends slide, you will end up with a lumpy belt.

Michael Henriksen over at BustedBricks.com read my article and came up with a way to clamp the belts during the process. He's now offering a laser-cut wood clamp kit for a very reasonable £6 or about $9.00. Not only does it make holding the belts easier, but his new clamp allows you to use a soldering iron to melt the ends of the belting. Here's a shot of the clamp in action.

As you can see from the photo, the clamp makes the process easier and more consistent. It also allows you to use a a tool that many people already own or can get very easily. Check out this selection of soldering irons if you don't already have one. A basic model will do, though you might consider getting more than one tip and dedicating one to melting belt material.

Here is where you can get the new welding clamp for polyurethane belts.

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Marble Machine Kit #1 - The worlds first commercially available laser-cut minature hand-cranked marble machine

I posted a few days ago about a neat little hand-cranked mini ball track.The kit version is now available from BustedBricks.com.

According to the kit's designer, Michael Henriksen, it is the world's first commercially available, miniature hand-cranked, marble machine kit with both lifter and track that is cut on a laser. As the previous post mentioned, the wire track has been replaced with a laser-cut wood track in the kit. I think it turned out great. Just take a look:

I am told the kit is easy to build, requiring only glue, sandpaper, and a sharp hobby knife. Complete assembly instructions are available to download as a PDF.

The base measures 70 x 70 mm (about 3 x 3 inches) and is 120 mm in height (about 5 inches). The kit can be built such that it may be turned with either the left or right hand. Plenty of 5mm steel balls are supplied with the kit.

The price for the kit is £12.95 GBP. For customers in the USA, the kit (with shipping) will cost about $30 USD. I'm going to stand by my earlier statement that this will make an excellent holiday gift for young and old alike. Here is where you can get the Marble Machine Kit #1.

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