Introduction: Marblevator, Wheel and Spirals

About: Our grandkids keep me busy!

Marblevator, Wheel and Spirals is my second Marblevator design requiring only two 3D printed parts

The wheel in this Marblevator contains 10mm cylinders on a 20 degree angle toward the center of the wheel. As a cylinder rotates to the end of the track, an 8mm ball bearing drops into it and remains in place do to the cylinder slope. As the wheel rotates, the ball bearings are held in the cylinder by guides on the track until the ball bearing reaches the top of the track where the cylinder is slope ejects the ball bearing out the top hole and onto the beginning of the track.

Designed using Autodesk Fusion 360, sliced using Ultimaker Cura 4.11.0, and 3D printed in PLA on Ultimaker S5s.

Supplies

  • Wire
  • Soldering Iron
  • Solder

Step 1: Printing and Assembly.

The model is powered by a N20 60RPM gear motor and a 3VDC power source.

The model is designed to use 8mm ball bearings as "marbles".

I 3D printed both parts at .15mm layer height, 20% infill, and no supports.

To assemble the model, I performed the following steps:

  • Soldered to 80mm long wires to the motor, red to motor "+", black to motor "-".
  • Placed "Wheel.stl" into "Base.stl" such that the hole in the wheel was centered and the flat aligned to the orientation of the motor flat.
  • With the wheel in position, I pressed the gear motor into the base.

With the model assembled, I applied 3VDC power to the motor, added the ball bearings, and off it ran!

And that is how I 3D printed and assembled "Marblevator, Wheel and Spirals".

I hope you enjoyed it!