Abandoned Projects
Marble Run
Not everything I try goes to plan. A few times I've set out on projects which have turned out to be too ambitious and I've been held back by either a lack of skill or a lack of ability. In this case I became frustrated by lack of knowledge in joining metals. I tried soldering and brazing, I even invested in a brazing torch (which has been very useful on several of my glass projects) but eventually had to admit defeat albeit maybe just for the short term.
We visited a marvellous place called "The House of Marbles" in Devon where I was introduced to the marvellous world of marble runs (they also have some fantastic mosaics there but that's another story). In most of them a small ingenious motorised mechanism lifts a series of marbles to a reasonable height at which stage they are released onto a series of intricate and inter-winding gradually descending wire runways. As the marbles drop they meet all sorts of fantastic pivots and channels which guide them and split them in pleasing and magical ways. Take a look at this video and I defy you not to be impressed and want one yourself !
We visited a marvellous place called "The House of Marbles" in Devon where I was introduced to the marvellous world of marble runs (they also have some fantastic mosaics there but that's another story). In most of them a small ingenious motorised mechanism lifts a series of marbles to a reasonable height at which stage they are released onto a series of intricate and inter-winding gradually descending wire runways. As the marbles drop they meet all sorts of fantastic pivots and channels which guide them and split them in pleasing and magical ways. Take a look at this video and I defy you not to be impressed and want one yourself !
The basic ingredients were comparatively cheap. You can buy motors, bearings, wire, etc on EBay for a few pounds but I found it impossible to join the wire to make the features with any degree of stability. I came to the conclusion that either the joints needed welding ( for which I have neither knowledge or equipment) or brazing at a very high temperature beyond the range of my torch.
I even bought the marbles which I intended to use and which are really lovely tactile things. So much so that I really must find a project to use them ....
I even bought the marbles which I intended to use and which are really lovely tactile things. So much so that I really must find a project to use them ....
I really must find a use for these beautiful marbles which are almost an inch in diameter