PlayMonster Tinkineer Marbelocity Archimedes Screw User manual

ROLLING!
ARCHIMEDES SCREW

We are constantly working to improve your maker experience. You may observe that the shape of a part
Please keep the wooden parts in your kit away from excessive heat and humidity.
Hello!
Thank you for being a Tinkineer! We’ve taken great care in creating the
experience that you are about to embark upon. We want your build, whether
performed alone or with a family member, to be something special and
memorable. Hands-on fun awaits!
The kit you are about to construct is made of real wood, right here in the United
States of America! Sometimes knots or other anomalies hidden in the material
can cause a part to be cut incorrectly. Not to worry! If you encounter an issue
that we didn’t catch, visit our website and use the “Contact Us” button at the
bottom of any page to let us know what you found. We’ll make it right.
One of the things about a kit is that, while we’ve tried, we can’t fully predict
exactly how you will approach the build, what things you will find easy and
you and/or your family have a wonderful experience. If you don’t, it means that
despite our best attempt, there may still be an instruction to tweak or an aspect
of the design to improve upon.
We’d like to take this opportunity to open a two-way dialog. If you had a great
experience, we want you to tell us and, of course, your friends. If you didn’t, we
would like the first opportunity to make things right for you. Please reach out
to us using the website link and we’ll get right back to you. Allow us to help - to
When you’re finished, it would give us great pride to see how your completed
model turned out. Share your photos, videos, and comments on our Tinkineer
Facebook page and on Instagram. Tag us @tinkineer and/or contact us directly
from the website.
Happy making!
Team Tinkineer

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Hi! My name is Adam and I'm the creator of the Marbleocity® product line.
When I was a kid I loved machines, contraptions and, of course, marble ramps. I also loved
building models but I found the plastic materials unsatisfying and model cement hard to
work with. Today, amazing laser-cutting technology exists to craft highly detailed shapes
out of wood. The real wood parts in your kit have a great tactile feel and can be assembled
easily with household white glue.
The kit that you are about to build was carefully designed to be a great maker experience
that you’ll enjoy in and of itself. But beyond that there’s a little physics and a lot of
engineering experience waiting for you. The graphic novel that begins on the next page
will teach you about a really clever engineering innovation that was originally designed
thousands of years ago! Although conceptualized in ancient times, the Archimedes Screw
still has useful applications today in our modern world!
Another goal of this Marbleocity maker project is to show how you – yes, you! – can build a seemingly complex
machine out of simple parts. Simple parts become sub-assemblies and sub-assemblies come together to
construct an amazing, working machine that you built yourself. So grab your glue and let’s get started!
Adam B. Hocherman
Chief Tinkineer
GETTING HELP FROM OUR COMMUNITY
Have a question about a step you’re working on? Need a video tutorial? We’re
building a community of Tinkineers – just like you! Please visit us online at
Tinkineer.com/community.
LEARNING MORE
Today you'll be building your very own model that utilizes an Archimedes
Screw to lift marbles up in order to perform useful work ... well, in order to
do something fun, anyway! If you’d like to learn more about the Archimedes
Screw (and other clever engineering mechanisms) start at Wikipedia.org. You
can also find a variety of cool videos highlighting real-world applications on
YouTube.
A NOTE ABOUT SAFETY
The kit that you are about to assemble is designed for children and adults ages
8+. It contains marbles and other small parts that can be a choking hazard for
children under 3 years old. If you have younger siblings or other small children
living in your household, please keep these small parts safely out of their reach.
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For this project you’ll need:
Elmer’s® Glue-All® Multi-Purpose white glue. A good, household white glue is the best glue for the
job – it’s easy to work with, makes a strong bond in 20–30 minutes, and dries perfectly clear so
your finished marble machine will look great! Elmer’s® Washable School Glue will bond but Glue-
All® is recommended for the best experience.
BREAK SOMETHING? NEED A REPLACEMENT PART?
Marbleocity is a natural wood product! Sometimes a hidden knot can slip past our
quality control gurus. If you need a replacement part contact us at Tinkineer.com.
Please have your batch code handy, which is located on the bottom of upright part #8.
The batch code is the last six digits found on that part. See example at right.
Check Tinkineer.com/community for helpful videos.
[example only]
Wax paper. Scavenge a sheet of wax paper from your kitchen
– it’s the perfect work surface. Household white glue will not
stick to it and you’ll avoid mom’s wrath by protecting the
kitchen table.
Round toothpicks. These are perfect for applying glue. Make a
puddle on your wax paper work surface and use the tip and/or
edgeof a toothpick to apply glue to your wood parts.
A wax stickis used to lubricate wood bearing surfaces that
rub against one another.
Test Fit First!
Most steps can be
test assembled
without any glue
at all! Check your
part fit and marble
operation first and
then apply glue
second.
Applying Glue to
Flat Surfaces
Use glue sparingly -
you don't need a lot!
Wipe away excess
glue using your
finger or the edge of
a clean toothpick.
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All of the wooden parts required to create your model are pictured below. If you have
trouble identifying a part during the build, you can find it below.
NOTE: Parts are not drawn to scale.

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1
2
2
4
6
5
3
Notice that the slot
for the "odd" leg is
Use your judgement, but
we've provided suggestions
regarding where to add glue,
highlighted in yellow.
PLATFORM
UPRIGHTS
Working on a sheet of wax
paper, apply glue using a
toothpick.
Start with the platform [1].
Attach the two identical legs
[2] and the "odd" leg [3].
Notice that the slot for leg #3 is
deeper than the other two slots.
uprights [4–5] together at right
angles. Apply glue and then lower
the new assembly down into the
slots in the platform.
Next, slide feeder ramp [6] into
place as shown.

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11
10
9
7
8
ARCHIMEDES SCREW!
It’s time to install this model’s namesake! Rub a little
candle wax inside the holes which form the bearing
surfaces for your Archimedes Screw.
Rest the Archimedes Screw [7] into place (no glue!)
and then glue upright [8] to the platform. Add glue to
upper bearing [9], in only the locations highlighted,
and lower into place.
Finally, lower the thumbwheel [10] into place and
secure with peg [11]. No glue is required on the peg
or thumbwheel.
{ }

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The pinwheel “claws”
point upward. The
marbles are “caught”
here which is what
creates the spinning
action!
15
12 13
14
LOWER RAMP & PINWHEEL
Install the lower ramp [12] by sliding it forward into the
slots in the uprights. Add its rail [13], aligning the edges
carefully.
Using your wax stick, add a little lubrication to the
pinwheel shaft [15] before installing it. Next, install the
pinwheel ... here’s how!
Using one hand, hold the pinwheel [14] in place, between
the two uprights. Notice that the pinwheel “claws” point
upward.
Apply glue to part #15 in only the locations shown! Slide
the shaft into place, capturing the pinwheel as you do so.
Use a finger to give your pinwheel a test-twirl to ensure it’s
working properly. Wheee!!

14
18
17
16
Be sure to insert your
vortex fully before gluing.
UPPER RAMP & VORTEX!
Install the upper ramp [16] and its rail [17] as shown in the
diagram.
Next, without glue (yet), slide your vortex [18] into place.
Its brackets span the two wooden uprights and protrude
slightly on the far side (see insets). Add a dab of glue in
these locations to hold the vortex in place.
{ }

15
19
19
20
21
B
a
DIVERTER
GO FOR A RIDE!
Assemble your diverter from the four parts shown at right. Start
by gluing the two sides [19 x2] to cross-brace [20]. Then take
that assembly and drop it into the slots on diverter base [21].
You can position your completed diverter on your model, as
shown below, while the glue dries. But be careful! The diverter
does not get glued to the platform. You’ll rotate this diverter
later, when you link up additional Triple Play models!
Congrats! You did it! You’ve completed
your model! Let the glue dry and then
take her for a test run.
Drop a few marbles at the bottom of
the Archimedes Screw. Use your finger
to rotate the screw at point [A] or use
a pencil eraser (or similar object) to
spin the screw at point [B].
{ }

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CONNECTING MODELS!
[OPTIONAL] ADD A MOTOR!
Individual Triple Play models can be operated by
hand but for even more fun, add a motor kit (sold
separately).
First attach the motor to the underside of the
platform using the hardware included with the
motor kit. Then, slip the 10-tooth gear onto the
white motor shaft that protrudes above. Rotate the
screw slightly, as necessary, to allow the gears to
mesh properly.
The wires and battery box are not shown in this
diagram. Follow the instructions included with
the motor kit to make connections and get things
running.
And, by the way, you will need a motor kit if you
want to connect the Archimedes Screw to another
Triple Play model. You can even connect it to a
second Archimedes Screw kit, if you or a friend has
one!
The secret to connecting multiple models together is to
rotate the diverter. The illustration at left shows a top
view of the model you just completed (some parts have
been removed for clarity).
On the next page we’ll show you how you can connect
two or three models …

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Any two
Triple-Play models.
Any three
Triple-Play models.
CONNECTING MODELS (CON'T)!
Two or even three Marbleocity Triple Play models can be motorized (motor kits sold separately)
and connected for an even more dynamic marble machine experience! Notice that the diverter can
adjacent to one another and position the diverter on each model accordingly.
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POWER UP AND CONNECT!
Add the optional Motor Kit to power your Marbleocity
model and keep those marbles rolling. Then you're
ready to connect for the most epic experience!
Connect any three Triple Play kits together (mix and
match)! In addition, our two large Marbleocity kits are
designed to interact together such that marbles pass
between those models. So cool!
MAKE MORE!
Good news, there are more Marbleocity
kits available! Check out additional Triple
Play models like Chaos Mountain or our
try a kit from our "Mini" series, such as
the Mini Skate Park pictured here. For the
intermediate maker, there are larger models
more complex rolling action!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve just built a complex, three-dimensional marble machine out of flat wooden parts and
learned some physics in the process. Nice work!
TELL US ABOUT IT! SHOW US!
We hope you enjoyed building/making with us. We’d love to see your Archimedes
Screw. Did you decorate your model? Where did you put it?
Share your photos and comments on our Tinkineer Facebook page and Instagram feed.
Tag us @tinkineer. Or contact us directly at www.tinkineer.com/community.
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Contact us at: Customer Service, 1400 E. Inman Pkwy.,
For more fun, visit playmonster.com
Tinkineer Marbleocity
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