Pinball Rolling Ball Sculpture

This is an RBS I made from steel wire. It uses standard pinballs and has a spiral lift powered by an old VCR motor.
-Tom Wible

[@jamesarchuleta4806]

Who's watching this in 2018 ? This is still one of the greatest pinball rolling ball sculptures on KZbin !!!

[@twilightzonepinball]

Thanks so much!

[@cb714me]

Nice work!!!!I like how the lift is mounted on angle and not completely vertical. Definitely does give it more of a roller coaster feel.

[@HaikuAutomation]

Very fun rolling ball sculpture you put together. Would be neat too for you to post a film about the process and bill of materials to make the system. Cost, parts, time, design and considerations. That would complete at least the understanding of duplication and also education of others that admire your work.

[@headphonegal]

I could watch this for days on end o_o

[@twilightzonepinball]

Typically since a sculpture takes many days of work, I am able to let ideas simmer and finalize as it's being built. Being a rebel I am always looking for new ideas to incorporate. I am also a pinball enthusiast and I see a relationship between RBS and pinball and would like to explore that as well. -Tom

[@love4knex]

So cool!!

[@twilightzonepinball]

I wrapped galvanized steel wire around a copper pipe and soldered it with a torch. Don't forget to clean and flux!

[@badreality2]

The track layout, reminds me of roller coasters circa. 1900-1920.

[@twilightzonepinball]

I am somewhat of a roller coaster enthusiast so there is a bit of influence there for sure. You should see what happens on the lift if a ball slips off the rail on the spiral lift. It's an avalanche of pinballs! Doesn't happen now, but during construction it did. - Tom

[@twilightzonepinball]

@protomangx1 I made the video long enough to show all the areas of the sculpture in detail. Glad you liked it.

[@marblelegends-mastersofmar5033]

I am surprised I never found this before now. I subscribed, I hope there are more of these.

[@Karmoon7]

You say you made this yourself? Incredible. Well done - you should feel proud. :)

[@twilightzonepinball]

Just wanted to add a comment since there seems to be some concern regarding using galvanized steel wire which is what I did. This wire can be soldered if cleaned properly. Welding and grinding galvanized metal is hazardous due to toxic fumes. I clean the wire with an abrasive pad and the flux does the rest. The heat of the iron does not vaporize the zinc and therefore I feel that this is a safe way to build an RBS. I will admit that the solder is not the strongest method but it can work. -Tom

[@martinmcfly5480]

hey congrats!! it's a really amazing proyect! i love it ;)

[@pinbot454]

Great stuff!

[@Cuppasoupn00b]

Nice!

[@awesomepetertv]

wow... this is just amazing. very well made! just add some LEDs to it, or some glow in the dark paint, and it would be incredible!

[@twilightzonepinball]

Thanks and good luck with your sculpture. I find that you must build around the lift. Since the lift usually takes up a large area and can't be moved much. I then started at the top and worked my way down. Sometimes I make a particular element off the sculpture and incorporate it in as I go. I do generally have a basic idea of how the sculpture will look and some of the major elements that I want to use before hand. Sometimes it's a design build and I just go for it. -Tom

[@904PinballZine]

True work of ART!

[@thomaskleronomos]

Amazing!! Truely Amazing...

[@rmochoruk]

very cool...

[@twilightzonepinball]

@iamaswiss The motor is out of an old VCR. To make stable build on a level surface and you must master art of speed management.

[@Allbbrz]

Nice one !

[@twilightzonepinball]

Thanks for the tip regarding the removal of zinc. In this case the zinc is what the solder sticks to though. Raw steel is much more difficult if not impossible to solder. I just give the zinc a quick shine with a Scotchbrite pad and some flux and then solder. Works well, with no danger other than the flux fumes. - Tom

[@AaronVanNoy]

So all of my old pinballs that I took out of all the games over the years can actually be used for other things? I need to make a sculpture like this!

[@Landotter1]

Very slick! kudos! :-D

[@twilightzonepinball]

I have a clamp I made from clothes pins that holds the distance as I solder.

[@twilightzonepinball]

Thanks! Yes the lift is a copper pipe with the same wire soldered to it. Took a while to solder since I used a very large iron that I had at work. A torch would have been the way to go! -Tom

[@twilightzonepinball]

@HaikuAutomation Yes that would be fun to do, but would take a lot of time and effort. I can answer any questions you have about materials and construction methods here if you like. In general, I recommend building the lift first, then the rest around it.

[@bellajohn]

This is great. I would like to know why some balls enter the 'elevator' on their own while others need a push from the following ball to bump them onto the elevator?

[@twilightzonepinball]

Thanks so much and I am glad you enjoyed it. Difficult to say how long, took about 6 months of spare time here and there. I built the lift first and the track around it. Then had to tweak it to get the balls to stay on all the time. -Tom

[@MiRRoR220]

@twilightzonepinball wow, this is a great work :) Respect!

[@twilightzonepinball]

@OregonDARRYL Thanks so much. I used to make RBS sculptures out of cardboard as a kid so I had some practice with energy bleed off on these things. -Tom

[@twilightzonepinball]

It's a sound track which is part of Pinnacle Studio 8 which is the editing software I used to make the vid. -Tom

[@twilightzonepinball]

Loops are cool, yes. I tried to keep this RBS in keeping with the old time roller coasters which did not have loops. Loops need a lot of speed and that would not fit well into this RBS. Thanks for the tip though.

[@twilightzonepinball]

@bellajohn The entrance to the lift has a rail which has to be gotten over for the ball to ride up. Sometimes a little push from another ball is all it needs. Sometimes the momentum works to carry it over.

[@twilightzonepinball]

The wire is galvanized chain link fence wire from Home Depot and suspended ceiling wire from Home depot as well. You can solder it as the solder will stick to the galvanizing very well.

[@twilightzonepinball]

1 and 1/16" pinballs. The wire varies but it is for chain link fence work from Home Depot. I used a standard sealed bearing at both ends.

[@Tasaconga]

Delicioso...! Excelente...!!!

[@twilightzonepinball]

These things take forever to make, it's a bargain!

[@twilightzonepinball]

I bend by hand, it's not difficult. Just takes practice.

[@MizzSourSkittlez]

cool

[@twilightzonepinball]

Pinnacle Studio is an NLE software that I use for video projects. The RBS supplies are galvanized steel wire from home depot and solder.

[@twilightzonepinball]

@Karmoon7 Thanks!

[@tajohnathon]

wow

[@twilightzonepinball]

Are you sure because soldering is a relatively low temperature activity.

[@HoffmansYouTube]

this sounds like music from sonic

[@twilightzonepinball]

I would say that you can learn a lot from various websites. Try googling "rolling ball sculptures" and look for fabrication tips. Did you have any specific questions?

[@twilightzonepinball]

@Eric333333333 It was part of the editing software I used, Pinnacle Studio.

[@Yaheuben66]

Amazing! I am in the process of struggling through my first rolling ball sculpture... did you design it first? Or build as you go? Did you build from the bottom up, top- down? I have so many variables, I don't know where to begin...

[@GavinRemme]

What do you use to bend the wire just how you want it? How do you get parallel curves?

[@twilightzonepinball]

@love4knex Thanks!

[@iamaswiss]

Yes :) Can you say me how to make the motor? and how to make the sculpture "stable" ? thanks

[@twilightzonepinball]

@terlizziproduction Hey Daniel! Looking forward to your vids. -Tom

[@tajohnathon]

i like it and all but how much would u sell it for...: )

[@twilightzonepinball]

Yes, but price is always a debate.

[@blocksarefun1]

think that as a rolecoster.

[@twilightzonepinball]

What help do you need?

[@twilightzonepinball]

I am not sure I would recommend braising the zinc coating. I think the temps are too high and there might be a fume hazard.

[@twilightzonepinball]

@MiRRoR220 I only work on this as a hobby so this took about 6 months to build. I would guess about 40 hours of time.

[@Nickk388]

how did you make the spiral lift pipe?

[@jaysparz83]

what kind of "wire" is used, is it welded or soldered? someone please help!!!!!

[@twilightzonepinball]

$200 + shipping.

[@MiRRoR220]

How long did it take to bulid this?

[@iamaswiss]

Hey i am a student from switzerland and i make my project work now. I would to make a rolling ball sculpture. Can you help me? thanks

[@tkperiodds]

HI Twilight, is this still for sale?

[@Ergolicious]

What's the song called?

[@SirSteveFury]

Chrome it!

[@twilightzonepinball]

Any idea how much that would cost?

[@twilightzonepinball]

@cyborgchicken1 Daniel Terlizzi??

[@twilightzonepinball]

@cyborgchicken1 I know several Dans.......

[@mijnvideokanaal]

Nice video. you have made the video with pinacle? I now that music. Ha Ha I have made a marble machine to But I can't make views. Can you help me a little bit? Will you sent me a reaction thanks. I love that music and rolling balls together!!! René