Marble Balance Maze

This Marble Balance Maze recaptures part of my (and maybe your) childhood! Inspired by the original Brio marble labyrinth game, players navigate their marble from the start to the finish, winding around obstacles and pitfalls along the way. If the ball falls in a hole, it rolls back to the return point for you to try again! Design and print your own custom mazes too - they can be easily swapped!

This print makes use of BIC Pencil Pivots to enable super smooth motion of the playing field! Four BIC mechanical pencils are needed to create the pivots and the playing handles. You also a ball bearing or small marble (I designed this for a 10mm diameter ball bearing), and some string/wire. I used lightweight silicon wire because its bendy and grippy, but other types should work with some modification (described below).

Build Instructions

1. Print all parts (except the blank maze), see printing tips below.

2. Dismantle four BIC mechanical pencils, see photos attached. Cut off the tips of the flanges and remove the spring and the black collar.

3. Cut off the nose section of the BIC pencils as shown in the photo - these nose axles and the black collars will form the pivots for the frame

4. Remove the pencil clip by twisting it with pliers. Cut 2.5mm (1") off the ends of four outer tubes. These will form the bushings for your handles. You may need to reform them by bending them back into a cylinder with pliers after cutting.

5. Assemble the frame by press-fitting the black collar and nose axles into their respective holes in each frame piece, and in the body. You may wish to warm up the print slightly with a hairdryer or hot air station to prevent layer cracking.

6. Cut each of the four inner pencil tubes to 96 mm (3.75") measured from the eraser end (not including the eraser). These will form your handle axles. You may need to trim them later so they meet approximately in the middle.

7. Press fit the outer tubes into the middle holes of the box, again warming the part if needed.

8. Press the inner tube through the knob, then press the cap into the knob. Feed the tube into the outer tube you previously fit. Don't join the axles together just yet.

9. Tie a string to one end of provided holes on the inner frame, wrap it a few times around the perpendicular axle, then pull it tight to the opposite side hole in the inner frame and tie it off. Repeat for the second axis. If you find that your string slips, you can wrap the axle with electrical tape to increase the friction, and add more turns of the wire.

10. Join the two sides of the inner tubes using the tube joiner piece. This will slightly tension the strings as well.

11. Place the maze into the top frame, and have fun!

Printing Tips

• Print four knobs, four knob caps, two pencil joiners, and one of each other part (except the blank maze).

• All parts can be printed without support, but the knob cap may benefit from a brim for better plate adhesion.

• I used manual layer pauses and filament swaps to make the maze and inner frame two different colours.

• Use solid or dense infill for the maze piece - otherwise the infill will create a texture that the ball might catch on.

• Let the maze piece fully cool before removing from the bed! If removed while warm, it may become warped, leading to unpredictable rolling.

• The blank maze is provided for you as a template to make your own mazes!