Zig-Zag rbs-#195

My first time making this element. I really like it. This is in place of a tall skinny spiral.

Desktop #195

Tracks 1 and 2 finished. Now to track 3. Will just be only track, but will have lots of dips and wavy tracks. Should be fun bendng the hills and corners and watching them being shaped into life.

Desktop #27

So here's my latest desktop. #27. It's 22" high by 18" deep/wide and has two tracks. This desktop has all the usual fun stuff such as; track splitter, 3 loop - loop d' loop, tipping arm, ring spinner, spiral and over 25ft of two rail track. On this desktop I decided to add a finger release. The finger release is a great way to play with your sculpture without having to reach out and place marbles at the top every time. Instead, place all the marbles at the top where they stay until your press the lever to release one, or all. Place the sculpture out of reach, and you could use your toe to release them during commercials. : )

So here's a couple pics, and the video I have uploaded to YouTube.

#75 Final Video

32"w X 24"h X 18"d. This wall hanging sculpture has 3 different tracks and is made from all stainless steel. There are 1 3/8" marbles used on this sculpture. Watch the video to see all of the things that I don't have to describe!



For you who cannot view youtube videos, such as those of you in the military, I have also uploaded my recent videos to Google video. : )
Like this one:

Chain lift assembly

Here is a motor mount for a DC motor. This motor mount was originally built for a helical (spiral) lift. The opening around the motor shaft is set-in to allow for the thrust bearing that is needed between the mount and the helical lift shaft. Without it, the weight of the lift and marbles would be directly on the motor. Not good. The only thing missing from this photo is the shaft that connects the motor shaft and the lift. I hadn't made any yet, and now I am glad that I did not. I needed to make a chain lift, and decided to use the DC motors because the mount was already made. So this means I needed to adapt what I had, to what I needed.

These are the extra parts needed. The square pad at the top is just to hold the roller bearing in place. The shaft fits over the motor shaft, goes through the bearing, and holds the sprocket. The allen head screws are easy to identify, also see the small aluminum 'stand-offs' that keep the bearing pad from pushing the shaft into the motor mount. And of course, the two sprockets. One is a 30 tooth, and the other is 45 tooth. Using a lathe, I turned off some of the shoulder on the big sprocket, to reduce the weight, and so the set screw hole would not have to be threaded as much.

Here is the shaft, installed first.

Next, the bearing pad fits onto the shaft.

To keep the bearing pad from crushing the shaft into the motor mount, a stand-off is used between the bearing mount and the motor mount. Once tightened it holds the weight of the sprocket against the face of the mount, while leaving room for the shaft to move around easily. The flat on the end of the shaft is for the set screw on the large sprocket. With a flat spot like that the set screw does not need to be tightened to within an inch of it's life...

The large sprocket is the drive sprocket. Here the ladder chain is draped over the top, but the motor will be at the bottom, so the chain will actually go around the bottom of the sprocket. The smaller sprocket spins loosely, so it has a bronze bearing pushed into the center. It will be kept from moving side to side once it is mounted on the 1/4" shaft that fits through the bearing.

I am very pleased to be learning to use a Lathe and Mill. Without them, this would be very difficult, if not impossible. (Thanks Bill B !!) To get the nice rounded look on the aluminum, each pieces is routed on the edge. To save time, and reduce costs, always make more than one. (I made three...)

This assembly has been installed on my next project....A 4' X 4' floor standing sculpture. 3 tracks. See it here soon!

#64 at: "Coolest Toys on Earth"

Sara was very nice and sent me some photos she took of my - (well, not mine any more) sculpture in the window of Coolest Toys on Earth. If your wondering it's #64. Check out the radiometers hanging from it to add movement in the sunshine...

Here is what Sara said to me-

"Here are a couple I photos I took when I visited the coolest toys on earth. It's a fantastic toy store. Not the run of the mill type. There's another shot of the other side of the store. I thought you might like seeing it since you said you never had.
Enjoy!"

Very cool! I was wondering what my (not mine anymore!) sculpture was doing these days....
...I should just make another....