I just finished building the parts for the ball lifter. This won’t be the last post about this rolling ball sculpture because I need to build the track. But I may not have much to say about the lift mechanism after this.

Two-Step Ball Lifter

I may need to change the outer end of the upper lift arm; I may not have left enough space between the ball and the main part of the arm. Space is needed because the arm will move under a piece of ball track at the top of its movement and then set the ball down on that track. There might just be too little room for the track between the ball and the arm.

Another Movie of the Two-Step Ball Lifter

The next step is track building. In the picture below, you can see one of my previous sculptures. I am considering using this type of support style to hold the track. It’s organic and plant-like, and might be very interesting because of the contrast to the machinery that would be inside of it. I’ve never built one of these rolling ball sculptures in an industrial style so I’m a bit resistant to doing that now.

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Possible Style Choice

Come back in a few weeks or months to see how progress is going. At a minimum, I will have the very top of the track build within a week or two.

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Alternate “industrial?” Style

Above is a smaller RBS that I built that has a hint of industrial-ness to it. It’s really the support system that defines the style of an RBS, not the track. Color can make a difference, but apparently, no one else paints their sculptures like I do.