Scioly.org

Hi,

Can anyone list some special sites or stores that have good materials to use as inputs to make simple machines to use in the Rube Goldberg device? The devices cannot have any electrical components. They can be wood, plastic etc...

The usual ones are Amazon, Home Depot, Lowes, Michaels. Are there any other stores with things like wind up toys, gears etc...?

Our team has had some luck with toys. See what the kids have lying around. Something like a marble roller-coaster set or knex etc; they're fairly common among the sciO set, and the fact that they're pre-fab and assemble easily will save tons of time.

Getting some 2x4s and pegboard to make a box is a good place to start. Bolts and nuts and brackets of all shapes and sizes are available at any hardware store. Once the infrastructure gets built it's easier to tinker with components.

There's something about the event that will have you looking at every day objects in a whole new light. Getting the right materials will always be at the heart of the challenge. Good luck!

McMaster carr is my go-to