Magnetic Balls Quick Start Guide
The Chain
Before the shapes, the tricks, and all that Buck'n fun, you are going to need to learn to make a chain.Grab a magnetic ball or two from the clumpand pull gently. It takes a specialtouch, but you’ll get it.
The Tube
It’s the easiest of all of theshapes. Wrap a chain aroundyour finger and—boom —you’vegot a tube! Wasn’t that easy?Lets keep the momentum going...
The Sheet
Start with your balls in chain,then zig and zag them back andforth, folding where indicated.The magnetic balls should line up in asheet, making a perfect grid.
The cube
Start by making a sheet 36 magnetic balls long and 6 ballswide (that’s 216 magnetic balls in total) using the zig zag method you learned in step 1 of the guide.
Next, fold your sheet 6 magnetic balls from the end. This first fold is the mostdifficult. Make sure everything lines up perfectly or it isn’t going to work. Continue folding the sheet backand forth every 6 rows. Each foldputs you one step closer to that somewhat frustrating cube. The first time you make the cube istricky. The 50th time? Not so much. Whether you’re just starting out,or a cube-making machine,every time you get the finishedform in your hands, you shouldpat yourself on the back. Youearned it. How fun is that?
THE HEXAGON
Start with a chain of 18 magnetic balls. Make a loopwith the first 6. Wrap the remaining magnetic balls around the loop. They should snapinto place. That chain you wereholding just became a hexagon.Now for the really cool bit.
TRIANGLES
Triangles begin life as a loop of 9 magnetic balls. You’re just a pinch anda poke from turning that uselessring into so much more. First, pinch a corner with your thumb and forefinger. Next,hold that corner steady as youpoke-in the other side. It’s thetouching of the highlighted magnetic balls that gives the triangle stability. Now that you know triangles,try making a sphere. It’s just 20 triangles attached to oneanother. Give it a shot but bewarned: There’s more than oneway to make this puppy.
LET’SGET TRICKY
A self assembling shape! Sound ridiculous? Anything is possiblein the world of Bucky.You’ve just got to believe(and know how to follow instructions.)
Connect 20 triangles as shown.Note: Each triangle shouldbe lined-up perfectly with it’sneighbor. If anything looks off, try flipping something over. Magnetsare funny, but 9 times out of 10,flipping it over fixes everything. Next, gently lay the shape you’vejust made flat in your hand.Slowly close your hand, making sure that the first pieces to touch are the magnetic balls highlighted. Keep closing your hand. We’ve highlighted the next balls to touch, but from here, everything should pretty much snap intoplace. Brace yourself, a familiar friend is about to emerge.
