Marblevator, Clown.

https://youtu.be/B5lYcxHPq6k

"Marblevator, Clown" was designed by our family, friends and me! This somewhat whimsical and very large Marblevator (325mm wide by 240mm tall) uses a clown to lift marbles from the end of two tracks up to the start of the two tracks. Four giraffes assist in the process. The upper giraffes are carefully aligned to gently nudge the marbles out of the hands of the clown at the start of the tracks. The lower giraffes function as gates to hold the marbles at the end of the tracks until the hands of the clown lower to catch them.

We had about 22 family members and friends gathered at our home for the initial presentation of all of their input into "Marblevator, Clown" and they really enjoyed it! So if you're interested building this model and have access to a large format dual extrusion 3D printer, then prepare yourself for quite a 3D printing, assembly and alignment experience that in the end, as our family and friends reacted, you'll be quite happy with, as was I!

As usual, I probably forgot a file or two or who knows what else, so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask as I do make plenty of mistakes.

Designed using Autodesk Fusion 360, sliced using Ultimaker Cura 4.12.1, and 3D printed in PLA on Ultimaker S5s and an Ultimaker 3e.

Parts.

I acquired the following parts:

• One 45rpm 6vdc n20 gear motor.
• One two AA cell switched battery pack.
• Two 12mm plastic marbles.
• Six 6mm by 2mm neodymium disk magnets.
• Four 15mm by 3mm neodymium disk magnets.

I 3D printed the following parts at .15mm layer height, 20% infill and no supports:

• One “Arm, Yoke.stl”.
• One “Base.stl”.
• Eighteen “Bolt (M8 by 8mm).stl”.
• One “Clown Eye Left Black.stl”.
• One “Clown Eye Left White.stl”.
• One “Clown Eye Right Black.stl”.
• One “Clown Eye Right White.stl”.
• One “Clown Fringe.3mf”.
• One “Clown Hair Left.stl”.
• One “Clown Hair Right.stl”.
• One “Clown Hat.stl”.
• One “Clown Lips.stl”.
• One “Clown Mouth.stl”.
• One “Clown Nose.stl”.
• One “Clown Torso And Guides.3mf”.
• One “Giraffe Gate Left Eyes Black.stl”.
• One “Giraffe Gate Left Eyes White.stl”.
• One “Giraffe Gate Left.3mf”.
• One “Giraffe Gate Right Eyes Black.stl”.
• One “Giraffe Gate Right Eyes White.stl”.
• One “Giraffe Gate Right.3mf”.
• One “Giraffe Left Eyes Black.stl”.
• One “Giraffe Left Eyes White.stl”.
• One “Giraffe Left.3mf”.
• One “Giraffe Right Eyes Black.stl”.
• One “Giraffe Right Eyes White.stl”.
• One “Giraffe Right.3mf”.
• One “Left Hand.stl”.
• One “Leg, Lower Left.stl”.
• One “Leg, Lower Right.stl”.
• One “Leg, Upper Left.stl”.
• One “Leg, Upper Right.stl”.
• One “Motor Mount.stl”.
• One “RIght Hand.stl”.
• Two “Tent Bracket.stl”.
• One “Tent.3mf”.
• Two “Track Gate Axle.stl
• One “Track Gate Left.stl
• Two “Track Gate Mount.stl
• One “Track Gate Right.stl
• One “Track Right.stl
• One “Track, Left.stl

Note the files with a ".3mf" extension are dual extrusion parts, however I've also include the individual files required if you wish to print them separately and assembly them.

This is a high precision large format 3D print and assembly model using at times very small precision parts in very tight spaces. Prior to assembly, test fit and trim, file, sand, polish, etc. all parts as necessary for smooth movement of moving surfaces, and tight fit for non moving surfaces. Depending on you printer, your printer settings and the colors you chose, more or less trimming, filing, sanding and/or polishing may be required. Carefully file all edges that contacted the build plate to make absolutely certain that all build plate "ooze" is removed and that all edges are smooth. I used small jewelers files and plenty of patience to perform this step.

The model also uses threaded assembly thus an M8 by 1.25 tap and die will assist with thread cleaning if necessary.

Clown Assembly.

To assemble the clown, I performed the following steps:

• Glued "Clown Fringe.3mf" left and right fringes to "Clown Torso and Guides.3mf".
• Glued "Clown Hair Left.stl" and "Clown Hair Right.stl" to the clown torso assembly.
• Glued "Clown Hat.stl" to the clown torso assembly.
• Glued "Clown Eye Right White.stl" and "Clown Eye Right Black.stl" to the clown torso assembly.
• Glued "Clown Eye Left White.stl" and "Clown Eye Left Black.stl" to the clown torso assembly.
• Glued "Clown Lips.stl" to the clown torso assembly.
• Glued "Clown Nose.stl" to the clown torso assembly.
• Glued "Clown Mouth.stl" to the clown torso assembly.
• Attached "Right Hand.stl" and "Left Hand.stl" to the clown torso assembly using two "Bolt (M8 by 8mm).stl" (the rotational position of each will be adjusted later).
• Pressed two 6mm by 2mm neodymium disk magnets each into "Leg, Upper Right.stl" and "Leg, Upper Left.stl" making certain the polarities matched.
• Pressed two 6mm by 2mm neodymium disk magnets each into "Leg, Lower Right.stl" and "Leg, Lower Left.stl" making certain the polarities matched.
• Magnetically attached the upper and lower right leg components and the upper and lower left leg components.
• Pressed two 6mm by 2mm neodymium disk magnets into the clown torso assembly matching the polarity of the upper legs upper magnets.
• Magnetically attached the right and left leg assemblies to the clown torso assembly.

Giraffe Assembly.

To assemble the giraffes, I performed the following steps:

• Glued "Giraffe Gate Right Eyes White.stl" and "Giraffe Gate Right Eyes Black.stl" to "Giraffe Gate Right.3mf".
• Glued "Giraffe Gate Left Eyes White.stl" and "Giraffe Gate Left Eyes Black.stl" to "Giraffe Gate Left.3mf".
• Pressed two 15mm by 3mm neodymium disk magnets into the magnet pocket of "Track Gate Right.stl".
• Carefully positioned and glued the right gate giraffe to track gate right assembly as shown.
• Repeated the previous four steps for the left gate giraffe.
• Glued "Giraffe Right Eyes White.stl" and "Giraffe Right Eyes Black.stl" into "Giraffe Right.3mf".
• Glued "Giraffe Left Eyes White.stl" and "Giraffe Left Eyes Black.stl" into "Giraffe Left.3mf".

Tent Assembly.

To assemble the tent, I performed the following steps:

• Soldered the battery pack wires to the gear motor, red to "+" and black to "-".
• Attached the battery pack to the rear of "Tent.3mf" using double sided tape and centered battery pack below the motor mount hole and approximately 4mm above the bottom edge of the tent.
• Attached "Motor Mount.stl" to the tent assembly using two "Bolt (M8 by 8mm).stl".
• Pressed the gear motor into the motor mount assembly.
• Pressed "Arm, Yoke.stl" onto the motor shaft.
• Pressed two 6mm by 2mm neodymium disk magnets into "Base.stl" matching the polarity of the lower leg lower magnets.
• Loosely attached two "Tent Bracket.stl" to the base assembly using two "Bolt (M8 by 8mm).stl".
• Attached "Track Left.stl" and "Track Right.stl" to the base assembly using four "Bolt (M8 by 8mm).stl".
• Loosely attached one "Track Gate Mount.stl" to the left and right tracks using two "Bolt (M8 by 8mm).stl".
• Attached the tent assembly to the base assembly using four "Bolt (M8 by 8mm).stl". Once attached, tighten the two tent bracket bolts.

Final Assembly and Alignment.

For final assembly, I performed the following steps:

• With the yoke arm pushed firmly against the tent, slid the clown assembly into the guides in the tent assembly, aligned the yoke arm pin with the slot in the clown assembly, slid the motor toward the clown to engage the yoke pin in the slot in the clown assembly, then secured the motor in place using a small dot of glue.
• Attached the clown lower leg magnets to the base magnets.
• Attached the right giraffe assembly to the right track using one "Bolt (M8 by 8mm).stl" as shown.
• Attached the right giraffe gate assembly to the right gate mount using one "Track Gate Axle.stl" as shown.
• Repeated the previous two steps for the left giraffe and left giraffe gate assemblies.

With assembly complete, I adjusted the vertical and rotational position of the gate giraffes such that they lowered and raised with east. Next I adjusted the clown hand angles to insure the marble would barely stay in the hands during lift. Finally, I adjusted the vertical and rotational position of the giraffes such that the marble was barely nudged out of the hands as the hands rose to the top of the track.

And that is how I 3D printed, assembled and adjusted "Marblevator, Clown".

I hope you enjoyed it!