Pagina 1 di 4

Marble Machine 1.3 Instructions Page 1/4

Page 1/4

Intro

These kits are cut on a 40W laser which can be

greatly affected by blemishes in the material it is

cutting. Every effort is made to ensure that the

parts cut cleanly but you may occasionally need to

run a scalpel around the edges of the cuts to free

them up.

Step 1: Preparing the Pieces

The kit comes as a series of separate panels start

by removing all the excess pieces from the 8 loose

panels. The smaller fixings panels are a little

different because they are designed to hold all the

small parts together. Press out all the excess and

you will be left with a dozen parts that are still

fixed into the panel. These need to be cut free

from the panel and retained for future use.

Step 2: Gluing the parts together

It helps to glue a number of the pieces together

first thing. The glue can dry on these parts while

the rest of the machine is being assembled.

Glue the small diamond onto the spiral piece,

there is a diamond outline to show you exactly

where to put it.

Glue the thin U Shape on top of the thicker U

shape. This forms a rail which helps stop the ball

bearing from falling off the track

Glue the thin S shape on top of the thicker S

shape, this is another rail. There is another

diamond on the track, this should be the underside

of the piece as shown in the image.

Glue the two oval sections together, these make

up the handle for the machine but are not required

again until near the end.

Pagina 2 di 4

Marble Machine 1.3 Instructions Page 2/4

Page 2/4

Step 3: The big gear

Glue the three large wheels together to form the

lifting wheel. Each of the wheels has a number on

it and they stack in numerical order, I, II and III.

Place the small axle through the middle of the

wheels and put a spacer on either side of the

wheel. Apply glue between each layer at the

points where they overlap.

The wheel is made up of 3 panels with holes that

get progressively closer to the middle. The idea is

that each hole actually forms a slope in the wheel.

When the hole is at the bottom the slope allows

the ball bearings to roll into the wheel but when

the hole is at the top the slope points in the other

direction helping the ball to roll out of the wheel.

Step 4: The small gear

The small gear wheel is constructed using the

combination of spacers and gears as shown.

Make sure to use the right diameter spacer in the

right place on the axle. Make sure that the notch

of the axle sits flush with the first spacer. Each

gear and space should be glued to the central

axle.

The handle and the small gear will be united once

the gear is mounted into the frame.

Pagina 3 di 4

Marble Machine 1.3 Instructions Page 3/4

Page 3/4

Step 5: Fixing the frame together

Place the large gear and the small gears into the

mounting frame. Make sure that the small gear

has the handle pointing out and that the big gear

has the side with the outer most holes pointing out

too. The two gears should now mesh. With the

base panel on your work surface align the tabs for

the side panels into the holes on the base panel.

This should be a snug fit, press down firmly until

the tabs are all the way into the slots.

Marbles placed in the bottom hole should stay in

the wheel, when the wheel is turned 180 degrees

the ball should roll out of the top hole.

Step 6: Motor Upgrade

The motor upgrade provides a geared motor, a

battery pack with switch and 2 screws. The battery

pack connects directly to the motor and can be

soldered in place. The machine works in either

direction so it doesn't matter which way round the

motor is connected.

The inside of the small gear shaft has a specially a

constructed slot to mate with the output shaft of

the motor. Align the two shafts and push them

together. Rotate the motor round to the correct

angle.

Slot the laser cut motor mount into the base of the

machine and use the two screws to hold the motor

in place. At the same time slot the small battery

'fence' into the base, this holds the battery pack in

place.

Pagina 4 di 4

Marble Machine 1.3 Instructions Page 4/4

Page 4/4

Step 7: Fitting the spiral

Place the spiral mount vertically in the base

parallel to the big wheel mounts. The U shaped

trough made in step two should be glued into the

bottom of the spiral mount.

The spiral sits on the top of the spiral mount and

locks in using the cut outs on either side of it.

Each loop of the spiral should be drawn down into

the mount and clipped under the notches to hold it

in place. This can be a little tight so try pulling the

spiral to one side out of the mount and sliding it

back in under each notch rather than pushing it

past the notches.

Once the spiral is held in place then connect the

top of the spiral into the wheel frame and glue it in

position. Take the secondary rail section and glue

that into place on the wheel frame.

Finally add the handle onto the small gear, there

will be a gap between the last spacer and the

handle.

Step 8: Completed machine

The marble machine is now complete. Drop one of

the marbles into the spiral and watch it roll down.

Turn the lifting wheel and the marble should be

lifted from the bottom, up to the top and then out

of the hole.

The marble should consistently run the entire

length of the spiral. If it doesn't then find the ledge

where the marble jumps off and shift the spiral

forwards or backwards slightly to make that

section of ledge a bit larger.