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If you've been following the blog, the Modular Marble Machine is finally finished. If you remember from the last blog entry, all I really had left was to apply a finish.

That, because of all the small parts, was quite an undertaking in itself.
I wasn't sure what to use for a finish. I was concerned about the tight tolerances of the block pieces causing issues with finish getting in the holes. In the end, I decided on a polyurethane rub. It is just a mixture of Minwax polyurethane and boiled linseed oil. The base unit got three coats. The block pieces however, because of my concerns, only got a single light sealing coat.

That left us with a finished project. I wanted to show the front of the base unit in this photo because I love the look of this piece of wood I wound up using on it.
All of the block pieces are inside the base unit. It makes it handy to be able to store them all in there if you wish to put it away. It is a puzzle in itself though fitting them all in there.

You can see what I mean here. They have to be arranged just so if you want to place the base plates in where they belong.

After unloading all the pieces though, you put the elevator column in place, replace the feed chute and base plates, and then you can start having fun building marble runs.

You can build single tracks.

You can use the flipflop pieces and build double tracks.

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I made videos. The problem is that I have a lot more patience and skill with wood work than I do with computer and video software. After six hours of messing with Windows Movie Maker and coming up very unsuccessful in putting the four video sections I'd made together into on short video, I gave up and uploaded them to YouTube in four parts. So please excuse me for the way I had to do it and watch all four videos below.

Gallery

Comments

· Registered
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9,149 Posts
Awesome. I'm saving this for when I have kids in a few years.
 

· Registered
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8,822 Posts
Why wait?
If you build it now, you can have fun with it until the kids get here.
 

· Registered
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1,433 Posts
I bet i would… i mean my SON would have a lot of fun with that.
 

· In Loving Memory
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10,077 Posts
William, I followed the progress and I am still blown away!

LJs, be sure to watch the videos and turn the sound up! VERY cool!
 

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8,822 Posts
Only me, you and your son both could have fun with it. Thanks.

Andy, thank you for following along with this project. It has been a lot of fun, but I have to admit, I'm kind of glad this one is over. It started getting kind of tedious towards the end.
 

· Registered
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18,411 Posts
Marble Mania strikes again….

Glad it only became tedious towards the end….
I would hate to see you lose your marbles, with the machine only half finished!!!
 

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Thanks Randy.
It was only tedious because making all those small parts had started getting to my back. I enjoyed building this very much, but I think I prefer the fixed track machines that allow me more tinkering time at the work bench so I don't have to stand so much.
And I thought it was common knowledge around these parts that I lost my marbles a long time ago.
 

· In Loving Memory (Eddie)
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6,710 Posts
William awsome build ,know why you raised your drill press now ,enjoyed the build thanks for sharing
 

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264 Posts
Great job
 

· Registered
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I think these are so cool.
 

· Registered
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Wow, nice job
 

· Registered
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1,517 Posts
William seeing the final product is wonderful as is your
blog on the build. It has helped explain some of the finer
details.
I'm sure the boys will have great fun with it :)
Jamie
 

· Registered
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4,477 Posts
Watching these machines is mesmerizing! If I had little kids, they'd never get to play with it!
 

· In Loving Memory
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8,391 Posts
Great blog, great result!
 

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7,151 Posts
This is quite the project…....and you nailed it…...
 

· Registered
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Thank you all for looking.

Jamie, the boys won't get to play with this.
It is headed to Canada to a fellow Lumberjock.
If time allows and I feel up to it though,
I am considering building another one of these for them for Christmas.
 

· Registered
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6,912 Posts
I love it when a good project comes together! Bet you're getting tired of the "you lost your marbles jokes", eh?
 
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