Impossible Marble in Truncated Cube All

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":3,"text":"Thanks for the instructable. I made one out of beetle kill pine, with a stainless steel ball. Turned out great.
SS ball 1.1", Forstner drill bit 1", edges of holes and cube were rounded with a router, wood was sanded up to 400 grid, and finished with oil.

The ball is pretty loose. I tried to use 7/8" bit but it caused the wood to crack three different tries, so I gave up for now.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"collegecultivator","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/collegecultivator","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1008761158","html":"Awesome and I just suggested to my son that this would be a great class woodshop project. Project using math skills ='s too awesome! Thank you.","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":4,"text":"Awesome and I just suggested to my son that this would be a great class woodshop project. Project using math skills ='s too awesome! Thank you.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"dudes","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/dudes","diffbotUri":"post|3|-519790647","html":"

to help with the cracking problem, let the cube dry in a paper bag. I know it sound weird and I don't know why it works, but it does (usually)

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":5,"text":"to help with the cracking problem, let the cube dry in a paper bag. I know it sound weird and I don't know why it works, but it does (usually)","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","images":[{"naturalHeight":130,"width":150,"diffbotUri":"image|3|1988485884","url":"https://cdn.instructables.com/FSJ/R60Z/HKZAVRWS/FSJR60ZHKZAVRWS.SQUARE2.jpg","naturalWidth":130,"height":150}],"humanLanguage":"en","author":"ProfHankD","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/ProfHankD","diffbotUri":"post|3|-78223423","html":"

I just did a bunch of these as a little project with a couple of 5 and 12 year old girls.

I used pine cut from a 2x4, microwaved the wood blocks individually in a teacup with a half-cup of water and a little plate over it for 1+1 minutes, and used a hand clamp to force the marble in. To push it all the way in (not just flush), I found it easiest to use a socket fitting over the marble as I clamped it. I let them dry for a while, sanded them, and then the girls painted them and extras with the marble outside (to show the challenge) with watercolors that let the wood grain show through. Total time less than 3 hours! A very nice science/art project....

The 12 year old gets the science, the 5 year old mostly liked painting it. ;-)

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":6,"text":"I just did a bunch of these as a little project with a couple of 5 and 12 year old girls.
I used pine cut from a 2x4, microwaved the wood blocks individually in a teacup with a half-cup of water and a little plate over it for 1+1 minutes, and used a hand clamp to force the marble in. To push it all the way in (not just flush), I found it easiest to use a socket fitting over the marble as I clamped it. I let them dry for a while, sanded them, and then the girls painted them and extras with the marble outside (to show the challenge) with watercolors that let the wood grain show through. Total time less than 3 hours! A very nice science/art project....
The 12 year old gets the science, the 5 year old mostly liked painting it. ;-)","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|235199766","html":"

Those are awesome! That makes me really happy to see, thanks so much for sharing. I look forward to doing these sorts of things with kids when I become an uncle/father myself.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":7,"text":"Those are awesome! That makes me really happy to see, thanks so much for sharing. I look forward to doing these sorts of things with kids when I become an uncle/father myself.","type":"post","parentId":6},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","images":[{"naturalHeight":130,"width":150,"diffbotUri":"image|3|9216264","url":"https://cdn.instructables.com/FRL/MTLW/HKZAVHZC/FRLMTLWHKZAVHZC.SQUARE2.jpg","naturalWidth":130,"height":150}],"humanLanguage":"en","author":"stechi","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/stechi","diffbotUri":"post|3|-407889266","html":"

Ok, I've done one, what do you think?

Marble 14.8mm, holes 12mm, mahogany (or similar)

Steamed in a vegetable steamer, in the steam, not in the water. I did a test piece for an hour, it went through so easily with a lever press I made and a small socket, so I just heated this one 45mins. I don't think the point is to cook the wood, only to make sure it is heated through, so my next one might be just 15 mins. Finished with a little fine sanding and rubbed in some wax polish. Very happy to have another home-made curiosity, thanks for the idea!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":8,"text":"Ok, I've done one, what do you think?
Marble 14.8mm, holes 12mm, mahogany (or similar)
Steamed in a vegetable steamer, in the steam, not in the water. I did a test piece for an hour, it went through so easily with a lever press I made and a small socket, so I just heated this one 45mins. I don't think the point is to cook the wood, only to make sure it is heated through, so my next one might be just 15 mins. Finished with a little fine sanding and rubbed in some wax polish. Very happy to have another home-made curiosity, thanks for the idea!","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|-521732263","html":"

That is absolutely beautiful! I love the way the edges of the holes are smoothed. How loose is the marble with that ratio? Thanks for sharing!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":9,"text":"That is absolutely beautiful! I love the way the edges of the holes are smoothed. How loose is the marble with that ratio? Thanks for sharing!","type":"post","parentId":8},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"stechi","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/stechi","diffbotUri":"post|3|-562606840","html":"

Glad you like it! The edges of the holes were going to be chamfered but on the first one my lousy drill chattered, so I sanded them by hand (thumb) and gave them a more rounded edge. The marble can move about 2mm each way so it rattles a bit, and you can tell it really is a marble and see it is impossibly trapped. I'll see if I can find out how to vote for you.....

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":10,"text":"Glad you like it! The edges of the holes were going to be chamfered but on the first one my lousy drill chattered, so I sanded them by hand (thumb) and gave them a more rounded edge. The marble can move about 2mm each way so it rattles a bit, and you can tell it really is a marble and see it is impossibly trapped. I'll see if I can find out how to vote for you.....","type":"post","parentId":8},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"poofrabbit","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/poofrabbit","diffbotUri":"post|3|873597542","html":"

Hey congratulations on being a finalist in the weekend projects contest! I really love this. Not only do I want to make one (I'm hunting for a really wicked marble) but I am going to see if we can't do this as a project for the boys next year at the camp I work for. Good luck and again gratz!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":11,"text":"Hey congratulations on being a finalist in the weekend projects contest! I really love this. Not only do I want to make one (I'm hunting for a really wicked marble) but I am going to see if we can't do this as a project for the boys next year at the camp I work for. Good luck and again gratz!","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|972994633","html":"

Oh wow, thanks! I hadn't realized that I was a finalist. I'm glad so many have enjoyed my instructable. It's really wonderful to think that I'll have helped/inspired people to have fun with woodworking. Good luck finding that marble!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":12,"text":"Oh wow, thanks! I hadn't realized that I was a finalist. I'm glad so many have enjoyed my instructable. It's really wonderful to think that I'll have helped/inspired people to have fun with woodworking. Good luck finding that marble!","type":"post","parentId":11},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"fretted","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/fretted","diffbotUri":"post|3|1588814799","html":"

Stain it before you boil it 3 or 4 good coats of stain will hold up to a boiling then your stained all the way through ! make sure you let the stain dry completely before boiling !

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":13,"text":"Stain it before you boil it 3 or 4 good coats of stain will hold up to a boiling then your stained all the way through ! make sure you let the stain dry completely before boiling !","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"stayputnik","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/stayputnik","diffbotUri":"post|3|-333464314","html":"

Great job! Here's a suggestion for the press-in tool the next time you do this... try using the socket from the socket wrench instead of the block. It's nice and hard, will fit into the hole if you pick one small enough, and already has a hole in the end for stabilizing the marble. Cool project... thanks for posting it!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":14,"text":"Great job! Here's a suggestion for the press-in tool the next time you do this... try using the socket from the socket wrench instead of the block. It's nice and hard, will fit into the hole if you pick one small enough, and already has a hole in the end for stabilizing the marble. Cool project... thanks for posting it!","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"woodpuppy","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/woodpuppy","diffbotUri":"post|3|415848655","html":"

Neat! Here in Germany you can buy a powder for dying wood to any color you like. Mix it with water and throw the cube into the mix. The water Perls off the glass marble! After drying time of the cube and any thing is on the marble just shake the cube under running water. Then use some tung-oil to finish and or polish the cube.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":15,"text":"Neat! Here in Germany you can buy a powder for dying wood to any color you like. Mix it with water and throw the cube into the mix. The water Perls off the glass marble! After drying time of the cube and any thing is on the marble just shake the cube under running water. Then use some tung-oil to finish and or polish the cube.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","images":[{"naturalHeight":130,"width":150,"diffbotUri":"image|3|82793874","url":"https://cdn.instructables.com/FNI/LBO7/HKUCZDXF/FNILBO7HKUCZDXF.SQUARE2.jpg","naturalWidth":130,"height":150}],"humanLanguage":"en","author":"petercd","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/petercd","diffbotUri":"post|3|1080181747","html":"

I used the kettle to boil the water, popped the cube inside and then just put it out of the way to soak for 3 hours.

A glass sitting on top of the cube holds it under the water line.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":16,"text":"I used the kettle to boil the water, popped the cube inside and then just put it out of the way to soak for 3 hours.
A glass sitting on top of the cube holds it under the water line.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"jujubee31","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/jujubee31","diffbotUri":"post|3|808086203","html":"

Are there any other tools you can use for this besides the ones listed I find havs those exact ones

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":17,"text":"Are there any other tools you can use for this besides the ones listed I find havs those exact ones","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"smoak","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/smoak","diffbotUri":"post|3|2062945406","html":"

Love it, adding this to my long list of "projects to do"

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":18,"text":"Love it, adding this to my long list of "projects to do"","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"NightHawkInLight","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/NightHawkInLight","diffbotUri":"post|3|1266001373","html":"

I figured you would split the wood along the grain then glue it back together with the marble inside for an invisible seam. Interesting.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":19,"text":"I figured you would split the wood along the grain then glue it back together with the marble inside for an invisible seam. Interesting.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"cfs0527","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/cfs0527","diffbotUri":"post|3|-167997228","html":"

That could be done. It is possible to make a glue line disappear.

Now I know what to do with all the marbles I cut out of old spray paint cans...

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":20,"text":"That could be done. It is possible to make a glue line disappear.
Now I know what to do with all the marbles I cut out of old spray paint cans...","type":"post","parentId":19},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"jujubee31","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/jujubee31","diffbotUri":"post|3|436301831","html":"

I voted and faved u

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":21,"text":"I voted and faved u","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"obviousgenius","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/obviousgenius","diffbotUri":"post|3|1981638919","html":"

I'm going to do this. I just looked at the pics, because it's real early in the morning and the kids are getting up for school, but this reminds me of the ending of Men In Black 1 when looking back at earth from one of the infinite possible creators perspective. I shall have one of these. Beautifully done.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":22,"text":"I'm going to do this. I just looked at the pics, because it's real early in the morning and the kids are getting up for school, but this reminds me of the ending of Men In Black 1 when looking back at earth from one of the infinite possible creators perspective. I shall have one of these. Beautifully done.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"throbscottle","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/throbscottle","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1661926673","html":"

Nice - should produce some head scratching!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":23,"text":"Nice - should produce some head scratching!","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"bLiTzJoN","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/bLiTzJoN","diffbotUri":"post|3|-926983775","html":"

I'm going to do 10 min on the stove with an inverted vegetable steamer with a rock on it to keep it submerged. I've done the tooth'n'nail project but only one end of the block was submerged. That was for a Christmas present for my Grandfather who loves to do woodworking projects. I do believe I have found a project for this upcoming Christmas. Thanks!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":24,"text":"I'm going to do 10 min on the stove with an inverted vegetable steamer with a rock on it to keep it submerged. I've done the tooth'n'nail project but only one end of the block was submerged. That was for a Christmas present for my Grandfather who loves to do woodworking projects. I do believe I have found a project for this upcoming Christmas. Thanks!","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"unclmike","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/unclmike","diffbotUri":"post|3|1538915762","html":"

Good job. Next time (if there is one) toss a tea bag or two into the water when you boil the wood and it should stain the cube nicely. You could also use a bit of food coloring to get a different look.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":25,"text":"Good job. Next time (if there is one) toss a tea bag or two into the water when you boil the wood and it should stain the cube nicely. You could also use a bit of food coloring to get a different look.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|-759718202","html":"

Cool idea! I'll be sure to throw some tea in with my next boiled-wood project. I wonder if that would give a lasting odor as well?

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":26,"text":"Cool idea! I'll be sure to throw some tea in with my next boiled-wood project. I wonder if that would give a lasting odor as well?","type":"post","parentId":25},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Spokehedz","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/Spokehedz","diffbotUri":"post|3|268917975","html":"

Mother Blanking Genius.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":27,"text":"Mother Blanking Genius.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Makedo","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/Makedo","diffbotUri":"post|3|1094110764","html":"

You can use a vegetable steamer to warm up the cube. If you soak the wood you will loose the natural oils. use linseed oil to help prevent cracking afterwards. I wonder if boiling it in oil would work? In most cases of heating the wood by steam you only have about 45 seconds tops to do what you need before you have to reheat. I recommend heating the wood next to the vise and do not allow the cold vise to touch the project. even a wooden vise needs to have some warmth.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":28,"text":"You can use a vegetable steamer to warm up the cube. If you soak the wood you will loose the natural oils. use linseed oil to help prevent cracking afterwards. I wonder if boiling it in oil would work? In most cases of heating the wood by steam you only have about 45 seconds tops to do what you need before you have to reheat. I recommend heating the wood next to the vise and do not allow the cold vise to touch the project. even a wooden vise needs to have some warmth.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"probablepossible","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/probablepossible","diffbotUri":"post|3|-538125742","html":"

You want to use H2O because it softens the fibers. Oil is not a solvent for the cellulose...

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":29,"text":"You want to use H2O because it softens the fibers. Oil is not a solvent for the cellulose...","type":"post","parentId":28},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"stechi","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/stechi","diffbotUri":"post|3|265981190","html":"

Lovely idea, I hope to try this!

It would be great if people would mention the results they got with different woods and different processes e.g. boiling or soaking, water or oil.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":30,"text":"Lovely idea, I hope to try this!
It would be great if people would mention the results they got with different woods and different processes e.g. boiling or soaking, water or oil.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"claudg1950","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/claudg1950","diffbotUri":"post|3|1903186430","html":"

Great job.

It should be easier if you do all the inner sanding before putting the ball in.

I would see if I may use one of those spherical grinding stones --the type that you attach to a hand drill-- to navigate inside the central hole, and expand it.

Well done anyway

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":31,"text":"Great job.
It should be easier if you do all the inner sanding before putting the ball in.
I would see if I may use one of those spherical grinding stones --the type that you attach to a hand drill-- to navigate inside the central hole, and expand it.
Well done anyway","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|-257425730","html":"

Ah, great idea! I don't think I have one of those, but it sounds like it would work quite well.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":32,"text":"Ah, great idea! I don't think I have one of those, but it sounds like it would work quite well.","type":"post","parentId":31},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Oscelot","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/Oscelot","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1727098385","html":"

I'm so tempted to do this inside a sphere to make a cat toy.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":33,"text":"I'm so tempted to do this inside a sphere to make a cat toy.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"patbking","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/patbking","diffbotUri":"post|3|93490622","html":"

I am going to make it

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":34,"text":"I am going to make it","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"blomeclown","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/blomeclown","diffbotUri":"post|3|289911785","html":"

That's so neat. I'll have to get my woodworking tools out of storage and try it.

You had some questions about the finish. Have you considered a "burnt wood finish"?

Do a Google search--there's a few YouTube videos demonstrating how it's done.

The nice thing about this technique is that you can vary the color by controlling how much initial charring you get and, if it's too dark, by a little extra sanding. It also lends itself well to a Danish oil finish that eliminates the drips common with varnish or poly on a small piece.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":35,"text":"That's so neat. I'll have to get my woodworking tools out of storage and try it.
You had some questions about the finish. Have you considered a "burnt wood finish"?
Do a Google search--there's a few YouTube videos demonstrating how it's done.
The nice thing about this technique is that you can vary the color by controlling how much initial charring you get and, if it's too dark, by a little extra sanding. It also lends itself well to a Danish oil finish that eliminates the drips common with varnish or poly on a small piece.","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Bill WW","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/Bill%20WW","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1399556446","html":"

Fantastic! I'll do this for sure, thank you.

All I need is the marble. I have plenty of wood species to try, hope they work as well as yours did!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":36,"text":"Fantastic! I'll do this for sure, thank you.
All I need is the marble. I have plenty of wood species to try, hope they work as well as yours did!","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|1724909184","html":"

Awesome! I'd love to see what you come up with. I tried the 'impossible nail' trick with what I believe was some cherry a while back. It did compress after boiling, but not as much as a softer wood would. You can probably just go for a higher bit-to-marble ratio to make the insertion easier on denser species.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":37,"text":"Awesome! I'd love to see what you come up with. I tried the 'impossible nail' trick with what I believe was some cherry a while back. It did compress after boiling, but not as much as a softer wood would. You can probably just go for a higher bit-to-marble ratio to make the insertion easier on denser species.","type":"post","parentId":36},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","images":[{"naturalHeight":130,"width":150,"diffbotUri":"image|3|-453648934","url":"https://cdn.instructables.com/FW9/MNQL/HKM8LLRJ/FW9MNQLHKM8LLRJ.SQUARE2.jpg","naturalWidth":130,"height":150}],"humanLanguage":"en","author":"Bill WW","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/Bill%20WW","diffbotUri":"post|3|1765213099","html":"

After thinking it over, I recognized the challenges of using a denser hardwood. Will have to soak and/or boil the wood longer, for one. Also, my hardwoods are all boards of less the 1" thick (duh!). I'm looking forward to visiting my local supplier and asking for a 6 inch long piece cut off a 2" thick oak board!

I made a Scrabble board and box very similar to the game box you built.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":38,"text":"After thinking it over, I recognized the challenges of using a denser hardwood. Will have to soak and/or boil the wood longer, for one. Also, my hardwoods are all boards of less the 1" thick (duh!). I'm looking forward to visiting my local supplier and asking for a 6 inch long piece cut off a 2" thick oak board!
I made a Scrabble board and box very similar to the game box you built.","type":"post","parentId":36},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|-292914733","html":"

Wow, that's fantastic! Can I ask how you managed the letters? I partly chose colors for my sudoku to avoid my fear of trying to draw so many numbers nicely. I also like the colorful top on yours, is it printed or painted? Beautifully done!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":39,"text":"Wow, that's fantastic! Can I ask how you managed the letters? I partly chose colors for my sudoku to avoid my fear of trying to draw so many numbers nicely. I also like the colorful top on yours, is it printed or painted? Beautifully done!","type":"post","parentId":36},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Bill WW","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/Bill%20WW","diffbotUri":"post|3|719139113","html":"

Time for the confessions:

I just used

a complete set of numbers from an old Scrabble game. For the top, I photocopied a commercial game board, in two sections, then used spray adhesive to glue them to a 1/4" plywood panel. Takes some experimenting to get everything to line up. And then sandwiched between two 3/4" plywood sheets and clamped. The other side of the top is oak veneer; so the top is reversible.

But I have thought of making a smaller travel size Scrabble, with small letter tiles. Have a few ideas, but have not made anything yet. I did make a folding board that is then 1/2 size.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":40,"text":"Time for the confessions:
I just used a complete set of numbers from an old Scrabble game. For the top, I photocopied a commercial game board, in two sections, then used spray adhesive to glue them to a 1/4" plywood panel. Takes some experimenting to get everything to line up. And then sandwiched between two 3/4" plywood sheets and clamped. The other side of the top is oak veneer; so the top is reversible.
But I have thought of making a smaller travel size Scrabble, with small letter tiles. Have a few ideas, but have not made anything yet. I did make a folding board that is then 1/2 size.","type":"post","parentId":36},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1036309941","html":"

Ah, I see! Nothing wrong with recycling. I see Steve Ramsey using spray adhesive all of the time as well, maybe I should invest in some one of these days.

A travel-sized one would be great, especially if there was some mechanism to secure the pieces. A ton of little dividers, or maybe some pegs? Things quickly become painstaking when you're dealing with dozens of tiles, though. The laser cutter was invaluable for my sudoku board.

Thanks for sharing your project!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":41,"text":"Ah, I see! Nothing wrong with recycling. I see Steve Ramsey using spray adhesive all of the time as well, maybe I should invest in some one of these days.
A travel-sized one would be great, especially if there was some mechanism to secure the pieces. A ton of little dividers, or maybe some pegs? Things quickly become painstaking when you're dealing with dozens of tiles, though. The laser cutter was invaluable for my sudoku board.
Thanks for sharing your project!","type":"post","parentId":36},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"poofrabbit","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/poofrabbit","diffbotUri":"post|3|1620975734","html":"

"Okay, so you should have done some prep work before boiling the wood. I'm just going to assume you're not following this step-by-step without reading through the whole thing first."

LOVED this line! Great instructable!

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":42,"text":""Okay, so you should have done some prep work before boiling the wood. I'm just going to assume you're not following this step-by-step without reading through the whole thing first."
LOVED this line! Great instructable!","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Bobmonkey07","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/Bobmonkey07","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1328661649","html":"

How well do you think this could work with different sizes/numbers of holes on other sides? Like a six sided die?

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":43,"text":"How well do you think this could work with different sizes/numbers of holes on other sides? Like a six sided die?","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|392394293","html":"

I'm not sure what you mean about the die - like drilling holes for all of the spots?

The marble needs three intersecting holes to be able to fit in the center. You could do a different shape with more or less channels, and your marble would just have to be smaller. I could imagine a pyramid or icosahedron being cool.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":44,"text":"I'm not sure what you mean about the die - like drilling holes for all of the spots?
The marble needs three intersecting holes to be able to fit in the center. You could do a different shape with more or less channels, and your marble would just have to be smaller. I could imagine a pyramid or icosahedron being cool.","type":"post","parentId":43},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Bobmonkey07","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/Bobmonkey07","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1895550784","html":"

so since the sides for 1,3, and 5 all have centered holes, it might work?

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":45,"text":"so since the sides for 1,3, and 5 all have centered holes, it might work?","type":"post","parentId":43},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"thegnome54","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/thegnome54","diffbotUri":"post|3|454443475","html":"

That's a great point! I hadn't realized. Yes, since those are all on different axes it would work. You'd just have to drill a little bit past the center on those three holes to produce the needed cavity for the marble. I'd love to see this.

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":46,"text":"That's a great point! I hadn't realized. Yes, since those are all on different axes it would work. You'd just have to drill a little bit past the center on those three holes to produce the needed cavity for the marble. I'd love to see this.","type":"post","parentId":43},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Nekolove02","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/Nekolove02","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1129767266","html":"

Kewl

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":47,"text":"Kewl","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"lewisb42","authorUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/member/lewisb42","diffbotUri":"post|3|-96334313","html":"

Very cool. Puts me in mind of this trick: http://laughingsquid.com/how-to-make-the-impossible-nail-through-wood-trick/

","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","id":48,"text":"Very cool. Puts me in mind of this trick: http://laughingsquid.com/how-to-make-the-impossible-nail-through-wood-trick/","type":"post","parentId":0}],"tags":[{"score":0.81,"count":3,"label":"Cube","uri":"http://dbpedia.org/resource/Cube"},{"score":0.58,"count":1,"label":"Marble","uri":"http://dbpedia.org/resource/Marble","rdfTypes":["http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#Thing"]}],"participants":32},"type":"article","title":"Impossible Marble in Truncated Cube","tags":[{"score":0.78,"count":5,"label":"Cube","uri":"http://dbpedia.org/resource/Cube"},{"score":0.73,"count":6,"label":"Marble","uri":"http://dbpedia.org/resource/Marble","rdfTypes":["http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#Thing"]},{"score":0.66,"count":5,"label":"Drill","uri":"http://dbpedia.org/resource/Drill"},{"score":0.61,"count":2,"label":"Woodworking","uri":"http://dbpedia.org/resource/Woodworking","rdfTypes":["http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#Thing"]},{"score":0.5,"count":2,"label":"Table saw","uri":"http://dbpedia.org/resource/Table_saw"}],"numPages":6,"humanLanguage":"en","pageUrl":"http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/","html":"

This project was inspired by a youtube video. I came up with the shape and the method to cut and stain it. This turned out to involve more interesting math and woodworking problems than I had expected!

If you want to make one yourself, you will need:

• Wood (preferably a soft wood like pine)
• A nice marble

• Woodworking machinery (drill press, table saw, bandsaw)
• A good vice
• A way to boil water

• Optionally, sanding and finishing supplies

Step 1: Cut A Cube And Drill Holes

Cut yourself a cube. I did this with a table saw sled and a stopper block. Once you have the distance you want set, you can simply rotate the wood around until you've cut it down to the right size on all three axes.

For the holes you'll again want to set up some stopper blocks. Find the center of one side of the cube and center it perfectly under your drill press, then fix two pieces of wood to form a corner that you can true it up against. Now drill through from all sides. It might be best to go through each side rather than through the entire cube in order to minimize any tear-out.

The big question here is what size the drill bit should be. There's some fun geometry involved that you can read about in my blog entry about this project here, but all you really need to know is that the drill needs to be at least 71%, or [1/sqrt(2)] the diameter of the marble. This is the size ratio at which the marble will be touching the corners of the intersecting tubes. If you want your marble to rattle around a bit, try something like 80-90% of the marble's diameter. I went with 73% because I didn't have any bigger drill bits on hand. My marble can be rotated, but doesn't rattle.

You can finish the cube however you'd like - round the edges, cut some chamfers, etc. I didn't want to break out the router so I decided to try truncating the cube. This turned out to be quite tricky, but I managed it in the end.

I first marked the cut lines by creating an octagonal template the size of the cube's sides and tracing it on each face. I then made a sled to secure the cube at a 45 degree angle from the table. Setting the cube in this sled brings four of its corners into the appropriate vertical plane needed for cutting them off with a bandsaw. Once everything was in place, I just freehand cut along the template lines, rotating the cube to bring each corner into position.

Some quick sanding, and we have the final shape!

Step 3: Boil The Cube

There seem to be several different methodologies for this sort of thing. Some people submerge the wood for a day or more, in cold or hot water. I prefer the faster method of microwaving. I simply put the cube into a mug, covered with water and held down with a rock (you probably shouldn't microwave rocks, but that's all I had on hand. Rocks may explode in the microwave if they contain moisture. Try wedging another piece of wood in to hold it down or something). I then microwaved it until the water was boiling, and boiled for something like three 30-second sessions. The water boiled over aggressively around the wood. Just refill if you lose too much.

I don't have a picture of the actual boiling, but you can see the resulting 'tea' and the rock I used as a weight.

Step 4: Quick, press it in!

Okay, so you should have done some prep work before boiling the wood. I'm just going to assume you're not following this step-by-step without reading through the whole thing first.

Open your vice large enough to fit the cube, some padding, and another scrap piece of wood as a press block. Drill a hole partway into that scrap piece to hold the marble in place. Once the wood is done being boiled, you'll run over to the vice and secure the wood between the padding (I just used a paper towel) and the presser block, with the marble sandwiched in between. The youtube video that inspired this suggested coating the marble in oil, but I didn't do that and it didn't appear to be necessary.

Make sure that you are pressing the marble through a hole on the END GRAIN side of the cube. This will minimize the chances of your cube splitting from the stress.

Carefully apply pressure with the vice until the marble goes into the cube! My marble wasn't entirely in yet when the cube and press block made contact, so I had to remove the cube from the vice and press the marble the rest of the way in with a nearby socket wrench. You'll probably want to have something like that nearby in case the same thing happens to you, or engineer some better way of pressing the marble with the vice. The youtube guy used a piece of PVC instead of a presser block. If you can find a hard tube small enough to fit through the drill holes, that would be perfect.

Step 5: Dry and Sand

You'll want to let the wood dry for a few days afterwards. Try to let it dry slowly to minimize chances of cracking - don't speed up the process with a fan or a heat gun or anything.

The wood will have a little bit of a disheveled appearance after the boiling, even if it was smooth to begin with. You can just sand it down and then finish it like any other piece of wood once it's dry. If you want to sand the inside edges to loosen the marble a bit or tidy up, you can floss a thin strip of sandpaper in through there to remove material. I was able to get my marble to rattle a bit with this method. I also wrapped the end of a steel rod in a sandpaper strip and used that to smooth the insides of the holes a bit.

I'm adding this extra step to the instructable after writing up the rest of it yesterday because today my piece was dry enough to sand and stain. Rather than give you instructions, I'm asking for some advice!

I went with a dark walnut stain as several recommended, and I like the way it looks with the color of the marble and how it brings out the grain a bit. The problem is, I'm not sure how to deal with the holes! For now, I've simply gone around them carefully and left them completely untreated. I'm okay with this look, but I think it would be a bit nicer to have them stained as well.

*Edit 2*

I solved the problem! My solution was to use plastic wrap to envelop the marble and protect it from the stain. It was tough to get into position, but once there it worked like a charm!

When you try to get the wrap to go all of the way around the marble, it tends to bind to itself and possibly tear. The method that finally worked for me was as follows: cut a square of plastic wrap (maybe 5" to a side) and twist/roll all four corners. Now you should have a flat section with four sturdy little 'ropes'. Choose a hole and insert these ropes one-by-one, bringing them out of each of the four adjacent holes. You can use tweezers to help pull them through. There is a photo of this step above.

You can then thread the ropes back through their holes and out of the bottom one. Now you have all four coming out of one hole (the opposite of the one you originally inserted them into), and you can pull on them and fiddle with tweezers until the flat part of the plastic wrap is totally protecting the marble. Twist the ropes together into one strand and you've captured your marble!

Now you can just use a paintbrush or Q-tip to daub stain inside of each of the holes. Wait until it's thoroughly dry to pull the plastic out! All of the wood should now be nicely stained, with the marble remaining flawless.

Enjoy your new conversation-starter/desk toy! I find that the shape is quite fun to fiddle with. Thanks for reading, and be sure to send me pictures if you make one yourself!

Original article and pictures take http://www.instructables.com/id/Impossible-Marble-in-Truncated-Cube/ site