Front left view of the marble machineI took this photo with a slow shutter speed so you can see the movement of the marbles.  
Drive gear from the backThe extra screw in the gear is the 'setscrew' to lock the gear onto the shaft. The hole in the big gear is one of the 4 original holes I drilled. At first, I drilled them through but then realized this was a dumb idea. The little protrusion in the hole is to keep the marbles from rolling out the back of the hole. All the other holes are blind holes.  
The dump-O-matic and clanking metal assembly, bottom sideThe two nuts on the stick are the counterweight, with a nail stuck in go give it the right balance. The big piece of wood sticking to the top right is the support - it holds this part to the frame of the machine.  
Machine parts disassembled for varnishingVarnishing helps protect the machine against rapid changes in ambient humidity. however, the machine will still expand and contract with humidity. More importantly, varnish seals off the wood so that dirt can be wiped off it again. Unfortunately, after varnishing, the machine requires some re-debugging. |