We've just recently been given the go-ahead to unveil more Wowwee BIOBugs - the toy that Mark Tilden had direct involvement in! This is footage we shot while down in New Mexico this Spring at the 2001 LANL workshop. The first video shows the BIOBug Beetle's ability to maneuver and respond to obstacles. The second […]
Painted GraviTrack
Solar botics
March 5, 2018
We always enjoy seeing our products being modified, revamped and DIY-ed, as well as the results of these transformations.
Our customer Vera Kark provided us with some thoughtful feedback on adding mechanical tweaks to improve our Solar GraviTrack build and documentation. She also painted the brown MDF of the machine. She used tempera paint on the wood components still in panelized form, and the GraviTrack's performance seemed to be unaffected.
The GraviTrack looks great in vibrant jewel tone colours, however, we do not recommend applying paint to the hand mechanism itself. You can paint the base and the rails, avoiding the hand mechanism completely. The moisture and the thickness of the paint might affect the precise tolerances of the moving parts, and will interfere with its proper functioning. Another relatively safe option might be felt tip marker since the moisture from alcohol evaporates quickly.
Photos & video by Vera Kark
P.S. Also, a particularly bad idea is painting your GraviTrack after the assembly is completed. Even though we were using a very watered down acrylic paint, the mechanism seized up the moment the paint became sticky. Don't be like us. Take care of your GraviTrack.
A portrait of a sad stuck GraviTrack
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The Solarbotics GraviTrack Marble Machin...
Our GraviTrack Marble Machine Kit is our newest addition to the Marble-Drop mechanism family. Elegant, swooping hands pass marbles to each other to the top of a sweeping multi-level track, available in either solar or battery configuration! Approximately twice as wide as our spiral Solar or Battery Marble machine kits, the GraviTrack is still desk-top compact but large enough for easy mechanical assembly. Pre-order yours […]
Solarbotics has been operating for more than 25 years, bringing electronics know-how and supplies to both the electronics professional and hobbyist. We'll be happy to help you too!
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Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.