Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This machine is the final form in the evolution of the billiard ball chain. It's a chain reaction that builds a billiard ball chain as it goes, and ends by reacting the entire table-sized billiard ball chain that weaves in and out and around the machine that surrounds it.
Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98
LINKS:
8 Ball Machine - Extras: youtu.be/RQglMkw4kbU
Making Connections episode: youtu.be/feOJaWtaIeY
I never planned to build a machine during my stay in Brooklyn, but when my field study got cut short because of COVID-19, and I still had 3 months left at my Airbnb, I figured I should make the most of my time and build a machine premise that I was excited about. I was inspired by the community's recent excitement around billiard ball chains over the past few years, so I feel like now is the perfect time to take the concept to the extreme.
I knew very early on, before I even glued anything to the table, that this machine would be stylistically different than anything I've tried before. (I'm realizing that deviating from my "normal style" in some way is actually the norm for me...) I challenged myself to follow 3 rules as strictly as possible, each of which was something I had never really tried before. These rules made me take unusual approaches to the problems I faced, which results in the aesthetic and tonal departure from my traditional machine style. The rules are written below, but for more detail and explanation, watch the Extras video! (linked above)
Rule 1: Each billiard ball has its own discrete section, and those sections never cross over the main billiard ball chain path.
Rule 2: Each trick should be more or less "self-powered," requiring as few external connections (other balls on tracks, string pulls, lever releases) as possible.
Rule 3: No weights can fall off the table, including the traditional "domino & string" connection
MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 3 months
Number of fails: 165
Time: 1:16
Favorite tricks: Jacob's ladder zigzag boards (Striped Yellow), Falling tube/sliding track (Solid Orange), Rubber band & Kapla tracks (Solid Blue)
Most fails: Jacob's ladder zigzag boards (Striped Yellow) - 55 fails - but mostly because it's early in the machine; the trick was actually extremely reliable
Most unreliable: Rolling disc (Striped Purple)
Most frustrating: Elevator & sliding cart (Striped Green) This trick was inconsistent and required constant calibration, it was incredibly tough to diagnose (I could never tell exactly WHY it was failing, or behaving differently than usual), it was so much more work to build than I expected, it was fragile and broke into pieces twice, and it was pretty unreliable. (Worth the effort though!)
While testing, I started to develop the hunch that the machine was more likely to fail due to vibrations causing something to go early or due to the balls not staying in their holding cells than it was to fail due to any of the actual tricks not working. I was curious, so I investigated. Here's the breakdown:
168 machine fails in total
-76 fails where the camera doesn't shift focus properly at the beginning, or I accidentally tap the cue ball on one of the "practice" shots before shooting for real (not included in the final fail count)
-23 fails where I mess up the initial pool shot to start the machine
-17 reset fails
-41 holding cell escapes
-19 early vibration triggers
-68 "actual" fails
Turns out I was just about right; 41+19=60 holding cell or vibration fails vs. 65 "actual" fails. And in the process of figuring this out, I did an entire fail analysis, which you can find here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q0K1WO62hOr3B3udgDt0Zu_6lvV3gGt_xVtrlmtsrIE/edit?usp=sharing
MUSIC:
Dalar Coin - Tokens
youtu.be/pMysj7KTL2A
Listen: lnk.to/dalarcointokens
Follow Dalar Coin:
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCILQdON2CA10gpdEnFN5nfg
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/dalarcoin-official
Instagram: instagram.com/dalarcoinofficial
Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K
I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.
This machine is the final form in the evolution of the billiard ball chain. It's a chain reaction that builds a billiard ball chain as it goes, and ends by reacting the entire table-sized billiard ball chain that weaves in and out and around the machine that surrounds it.
Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98
LINKS:
8 Ball Machine - Extras: youtu.be/RQglMkw4kbU
Making Connections episode: youtu.be/feOJaWtaIeY
I never planned to build a machine during my stay in Brooklyn, but when my field study got cut short because of COVID-19, and I still had 3 months left at my Airbnb, I figured I should make the most of my time and build a machine premise that I was excited about. I was inspired by the community's recent excitement around billiard ball chains over the past few years, so I feel like now is the perfect time to take the concept to the extreme.
I knew very early on, before I even glued anything to the table, that this machine would be stylistically different than anything I've tried before. (I'm realizing that deviating from my "normal style" in some way is actually the norm for me...) I challenged myself to follow 3 rules as strictly as possible, each of which was something I had never really tried before. These rules made me take unusual approaches to the problems I faced, which results in the aesthetic and tonal departure from my traditional machine style. The rules are written below, but for more detail and explanation, watch the Extras video! (linked above)
Rule 1: Each billiard ball has its own discrete section, and those sections never cross over the main billiard ball chain path.
Rule 2: Each trick should be more or less "self-powered," requiring as few external connections (other balls on tracks, string pulls, lever releases) as possible.
Rule 3: No weights can fall off the table, including the traditional "domino & string" connection
MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 3 months
Number of fails: 165
Time: 1:16
Favorite tricks: Jacob's ladder zigzag boards (Striped Yellow), Falling tube/sliding track (Solid Orange), Rubber band & Kapla tracks (Solid Blue)
Most fails: Jacob's ladder zigzag boards (Striped Yellow) - 55 fails - but mostly because it's early in the machine; the trick was actually extremely reliable
Most unreliable: Rolling disc (Striped Purple)
Most frustrating: Elevator & sliding cart (Striped Green) This trick was inconsistent and required constant calibration, it was incredibly tough to diagnose (I could never tell exactly WHY it was failing, or behaving differently than usual), it was so much more work to build than I expected, it was fragile and broke into pieces twice, and it was pretty unreliable. (Worth the effort though!)
While testing, I started to develop the hunch that the machine was more likely to fail due to vibrations causing something to go early or due to the balls not staying in their holding cells than it was to fail due to any of the actual tricks not working. I was curious, so I investigated. Here's the breakdown:
168 machine fails in total
-76 fails where the camera doesn't shift focus properly at the beginning, or I accidentally tap the cue ball on one of the "practice" shots before shooting for real (not included in the final fail count)
-23 fails where I mess up the initial pool shot to start the machine
-17 reset fails
-41 holding cell escapes
-19 early vibration triggers
-68 "actual" fails
Turns out I was just about right; 41+19=60 holding cell or vibration fails vs. 65 "actual" fails. And in the process of figuring this out, I did an entire fail analysis, which you can find here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q0K1WO62hOr3B3udgDt0Zu_6lvV3gGt_xVtrlmtsrIE/edit?usp=sharing
MUSIC:
Dalar Coin - Tokens
youtu.be/pMysj7KTL2A
Listen: lnk.to/dalarcointokens
Follow Dalar Coin:
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCILQdON2CA10gpdEnFN5nfg
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/dalarcoin-official
Instagram: instagram.com/dalarcoinofficial
Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K
I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.
