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How to Build a Marble Sorter

There are two main types of marble sorter: enclosed cylinders with decreasing diameter holes, and chute-style sorters. The cylinders are shaken until the various sizes of marble settle to the correct levels and into the hollows. Chute style sorters can have long, angled runs, pegs or catch cups.

Pachinko machines are vertical marble sorters. Marbles, large silver ball bearings or colorful wooden or plastic disks are fed into slots at the top. The marbles hit various pegs and catch cups on their way to the bottom. The goal is for the marbles to settle into the correct slot or catch cup, so that the player can win a prize. The game uses both luck and skill, as choosing the correct initial position from which to drop the marble can affect the outcome.

Things You'll Need

Two sheets of 1/8" thick, 2' x 3' clear, plastic laminate
Two sheets of 1/8" thick, 2" wide x 3' long clear, plastic laminate
One sheet of 1/8" thick, 2" wide x 2' long clear, plastic laminate
Clear silicone aquarium adhesive
2" long, 1/4 in diameter clear, plastic pegs
2" deep, 2" diameter clear plastic napkin rings
Miter box and back saw
1" diameter ball bearings or shooter marbles
6" wide, 30" long by 2" thick sheet of hardwood for the sorter base
Five-minute epoxy
Power drill, 1/8" drill bit,
2 Molly bolts

Instructions

- 1
  Lay one of the 2' x 3' sheets of clear, plastic laminate on a craft table or work bench. Use clear silicone adhesive to attach the 2" wide, 3' long strips of clear adhesive to one of the 2' x 3' sheets of clear plastic laminate to make the sides of a box. Attach the 2" wide, 2' long strip along one of the short edges to form a three-sided, shallow box with no top. The box will eventually be vertical. The 2' x 3' plastic sheets will be the front and back of a Pachinko machine marble sorter.
- 2
  Position four of the 2" long, 1/4" diameter clear plastic pegs every four inches across the open edge of what will eventually be the top of the Pachinko marble sorter. Attach them with clear, five-minute epoxy.
- 3
  Position additional pegs at random, from top to bottom, securing each in place with clear, five-minute epoxy. Keep the pegs 12" apart in all directions.
- 4
  Use a miter box and back saw to cut the clear, plastic napkin rings into half-moon shapes. Position these cups 6" apart from one another and from the pegs you placed in Step 2, with the open side facing what will eventually be the top of the marble sorter. Use clear, five-minute epoxy to attach each cup to the marble sorter.
- 5
  
  Attach the remaining 2' by 3' sheet of clear, plastic laminate to finish the box. Allow the box to dry for 24 hours. Stand the marble sorter on its 2' wide bottom. Use clear, five-minute epoxy to attach the wooden base to the marble sorter box unit. If desired, use a power drill and 1/8" drill bit to make holes through the base and into the box unit, and screw the base to the unit using molly bolts. The Pachinko machine in the photo that accompanies this step is a vintage, 1970s machine. It is intended as an example only.

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