Stone balancing is the process whereby a series of oddly shaped rocks are balanced on each other to create a stable structure that look totally impossible to construct. The process requires hours of infinite patience and completely steady hands. (see link) For many people it's simply an impossible task, but The Stones Of Perfect Stability Kit solves this problem.
Each kit comprises of a choice of rock types, shapes, weights, colours and sizes, meaning the potential to create a totally individual outcome from 3 to 5 stones is substanial given the large number of permutations.
The stones all have two points on them. From one point, a tiny spike protrudes. The other diametrically opposite point features a miniature hole into which the spike from another stone can be inserted.
Regardless of what stones are chosen, and what order they are placed on top of each other, a stable structure can be created with minimal effort because of the accuracy of the mark positioning. Each kit also contains a "capping off stone" that has no hole on its top side which would otherwise mar the effect.
When complete, the owner can choose to make the arrangement more permanent by placing it under the protection of a glass case for display, or return the stones to their storage container for a future session, similar to the assembly of a jigsaw puzzle.
(before you know who points out the children's wooden balancing toy..... I am aware of it. It's totally different, mass produced and not made of real rocks that are completely individual and therefore unique.-- xenzag, Oct 08 2020 Balancing stones https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UqU19dR0bFE [xenzag, Oct 08 2020] the 3 states of matter https://sodabred.tu...zag-8102020-you-can [xenzag, Oct 08 2020] Salt, Potato, Plastic https://sodabred.tu...zag-8102020-you-cananother 3 states of matter [xenzag, Oct 09 2020] How it's done https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xe1TBLawqoA [xenzag, Oct 11 2020] Are they real rocks or synthetic substitutes? How are the spikes made? How heavy is the packaging? If you used inflatable stones it could be more convenient to store and deliver to customers.-- pocmloc, Oct 08 2020 They are real rocks. I leave the other details to my technicians. I just generate the ideas.-- xenzag, Oct 08 2020 I would say that the kit would still need strength and steadiness of hand to assemble. The spikes would assist with location accuracy, but the mating weight-bearing surfaces would actually do the balancing. Mating surfaces as small as she is using in the video would require an equally steady hand and patience to find the balance point. Larger mating surfaces would be easier to balance but would not look so impressive. You could offer graded kits, the higher the grade the smaller the mating surface.-- pocmloc, Oct 08 2020 Agreed that it would still be quite difficult but nothing in comparison to that of raw untreated rocks.-- xenzag, Oct 08 2020 You can do this by sticking a long steel pole in the ground, drilling holes in all your rocks, and then threading them onto the pole to look as if they’re carefully balanced-- hippo, Oct 08 2020 // I leave the other details to my technicians. I just generate the ideas. //
"That's just the sort of thing that Hitler would say ..."
This is nothing less than egregious fraud, pulling a fast one on the audience. It's lazy, devious and verging on immoral.
[+]-- 8th of 7, Oct 08 2020 see link for pic of a piece of work I did for a local show illustrating the 3 states of matter - looking at it, and the changes it will bring to your thinking process is your reward for the kind compliment about your great uncle Adolf.-- xenzag, Oct 08 2020 "Sieg Heil ... ! "
It's nice the way that you've managed to include two major food groups in that representation. Just add Bacon, toast and BCBs and you've got a winner.-- 8th of 7, Oct 08 2020 The balancing stones link is very beautiful.
The video you see after clicking the link is nice too.
An interesting project would be an automatic stone balancer. About the size and shape a large donut, you'd put it on top of the first rock then plop the next rock on top of it. The mechanism would sense the weight and rebalance it as necessary till it found the balance point, probably manipulating it via a series of bladders of hydraulic fluid that would deform as necessary to position the next stone. When it reached stability, a very loud screeching alarm would go off telling you to remove the unit, which unbuckles like a neck brace, place it on the top rock and continue till you had a pile of rocks several yards high in much less time.
This way, rather than communing with nature and getting in touch with the peaceful calm and serenity of the act of balancing stones, you could line the entire lake with very tall columns of stone in record time, the screeching alarms making sure you're ready with the next rock. Highly efficient.-- doctorremulac3, Oct 08 2020 They make magnetic stacking stones like this.I'm still waiting to unearth mine one of these days.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 08 2020 Stones of non homogeneous density would be interesting especially if patterns of magnetism polarity were included in the mix. Linking nipples and seats would have to be included as clues but are not seen in the final art.-- wjt, Oct 09 2020 Posted another image from the series "3 States of Matter" [link]-- xenzag, Oct 09 2020 Yes, potatoes and salt, two of the essential components for making chips. All you need to add is an image of a pan of boiling lard.
Excellent.-- 8th of 7, Oct 09 2020 I really like balancing towers of rocks when I’m at the beach. I can’t help thinking though that the rocks in this idea (with spikes and holes to make it easier to place rocks on top of one another) would make it a less rewarding experience...-- hippo, Oct 11 2020 Unless you have shaky hands, in which case the impossible becomes achievable. It would still be difficult to get larger stones to balance end to end on smaller ones, even with the location holes and spikes. [link]-- xenzag, Oct 11 2020 random, halfbakery