sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Come on over! I'm flying to Nashville and then being picked up. I'm going to have a very nice tour from the player side of it. I'm certain with what I learned last year and what I can learn this year that I can write a much better Newsletter article. The folks that play are fine people, very welcoming to strangers. they were very good to me, telling me things I needed to know about the games and the players. It was a great experience and i think this year will be even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmuehlba Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 well are these marbles special because they are flint marbles and different from the regular marbles made out of plain rocks?? I made one a while back just to do it , I save a square that matched my marble . Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 They're special because these guys make their own. They've been playing with these marbles for years. They don't like glass marbles. They make jokes about what they can do to a glass marble with one of theirs. They are sserious players. I watched 75 years old drop down on hands and knees, take their shots, and jump up as nimble as an 8 year old. Buck Brown told me they can do that because they never stopped playing. There is pride in the marbles because they make their own. I'm told that they give their marbles away to other players. These are folks that when kids could not afford the glass marbles. They're inventive, making marble machines out of old car parts. Malcom showed me how they did it without electricity. Here's a photo. This is the marble making machine that Malcom Strong made. It runs on electricity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 You can see the flint rock being ground by the grinding wheel. Here is another photo of the same machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Malcom asked me if i would like to see how they made round marbles before electricity. I wanted to know. He walked me down to the stream running below his house. In that stream, malcom had a pump that worked on "water power". It was attached to some hoses that ran up to his house. The pump supplied water power from the stream. This rock is a grinding stone. The marble is place in a depression reminiscent of a wooden or graphite block used to make glass marbles round. He turned the water on at the faucet and a stream came out and began spinning the flint rock in that depression. Malcom says they don't use that anymore because it takes too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 My contemporary marbles are special to me because I know the artist who made them. Some of that artist is in each marble made. I feel the same way about these stone marbles. Most of them are made of flint, which is very hard. They are meaningful to me because I understand how they were made, who made them, and they are a part of the folk art of the Kentucky/Tennessee region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richsantaclaus Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Personally, I don't want a hand signed mineral marble - it messes up the beauty of the natural stone in my opinion. Edna - you've seen my work in glass - what did you think about the art? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 This pic is in the building at Standing Stone where the game Tennessee Square is played. That's Cathy Runyan walking, Malcom Strong seated, Buck Brown standing. I can't see the person shooting well enough to ID.It may be Russell Collins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 This is Buck Brown at Malcom's marble yard. Buck lives in Glasgow, Kentucky and he has a marble yard at his place too. These guys have a regular schedule each week. They play at a certain place on certain days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 This is the Rolley Hole tournament. Buck Houchens is standing, Paul Davis shooting, and I think that's Billy Emberton standing on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Joe Schlemmer working on a marble sale. I bought a pretty one from Joe. Don't have a pic of it. I'll have to look for the marble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Jack Tinsley shooting, Hank DeGruy standing. In the background are Buck Houchens, Paul Davis, and Larry Denton seated. They are playing Rolley Hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psia-antique Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 You can see the flint rock being ground by the grinding wheel. Here is another photo of the same machine. The wheel you see is rubber. It spins and spins the rock in a stone jig which is inside the tube. The jig you don't see is what is rounding the stone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psia-antique Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Malcom asked me if i would like to see how they made round marbles before electricity. I wanted to know. He walked me down to the stream running below his house. In that stream, malcom had a pump that worked on "water power". It was attached to some hoses that ran up to his house. The pump supplied water power from the stream. This rock is a grinding stone. The marble is place in a depression reminiscent of a wooden or graphite block used to make glass marbles round. He turned the water on at the faucet and a stream came out and began spinning the flint rock in that depression. Malcom says they don't use that anymore because it takes too long. Paul Moore invited me to play "big Marbles" at Malcolm's. I asked if I could bring Edna and was told it was OK. So I brought her to Malcolm's. Malcolm showed me a pump on his bench and asked if I knew what is was. I told him it was not electric and was some sort of a vacuum pump. He told me it was a water pump and took a group of us to see this pumps twin in action. The pump pumps the water 200 yards to the mill stone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psia-antique Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 I bought this book and I met Rondell Biggerstaff who is on the cover at Standing Stone Park. I did not meet the author. I think you can buy this book at the U.S. Marble Champions website and the money benefits the kids by helping to pay for their trip to the National Marble Championship. Web site is: http://usmarbles.org/ Darren Shell donated books to them for a fundraiser for the kids. Click on Marble Books to find it. Cost is $10.00 plus shipping. This post has edited and corrected.Thank you. I only saw Rondell at the Dome where I played with him. I did not see him at Rolley Hole or at the other marble yards during the week. here is a picture of Rondell watching me shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psia-antique Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Malcom asked me if i would like to see how they made round marbles before electricity. I wanted to know. He walked me down to the stream running below his house. In that stream, malcom had a pump that worked on "water power". It was attached to some hoses that ran up to his house. The pump supplied water power from the stream. This rock is a grinding stone. The marble is place in a depression reminiscent of a wooden or graphite block used to make glass marbles round. He turned the water on at the faucet and a stream came out and began spinning the flint rock in that depression. Malcom says they don't use that anymore because it takes too long. It was traditionly done by putting the stone in a jig under a waterfall. It took about "3 moons " (about 3 months) to make one. If you were lucky, the rains /flooding didn't come and wash the stone and the jig away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marboman Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 What a great marble making process.The water makes the concave fixture, then set in the square tube and the rubber wheel rolls the marble in it.Those guys are some Jedi marble makers for sure! I am totally impressed:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orbboy Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Another post ruined by more passive agressive petty Bull****. This is a formal warning that this sort of childish crap will not be tolerated. Period. I think it is common knowledge that I have no problem removing members that are making this board into thier own little bickering waterhole. I have no plans on changing my ways. To continue to play here I suggest that offending members must do so. Marble on. Sorry to Hansel and Edna for thier attempt to have a nice post ruined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psia-antique Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Another post ruined by more passive agressive petty Bull****. This is a formal warning that this sort of childish crap will not be tolerated. Period. I think it is common knowledge that I have no problem removing members that are making this board into thier own little bickering waterhole. I have no plans on changing my ways. To continue to play here I suggest that offending members must do so. Marble on. Sorry to Hansel and Edna for thier attempt to have a nice post ruined. I think that the goal of this and all boards is to learn the facts-the truth. I have noticed many posts in this thread have been edited once the facts were presented. Every post on this board is part of marble history. I think, therefore, that it is better to have the truth rather than fiction. Facts are not childish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richsantaclaus Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 I tend to like the truth in posts, not that anyone isn't trying to be truthful, that isn't my point. My point is that if there is fact that is known by someone, whomever it is, that the truth of the facts be brought forth so we ALL can LEARN from the facts and truth. If I misspeak and someone corrects me, I do not see it as childish nor do I see it ruining my thread I start. Posting the facts isn't passive nor aggressive, I believe, from where I sit as a learner - posting the facts is educational. I do think there is a correct, positive way to make the facts known though. My dad taught me that you can catch more flies with sugar rather than using salt...lol. I hope everybody takes a break, sits where they can be in there happy place and thinks about the hobby of collecting and documenting marbles. I have enjoyed all the wonderful pictures and look forward to seeing more. Anyway, that is my thoughts on the subject before Intake an 8 week vacation where I will be keeping my eye out for those glorious marbles of old. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99marbles131 Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 I haven't been to the rolley hole tournament since 2000, and i've been itching to go back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Malcom Strong, Eddie Graves, Buck Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richsantaclaus Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 I sure looks like fun! I wish I could get down and back up like I did in the 6th grade....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdesousa Posted June 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Paul Moore invited me to play "big Marbles" at Malcolm's. I asked if I could bring Edna and was told it was OK. So I brought her to Malcolm's. Malcolm showed me a pump on his bench and asked if I knew what is was. I told him it was not electric and was some sort of a vacuum pump. He told me it was a water pump and took a group of us to see this pumps twin in action. The pump pumps the water 200 yards to the mill stone. Sounds as if you're describing a hydraulic ram pump. They say necessity is the mother of invention. If there had been electricity, I bet even 'prehistoric' humans would have been playing video games instead of marbles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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