I wanna make a marble run!

[garishglobes]

Somehow, last month, Contemporary Lampworking 3 slipped into my hands 

Having been a bit sceptical about it (for no good reason), I have to say it is a really good read and well worth it. I'm working slowly through it and finding it both thought provoking and entertaining.
At the moment, I'm reading the chapter devoted to kinetic sculpture and am finding myself (despite the author's warnings on likely effects to social and personal life and my lack of a decent sized kiln or necessary skills) really drawn to the idea of making a marble run. It just sounds fun!   

Anyone fancy a huge marble-run-making weekend? 

[Chameleon]

oooo Emma we could have a go ??

[Jolene]

What's a marble run?

[garishglobes]

Jolene, you don't know?!! 

http://www.themarblerunshop.co.uk/shop/

In action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aGXTSXf8Hc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOT3X3XJVYE

[ScarletLeonard]

I'm intrigued....I now have a vision in my head of a full glass marble run.

[garishglobes]

The one he shows is just glass rods (boro ones...) running parallel to make tracks/rails. You can make loop the loops and allsorts.

[julieHB]

  There's nothing wrong with your level of ambition, Emma!! Sounds great fun, although I wouldn't know a thing about how! This is not a sign-up, my oxycon is taking a week or so recreational holiday, so I shall enjoy some fusing instead. Just wanted to say good luck!!

[ScarletLeonard]

The one he shows is just glass rods (boro ones...) running parallel to make tracks/rails. You can make loop the loops and allsorts.

Ohhhh, so it is all glass. Make it, make it, I want to see it.

[Ian Pearson]

Sounds great but before you make a marble run you have to teach Boro how to walk !!!!!

Ian

[♥♥Tan♥♥]

Oh my fanny annie this sounds brilliant fun

[jammie]

Oh I love the track one its brilliant i want one.
Can I ask something about marbles, when I was wee I used to have a large collection of marbles ( I wondered if boro marbles are as strong as these marbles as I remember the idea of the game was to hit them off each other. Were they made in much the same way.

[Steampunkglass]

Sounds great but before you make a marble run you have to teach Boro how to walk !!!!!

Maybe you should try making one out of metal first, something like bronze welding rods or the like? Less liable to break plus you don't have to try and figure out how to get it all annealed. It would also be easier to tweek it, then you can use that as the protype for a glass one?

[garishglobes]

I think a marble walk sounds a little too sedate for my liking 

Julie, I'm thinking of the dog days of January for having a go at this 

Glenn, you are sounding suspiciously engineering minded there.

Jean, I drop my marbles regularly and they haven't suffered yet...boro is generally quite strong plus ours tend to be annealed, whereas I'm not sure the old-fashioned ones would have been.

[jammie]

Right thanks I had been curious about that for a while.
So i now have to add the marble run track from you tube to my xmas wish list, my grandaughter has a box of ordinary marbles Im sure sge wouldnt mind sharing with her Grandma, in fact maybe she would like a marble run from her grandma , would have to be that one though nothing less would do , erm i feel an obsession coming on 

[Jolene]

I reckon that creating somthing like that out of glass would be beautiful!!