An update on the MMZ Arduino Marble Roller project. We got the mechanics in place and a reliable system for transferring the marble to the top of the ramp via servo motor.
Because it is the job of the servo motor to simply move the platform up and down as opposed to accomplishing significant amounts of work, we counter balanced the ramp with a spring to assist the servo in lifting it.
Eli does a great job explaining it in this video:
We made a wooden shield out of 3/4″ hardwood plywood. To get the perimeter, we bent an aluminum bar into the shape of one side, and then used it to trace both sides, making it symmetrical.
We softened a section of 4″ PVC pipe and flattened one side. After plenty of sanding the endges, we screwed it to the back of the shield with 3/4″ screws.
We cut the handle out of a section of 2×4 on the bandsaw, routed, and sanded it smooth. Here are the pictures! All done but a coat of gold or silver paint.
Today we devised a way to (hopefully) raise the marbles from the bottom of the track to the top using a servo motor. It is rather obvious at this point that we did not plan our initial track high enough and the end of it is too low. Oh well, version 1 is usually that way, right?
Here is an update to the marble roller project. We are using foam board and hot glue for construction. This is a surprisingly strong construction method for prototyping and projects like this.
In the foreground is a new stepper motor. Not sure if we will be using it or not for this project yet.
The kids and I are building a Arduino powered marble roller. It is a “demo” project for us to learn how to use servos, steppers, input, output, lights, transistors, h-bridges, and so on and so forth.
Hot-glue and foam-board are a great prototyping material!
Having the need to store a lot of small tools and parts within easy reach, I used a bunch of extra 4″ PVC pipe cut into 11″ lengths and framed with 2×12 lumber.
We recently created this rough prototype toy gun with a removable clip. It’s modeled somewhat after a Glock, but only roughly. The kids love it.
As part of an utility easement I negotiated with an adjacent property owner, we agreed that I would improve his driveway using fill from my property.
This took hundreds (if not thousands) of tons of dirt and rock to complete. Nice!
Another excellent project completed by Simondale Excavating from Tyrone, PA.
Before:
After:
Gord over at Gord’s Garage has been busy with home-based anodizing. It’s some amazing stuff he is doing. I sent him one of the rubber band gun assemblies, and he did an amazing job on it.
In an incredible amount of detail, Gord has written up and photographed the whole process:
http://gordsgarage.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/the-full-monty-part-1/
http://gordsgarage.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/the-full-monty-part-2/
In summary, it went from this mill finish:
To this polished finish:
To this anodized finish:
Amazing!
We put together another toy robot. Looking for a good design that we can quickly make a few of…
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The Gahooa Perspective 