5000 Balls vs. Gravity Well Machine

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I also have a Patreon: / engineezy
This is the laser cutter I use for all my projects:
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The Best 3D Printers (Bambu Lab Afilliate):
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The electric screwdriver I used to assemble and disassemble this thing many times is a game changer: geni.us/f6oJ
This is the filament I use for all my projects: geni.us/sdT9QBj
Here's a video of the machine running uninterrupted:
• Gravity Well Machine U...
Sometimes we humans need to build machines with the sole purpose of demonstrating the effects of gravity on a steel sphere. This is a machine that happily fulfills that purpose. Be mesmerized by the combination of engineering and physics resulting from the simple motion of a ball rotating around a gravitatonally shaped dish. Watch as the steel ball bearings gain potential energy as they're being lifted by the grain elevator, only to be converted to kinetic energy as they roll around the well and tumble back to the bottom.
Timestamps:
0:45 Getting Started
1:40 Ball Distribution System
2:47 New Gravity Well
3:45 Designing A Lifting System
5:37 Final Assembly
7:18 Big Ball Run
8:45 Small Ball Run

[@user-wo7rl4nm7w]

Now spend 7 years to improve the design and play custom music, then make it play the bass, vibraphone, drums, cymbal and make it human powered, then go on a world tour with it

[@Engineezy]

I wonder if anyone has ever done that 🤭

[@zlandicar4482]

then throw it away and start over.@@Engineezy

[@simpli_A]

Is this wintergarten? It sounds like that’s what your referencing here

[@CalebTibster]

@@simpli_A Close! It’s Wintergatan!

[@JoeFleck]

This comment reminds me of a game I had as a kid (and have bought again as an adult: Cascade. transitionconsciousness.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/cascade-by-matchbox-design-genius-or-eccentric-lunacy/

[@Wintergatan]

Sweet!

[@iamacat8488]

Ho your you tube channel is nice

[@user-wo7rl4nm7w]

Finally found the comment I was looking for

[@Shadowdemo]

ඞා👍

[@Engineezy]

This has made my day, thanks legend.

[@ichbrauchmehrkaffee5785]

Just as I was about to comment: "Martin from Wintergatan needs to see this" XD

[@jasoa]

The gravity well research on gravitational physics made me laugh. We all start out with good intentions on hardcore research and end up with, 'yep, that looks good'.....

[@Engineezy]

Hahaha exactly that!

[@feelfree.1]

It is not that complicated, one could just use the function h(r) = 1/r for the height at a certain radius, and then revolve this sketch.

[@excrubulent]

​​@@feelfree.1 Is that formula based on some kind of gravity well analogue, or is it a known-working shape or something? Edit: I just looked it up and there's a study called "trajectories of rolling marbles on various funnels" by Anita Mareno and Lars English that describes the typical coin funnel as hyperbolic, so I guess it's a known working shape. Sounds like it would be pretty simple like you say.

[@calebharris292]

"I swear I'll get a 3d print recycler" must be the mantra of every 3d printer enthusiast

[@Engineezy]

This is probably true!

[@ahaveland]

i confirm.

[@Erhannis]

I have a few cubic feet of plastic debris saved up from the past 6 years of prints, and someday, SOMEDAY, I will surely buy or build a recycler. Someday, surely.

[@Mr_Pengin]

@@Engineezy If you live in America, you can send your things to this place in St. Louis called Printerior that recycles your waste for completely free! I’m planning on doing it soon, so maybe you could try it and see what the results are.

[@Theboardbro]

JBV Creative is becoming more and more like Wintergatan with the amount of marbles in a video!

[@Engineezy]

Just need to start making music 🎤

[@MaxG628]

Wintergatan meets Mark Rober. I could think of worse mashups.

[@paulvale2985]

But will it go on for yearrrrssss?

[@jetpac7890]

Not to mention the number of marbles on the floor!

[@Engineezy]

I do hope so!

[@michael1980ge]

So you know these ocean drums? It’s a type of percussion instrument that mimics the sound of the sea. It is a circular frame drum with filled with small beads. When the drum is tilted back and forth, these beads roll over the bottom head, creating a sound similar to waves crashing on a beach. This could really be a fun project for thousands of tiny ball bearings. Getting an interesting mechanism that can lift different sides of the drum. Playing around with overlaying oscillations to check out the visual movement and the resulting sound of the beads. Maybe capturing the essence of the mesmerising movement of the strand beasts and the calm ocean currents.

[@Engineezy]

Love it! Gonna have to do some research on these drums

[@najrenchelf2751]

Wait, I have one of those - they're actually called Ocean Drums? :D

[@jesperhagstrom]

Suggestion: a marble machine that plays tight and programmable music, can't be that complicated can it? 😅

[@Nightshade-Aurora]

kid named Wintergatan

[@Engineezy]

Definitely been done! But never hurts to do it again 😀

[@wowutisforever]

“It doesn’t matter how you get there, just if you get there.” Well said.

[@Engineezy]

Words to live by 🤓

[@DoremiFasolatido1979]

Pretty sure it matters if you're trying to get to a cure for cancer...but murder 50 million people to do it.

[@tomc4304]

The noise helped suppress my tinnitus problem. Thank-you!

[@Engineezy]

So the machine does have a purpose 👌 take that haterzzz

[@tomc4304]

@@Engineezy you should patent it as a medical device and sell it under the brand name "Balls of Steel Tinnitus Masker"

[@Thesuree]

BRRRRRRATATATATA BE GONE HATERS, YOU SUCK!@@Engineezy

[@TankR]

The white noise of the machine is deadening and taming down the input to the brain, which filters out things it experiences consistently for the most part. Otherwise you would feel every hair on your body....as they grew.... There is app Ive used a few times that seems to just play a tone at the tinnitus frequency you perceive, and its worked on some level to deaden it. Basically I assume it sort of 'overworks' your brain to the sound so as the brain compensates it becomes less pronounced, like if you were to use a green/blue light in a room for some time then go out into a white lit room it would look very redish because your green and blue cones have been working but not the red ones ergo the reds are primed to sense light where as the blue green ones need to even back out both in their chemically driven photon to nerve impulse sensing and perceived sensation in the brain. Brains are weird. For the tinnitus anyways, I imagine a tone generator would have the same effect. Havent tried it yet though....

[@darrennew8211]

That's fantastic. Imagine having this in your garden where you'd otherwise have a fountain or birdbath.

[@Engineezy]

The most epic/noisy garden 🤣

[@SturleyArt]

As always, I love watching the problem solving aspect of your designs. Plus the final design is SO satisfying.

[@Engineezy]

Thank you very much! I have to agree :)

[@Trupen]

I love when you automated the balls

[@Engineezy]

🙏🙏

[@cormacwebb873]

Trupen!! I didn't expect you here but it all makes sense

[@GutoohkGk]

"Highly engineered ball distribution system" is just like tinder

[@Engineezy]

This is not untrue 😅

[@PastaLuke]

😂😂😂

[@3DPrinterAcademy]

love that flexible conduit design!

[@Engineezy]

Thanks! Worked better than I expected

[@loganc9441]

I will say congratulations for going through the entire video without making a balls joke

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

Those ball bearings jumping out of the gravity well and bucket train and escaping are the ones truly thinking outside the gravity well.

[@Rocky-917]

Hey man, you're really inspirational. I feel pretty discouraged from trying to make things because it feels like I don't know how or wouldn't be able to figure it out. But watching you just problem solve and makes stuff work makes that process seem more doable. I appreciate that a lot.

[@Engineezy]

Glad it inspires! One of the main reasons I make these vids

[@friendsbrn]

My struggle is my perfectionism and intense desire to do things "the correct way". Sure, my solutions often have significant longevity, but complete implementation is my struggle as I often fail to get to the end. To JBV's point, "it doesn't matter how you get there as long as you get there". Too often I let perfection be the enemy of good enough.

[@unbanunbanunban9083]

Perfect representation of the chaos of the universe and the gaping void waiting to swallow us all

[@Engineezy]

Thats deep.

[@karifaevt]

That last one is an excellent visualisation of the asteroid and kuiper belt

[@YourComputerExpert]

Saw your strandbeest short, went to your channel hoping you had longform content... I couldn't have been luckier. Bingewatched like 10 videos. I love your content, especially also because you include the whole process and any fails / learning experiences. Thank you for the cool videos!

[@Engineezy]

Appreciate it! Welcome to the journey

[@haydenlewis2788]

Excellent work as always... the only thing that surpasses it is the entertainment value of the video!

[@Engineezy]

Really appreciate that!

[@MaxEva8]

I really like the step by step videos and the problem/solution concept. Really interesting!!

[@Engineezy]

Awesome, thank you!

[@Graytail]

Another idea - auto-pachinko. Feed into a horizontally sliding chute at the top of the machine that will deposit the BBs into the pin-field. Rig it so that once the middle catch area fills all the BBs are drained from the field and recycled. Potential for pinball style lighting here if you give the pins a metal ring around their bases so that the BB completes the circuit for a light. Other possible inclusions - rotating sections of the pin field, automatic pinball flippers, archemedes screw lifts running up both sides of the play feild so you can watch the BBs get raised back to the tank at the top.

[@Engineezy]

Oof you got me on the auto flippers! Endless chaos

[@benmcreynolds8581]

This reminds me of how much I Loved those Penny machines in certain stores when I was a kid in the early 90's. You'd launch a penny down a ramp and the penny would roll on it's thin edge all the way down this gravity well shaped object. It's so fun I wish they would come back!

[@Engineezy]

Those were the best!

[@johnt.inscrutable1545]

This is a true case of “more is better”. Such an amazing and satisfying thing to watch. I also enjoying hearing you describe/summarize your process as you were making this. Your motivation was also the best motivation to me. Thank!

[@Engineezy]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks 😊

[@paillat]

OMG A new video ! Your projects are always so cool and interesting

[@Engineezy]

Glad you like them!

[@jessicabrown2634]

love this project! great design as always

[@Engineezy]

Well thank you kind laydee frein!

[@JohnLattanzio98]

Cant wait to see this when i get out if school!

[@hamsterwave]

its epic btw

[@Engineezy]

🙌

[@_Doodle-bob]

Not going to lie, my favorite part of this video is watching the balls bounce off the hopper in front of them as they get dumped.

[@adamtreen-noaafederal1354]

Yes! I thought the same!

[@entropyachieved750]

After seeing your reasoning that 1 ball is satisfying and 1000 would be more satisfying I had to subscribe

[@Engineezy]

Appreciate you catching my vibe on the hypothesis 👊

[@locomotioncreations]

Love it dude! You did not lie; This is easily the most satisfying thing ive seen today! 😊

[@Engineezy]

Mission accomplished! Thanks brother!

[@lars2023]

Wow, at first I was a bit sceptical... But man, this is satisfying to watch! Nicely done! 🔥

[@Engineezy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JoshBowren]

Amazing video, loved seeing the several iterations of design and the plan to grind and reuse the old plastics. You got a subscribe out of me for this video. Thank you.

[@Engineezy]

Thank you!! Appreciate it

[@MakewithMatt]

Awesome video thanks for sharing! Definitely the most satisfying thing I’ve seen today! I like how the smallest balls sounded like a rain storm. A rain machine would be cool for the tiny balls but that seems way too simple for your mad skills. I’m sure you’ll come up with something awesome and I can’t wait to see it!

[@Engineezy]

Thanks Matt! Never ending rain machine would be pretty cool

[@mechfan01]

That over head shot looks like a galaxy swirling around.

[@Engineezy]

So true! So mesmerizing

[@ianstradian]

There is a genius physicist watching this right now and his brain just exploded.

[@Engineezy]

Oh dear 🫢

[@PrintedByJohn]

Great video always fun to watch what you make.

[@Engineezy]

Thanks John, appreciate it!

[@djohnsto2]

That's pretty cool. When the balls go around the well they form what look like statically-rotating patterns - The position of the balls relative to each other is more constant than I would have thought.

[@Engineezy]

I hadn’t thought about that! Very interesting indeed

[@thiscannotbeyourname]

My favorite, most satisfying thing, about this video was that the slom-mo sound was *real*. Not some Mark Rober "add something in post to make it sound neat" bs. No. It was the real deal.

[@Engineezy]

Haha it’s because the good high speed cameras often don’t record audio! But ill take it 😀

[@michaeldiamond2269]

Brilliant, as usual, Jay. Well done.

[@Engineezy]

Thanks Mike!

[@QuintBUILDs]

The way the balls moved I would have thought it was an animation! Sweet project Jay!

[@Engineezy]

Thanks Q!!

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

JBV Creative inadvertently creates the Perfect Perpetual Motion Machine.

[@willofthemaker]

Love your videos. Super satisfying

[@Engineezy]

Appreciate it!!

[@NathanStorer-RC]

Hypothesis confirmed, VERY satisfying 😊

[@Engineezy]

Glad you think so!

[@CDRaff]

For the tiny balls you should make a ball bearing "wave pool" using one of your mechanical wave designs to manipulate a thousands of the B.B.s hopefully making them look like a low particle fluid simulation.

[@Engineezy]

That sounds pretty epic! And I do love waves

[@Rollsounds]

Amazing stuff! I have a similar design for a conveyor but was going to tear up an old tarp. The gumball machine rotary to slowly feed them out is genius.

[@Engineezy]

Old tarp would probably work too!

[@john7027]

Jay, it’s always so awesome to see you. Know you pretty well all these years and know that Jay is never satisfied and will be making me laugh cause here it comes, he is going to make a change. So very happy for you, as you continue to grow expand and able to show your brilliance in fun ways. I always learn a little something but most of all your knowledge in this field is amazing. Always look forward to seeing what you do next. Thanks from your biggest fan. Smiled 😊the other day, came across you daisy wedding key chain. Been a minute huh? Only the best to you both.

[@Engineezy]

Thanks John! Appreciate the ongoing support 🙏🙏🙏

[@keithdolezel488]

When your old co worker hits your KZbin Suggestion Feed :D Awesome stuff Jay. hope all is well.

[@Engineezy]

Thanks Keith! Same to you 👊👊

[@chipster2k]

I bought that gravity well stl from you and I took the well and cut it up into 8 pizza like slices and increased their size by 250 - 300 some percent. Filling up my printer bed as large as I could each piece, then connected them together with crazy glue. No need for sanding as they came out smooth and level by printing on their side.

[@Engineezy]

Thats awesome! Thanks for the support!

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very cool. Thanks for posting this. :)

[@Engineezy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@NorthForkFisherman]

You just know there's a physics student watching these INTENTLY and taking notes.

[@siliconghost]

Solid video. Mesmerizing!

[@Engineezy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Sebastian-pq3qk]

Nice balls 😎👍

[@Engineezy]

😎👊

[@allie-ontheweb]

I was literally *just* binge-watching your videos!!

[@Engineezy]

Well I appreciate that very much!

[@raoulduke7668]

Literally any youtuber when marbles: **wintergatan intensifies**

[@Engineezy]

😂😂

[@raoulduke7668]

ngl, I searched for one of his comments in this section :D@@Engineezy

[@raoulduke7668]

anyways, great video! I subbed and I'm looking forward to see more! :)@@Engineezy

[@sinsayne_5137]

you’re almost there

[@TotalyRandomUsername]

For real satisfaction, it has to go slower and the balls need to have differnt colors. Otherwise you can not think "Go lovely red ball, you gonna make it faster then this nasty blue and yellow ones!"

[@schuylerbrock]

Awesome stuff as always!

[@Engineezy]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@SayonR]

The tiny balls are so much more chaotic and indeed answer one flaw/question that I had regarding the gap when the scoop is overturned. Many balls just dont fall in the hopper! So make a short with some fix for it maybe lol. Anyway can we say a marble version for this? I'm sure so many marble run channels will be thrilled to have this and include it in their runs!

[@Engineezy]

Yeah, the small ball were an afterthought, I think with a slightly different scoop design, it would quickly solve the problem! I think it would already work with marbles if they are the right size!

[@Creative_Electronics]

3:37 I have the exact same thing, one day I'm going to have a recycler like that :) Nice project! It really is a very satisfying machine!

[@Engineezy]

Appreciate it! Looking forward to the day 😀

[@NochSoEinKaddiFan]

I think you are better of sending your print waste to someone like Recyclingfabrik, who are pros at turning printed parts back into filament.

[@jgoo4572]

You had me at “gumball machine”! Very satisfying! I imagine those bearings would rip up those 3d printed parts pretty fast. Thanks for sharing your creative adventures!

[@Engineezy]

I’m not sure I’m going to run it for long enough to find out 😂

[@tsuchan]

It was certainly interesting to see, and well done. I think I'm not persuaded that many balls in a gravity well is more captivating than one or a few though. Half a dozen of different sizes could be quite interesting.

[@Engineezy]

Definitely need to try the different sizes!

[@Wolfboy607]

Psh, I know the secret all you youtubers use. You didn't really make that legit, off camera you just changed gamemode to creative and spawned it in. This was indeed the most satisfying thing for me today, thanks for sharing!

[@Engineezy]

Haha I wish that mode existed, it would make my life so much easier 😅 appreciate you watching!

[@monsieur-khonar]

it's incredibly mesmerizing

[@Engineezy]

Agreeeed! 😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@Graytail]

idea - How about some sort of BB fountain, which you can hang glokenspiel bars, or bells about so the balls can hit them on their way down before getting recycled

[@Engineezy]

Love that idea!

[@dk_dailyknonsense]

That montage was perfect!

[@Engineezy]

I really appreciate you appreciating that!

[@obelisk398]

please coat the gravity well in silicone so there is constant friction on the marbles

[@Engineezy]

Might make for an interesting result!

[@Gregulations]

Your maths checks out. Pretty satisfying.

[@Engineezy]

Hypothesis proven 🙌

[@SayonR]

01:28 me every time I feel a smooth-rough surface that gives that tingling sensation

[@Engineezy]

haha always gotta use the face test

[@georgepeyton772]

Martin had trouble with the Wintergarten machines load and reload functions spilling marbles also. Physics gonna physics.

[@Engineezy]

Without fail, every darn time 😵

[@epgamingdude4939]

If wintergatan wasn’t obsessed with music

[@Engineezy]

😂😂

[@Varde1234]

honestly this made me so happy.

[@Engineezy]

I respect that 👊👊

[@RealFancyFrog]

Thats soo satisfying!!!

[@yippeyiyay]

There is an instrument called an ocean drum. It creates rain/stormy/wave crashy sounds. This would be fun to create a super loud super storm.

[@Dglinski2]

if this doesn't make front page of r/oddlysatisfying then idk what will. Great project Jay!

[@Engineezy]

Haha thanks G!

[@reubenmarchant2229]

A local science museum who love this.

[@Engineezy]

🙏🙏

[@Fortnite_Clips305]

I would like a video about a machine that can tell you exactly how much energy is needed to push any object. Just an idea you dont have to if u dont want to.

[@swicked86]

The floor balls look like the most fun!

[@Engineezy]

Floor balls EVERYWHERE 😵

[@accueil750]

The ball rolling backwars looks so much like a video editing trick it took me like 5 rewatches to notice its real

[@roelspierenburg3786]

I think it would be cool to somehow incorporate a Galton board for the next creation

[@Engineezy]

I was thinking exactly that!

[@thamires.magalhaes]

Cool project, I love the rolling balls and the continuity with the rhythm and amount. I think a really cool project would be working with them and sin waves, making them roll in a pattern and in a repetitive way would be very mesmerizing

[@Engineezy]

I like the way that sounds! Gonna brainstorm on it!

[@thamires.magalhaes]

@@Engineezy can't wait to see what you come up with

[@feliwein_cc]

loved every second of it

[@Engineezy]

Thank youu 🙏🙏

[@feliwein_cc]

@@Engineezy still dreaming with the course tho, not gonna let that one slide

[@FeelFreeToThink]

Never ending marble toilet. Saving the world one project at a time.

[@Engineezy]

Thats the plan!

[@Thisismeirl]

i was very unsatisfied today because i did not recieve my order and the customer service kept lying about when ill get the refund but this vid made my day with a little bit of science

[@sasastankovic8760]

This is so freaking awesome!!!

[@Engineezy]

Thank you!! 👊

[@garrettquartararo201]

This is so satisfying

[@Engineezy]

I have to agree 🙌

[@Alext647]

Just a suggestion, for flat belts you should try using a convex shaped roller/pulley rather a concave one 5:25 it will help center the belt believe it or not 👍🏼 With all the gravitational study though I’m surprised it didn’t turn into a worm hole haha 😂 keep up the great videos 👌🏼

[@Engineezy]

I actually ended up going with that- saw the steve mould vid on it, worked like a charm

[@jangrewe]

For ball dispenser mechanisms, have a look at the DYE Rotor paintball hopper - that thing is fast and powerful, not relying on gravity alone.

[@Engineezy]

Very interesting design!

[@mattmaass3920]

A suggestion for all those leftover ball bearings... use them to reduce friction on a tracked carousel like the ones at sushi restaurants! If you are feeling crazy you could use it to deliver parts or tools around the shop.

[@Engineezy]

Just have the tools forever running on the carousel 😂

[@keiththorpe9571]

Yes, a thousand balls in a gravity well... I'm twitching now from the ASMR.

[@Engineezy]

Haha me too!

[@Dubbelthor]

I am not a super big machine enthusiast. But I can say this, you made a damn good simulation of something like a black hole or so. Looks close to some 3D generated stuff I've seen and most likely there are some 2D models that look very similar to this. But yea just redo the angles dependent upon the black hole and you can do a pretty nifty job seeing how particles should act around a blackhole... think its beyond the event horizon though since balls cannot escape.

[@DoremiFasolatido1979]

Your best results on the center of the well would be to make it an aperture that can fit 7 balls at a time. Essentially a perfect hexagon of balls. One in the middle, six around it. That means, no matter the rate you drop them into the well, it should never get stuck or slow down. A slightly steeper beginning incline from the outer edge, as well as having the wall meet the incline being rounded at the same curvature as the balls, would make for a slightly smoother and earlier descent into the well. It's like merging on a highway, you need the balls already on the track to get out of the way of those coming on. They'll bunch up less and have a much smoother trajectory into the well at the center.

[@nimaa-j7823]

Use permanent magnets under the platform to get more interesting chaotic orbits of the balls

[@Engineezy]

I do love chaos 😈

[@critical_always]

One big difference. This guy finishes his projects.

[@matthewtwots3376]

This gives me an idea. What if you built one of those self balancing platforms but attach the gravity well? Maybe add controls to reposition the ball, reverse it, etc.

[@Engineezy]

Thats an interesting idea!

[@TheHDreality]

I know you're finished but it would've been awesome if the entry pipe to the well was brachistochrone shaped for maximum entry velocity. I love your grain elevator solution too, my mind went straight to those hot wheels accelerators where you just shoot them along a track at high speed between two motorised wheels. I think a cool project for the small balls would be a Bellagio style musical fountain display. Streams of tiny balls flying into the air choreographed to Great Balls of Fire ⚪🔥

[@Engineezy]

Love the ball fountain idea!

[@FraensEngineering]

Very cool design. You always have such creative ideas. I guess you used to work as a mechanical designer.

[@Engineezy]

Thank you! I did :)

[@jasongroupindustries]

They impressive, was wondering if the ball distribution was needed here as with the belt system its enough to give the momentum to move down

[@badreality2]

A local restaurant of mine, had a coin version of this. So satisfying!

[@Engineezy]

Those are super fun!