# Ball Bearing Clock?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-bearing-clock/297809
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 5, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-bearing-clock/297809 "2005-04-05T06:48:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wrenchslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenchslinger)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-bearing-clock/297809/1 "2005-04-05T06:48:23Z")
So like about 20 years ago when I was kid I remember seeing this really neat clock in someone’s house once. It was basically a huge track assembly with ball bearings that would roll down the track and tell time. Seconds, minutes, and hours were all counted by the number of balls positioned on a rack, and when a rack filled up it would tip and dump it’s load onto the next section of track. The whole thing probably fit inside a 10 gallon aquarium tank. It was reminiscent of the kinetic sculptures found in the Port Authority Bus Terminal here in NYC or in children’s museums all over the place.
Does anyone out there reckognize what I’m describing? And if so do you know how I can get my hands on the plans to build one?
Thanks
W
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-bearing-clock/297809/2 "2005-04-05T07:17:41Z")
Here’s a fairly standard 70’s style [Ball Bearing Clock.](http://www.sciencekit.com/product.asp_Q_c_E_533445_A_pn_E_3082445)
Here’s a [Meccano Ball Bearing Clock.](http://edwards.web.users.btopenworld.com/ballbearingclock.htm)
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### Author:  [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2005, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-bearing-clock/297809/3 "2005-04-05T12:25:21Z")
You don’t have to build it. There is a new one in my living room, my BIL got it for Ogmas. Do a search for a “Time Machine”.
Unclviny
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-bearing-clock/297809/4 "2005-04-05T15:18:22Z")
I’ve also seen a clock that told time with water (dyed bright green) flowing through glass pipes. A pendulum would release a small amount of water with each swing, and as certain containers would fill and overflow, that would trigger a siphon (I never did figure this part out exactly) that would release water into other tubes to track hours and minutes.
Wouldn’t fit in a 10-gallon aquarium, though.
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### Author:  [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-bearing-clock/297809/5 "2005-04-05T15:25:53Z")
I used to have one of these. It lasted in our house about two weeks before my wife (with my agreement) insisted that we get rid of it. The noise of those stupid steel marbles running down the track every 60 seconds is truly annoying.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-bearing-clock/297809/6 "2005-04-05T16:06:54Z")
Even worse was the din at 1:00 when Every. Single. Ball. Dumped. Through. The. Mechanism.
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### Author:  [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-bearing-clock/297809/7 "2005-04-05T16:23:27Z")
> [@](#):
>
> . . . at 1:00 when Every. Single. Ball. Dumped. Through. The. Mechanism.
So, you’re saying that it would make a great gift.