Rolling Ball Rookie

[Jbroncoh]

All my life I've always thought I was kind of different than other people. Or at least that I've thought differently. I don't know, stuff like; if I go up a flight of stairs I'd see how many different ways I can count the steps maybe with alternating rhythyms, or I'd see how many different ways I can divide them evenly. I catch myself doing the same thing with words, sentences, or most anything. Kinda strange huh? Anyone else think that way? I've been kinda afraid to ask till now, but I think I've found my calling.


Last week my wife gave birth to my son & we took him to his first well-check a couple days ago at the Childrens Hospital in Denver. There they had a very large rolling ball sculpture (at least it seemed large to me). My other son & I could have watched the thing for hours, but my wife said we had to go. I got what information I could off the faded label which wasn't much. All I got was that they called it a Rolling Ball Circus. I guess it was enough to give me the drive to get on the net & find this site & a few others.

Now what I really need to know is, where are some good places to find supplies to make these sculptures? What type of metal is best for the rails? How do I connect the rails? Where would I find the balls, motors, gears, chains, flip gates, circle gates, plinko gates... Are there any recommended resources I should look to for this information? Any help will be greatly appreciated. The sooner I get more info, the sooner I'll be able to get started. Thank you

[fritchie]

All my life I've always thought .......
Last week my wife gave birth to my son & we took him to his first well-check a couple days ago at the Childrens Hospital in Denver. There they had a very large rolling ball sculpture (at least it seemed large to me). ............
Now what I really need to know is, where are some good places to find supplies to make these sculptures? What type of metal is best for the rails? How do I ............

Jay - We’re all into different things, and I hope you find what you need. I think I know the sort of thing you’re describing, but most of the ones I’ve seen have to be reset by hand. (The ball returned to the top.)

Someone had a post here on a similar topic many months ago, maybe a year ago. In fact, I think a series of posts. I think they may have wanted to make these, or something similar, commercially. I can’t suggest search terms, but if you use the Community’s Search function, you might locate this material.

Good luck, however you go about this!

[warren01]

Jay, one of the earlier makers of the rolling balls is Gene Olson. Go to the [url]www.artmetal.com website and search his name. Has some drawings etc on how is made.

[Araich]

That thread fritchie spoke of was by Matthew Gaulden of http://www.rollingballsculpture.com/ but was about how to sell them. He probably has more answers than all of us put together...

[Jbroncoh]

Thanks guys

[jsimms]

As far as mind games, I think it goes along with creative thinking. I'm always thinking of "other" ways to do things. I was fascinated by non-Euclidean geometry. The fellow who bought my "Imploding Cube" (see site below) said he majored in non-euclidean geometry.

check out http://www.smallparts.com for about everything you might need.
also see www.nordex-inc.com and www.wmberg.com

check out http://www.herbach.com/ for an incredible array of drive motors and other great stuff at great prices.

There is another rolling ball piece at the denver airport! At least there used to be one there.........
john

[motleymdg]

I have some good advice for you. I started out using brazing rod and a propane torch, then soldering all of the joints with silver solder. I belong to a yahoo club "rollingballsculptures" and they have a good list of links to see other sites that can give you an idea of where to start. I am going to get a MIG welder today :D . I am not going to stay with the brass and solder because it is just not durable enough to send through the mail. But I do think that it looks a lot better than stainless. What happened to me when I saw my first sculpture online, it was like lightning, and I went and just started making them. There is a bit more info out there now, but most building techniques you'll just have to develop. I am thankful I started with solder because I could build in my home, and it was easy to remove and reconnect the metal. Now that I have made quite a few sculptures (25 desktop non-motorized) and (4 motorized) I am ready to go with the welder. Everything you see, such as the elements on Eddie Boes (http://www.eddiesmind.com) site he developed by scratch (and autocad in some cases). My advice? Just start. You'll answer a lot of your own questions as you go along. Solder and brazing rod is a v ery cheap way to begin. $$ has been my main concern till now. I recommend marbles because they weigh much less than steel bearings and are cheaper, and easier to find. Please let us know when you finish a piece, I would be very interested is seeing what you create. Happy building! Feel free to ask if you have any other questions, you can find my email on my website Rolling Ball Sculpture (http://www.rollingballsculpture.com)

-Matt Gaulden

[JAZ]

I believe the rolling ball sculpture at the Denver airport is by George Rhoads. There also is another by him called "Archimedean Excogitation" at the Museum of Science in Boston, which can be seen on his website www.georgerhoads.com, under the "monumental" category. The photos really don't do justice to the work because the movement and sound are what makes these so mesmerizing. Also their scale and complexity. I'll stick my neck out and say that this guy is the master of the art.
JAZ

[fused]

Wood that Works (http://www.woodthatworks.com/index.html)
a nice site

[motleymdg]

Ok. I use 3ft brazing rod available at any welding supply store. I would change material if i could find it, but I haven't been able to so far, however my technique would probably remain the same.
I bend one side of the rail to look like what shape I want, then take another piece and bend it to match, keeping the distance between the rails enough to keep the ball on, but not drop through. Next, I take lots of small pieces about ¾” and bend them into a slight "U" shape and use those as "clips" to keep the track together or apart as needed. The first clip you solder on will be the hardest, but after that it gets better. I use a wood dowel with two picture hanging eyes screwed in, and spaced apart to keep the track the same width. This also helps to bank the corners if you angle up or down. After the first section is done add feet and then start on the next section. Attach it. I butt the tracks together, and then add some supports to hold it in place. Continue this until you have it as tall as you like. The tighter the corner the harder the wire is to bend and the more banking you will need on the turn. If you pay special attention to banking the turns you will not need “railing”. Don’t be discouraged if you do need railing, on occasion I still use it, and at first I used it all the time. Some sculptors still use it. It just depends on what you like. Then add all of the rest of the supports to make the sculpture solid and reinforce the feet.
I use a propane torch and silver bearing solder (2% silver) Full 5% silver solder would be the strongest but a lot more expensive. I use a paste flux, and you don't need much. If the joint doesn’t look like it is very strong add a little more flux to the joint and reheat, the solder should flow around better. I work indoors on a desk, and if your careful with where you point the torch you don't have to worry about burning anything. Others I have talked to use stainless steel and a MIG welder which is what i would like to eventually get. The bigger the bearing the better. I would use marbles. You can get some very cheap at Michaels craft stores. The bigger the ball then your tolerance of track width is much larger. I started with ½” ball, now I use 1” which is much better. A lot of others use 1" or bigger marbles, just make your jig to fit. (the spacing of the eyes on your dowel. Also with marbles keep an eye out for oblong, and they can break easily as well. I guess the most artistic and challenging part would be bending of the track. If you could get a ball lift going, then the real fun starts.

[Jbroncoh]

Wow, thanks guys! You have all been very encouraging. Don't stop now, I'm still starving for info. I'll keep you posted on my progress.