"Chili Wheel 1" proto type (Exercise Wheel) sneak peak.

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broderp

broderp

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
169
Location
Ohio
I just finished my first prototype/proof of concept chin wheel.

Goals:
1. Large size for chin safety
2. Minimum 4" deep for chin safety
3. Ease of install on cage (FN cage first)
4. Heavy duty, continuous use
5. Whisper quiet operation

Construction:
Heavy duty all metal construction, utilizing two ball bearings, stainless steel shaft, aluminum bearing retainer/mount and aluminum wheel.

Just to be sure there's no question about size:

Size:
16" Diameter
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4" Deep
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Mounting on FN cage. Note: This is prototype for proof of concept of wheel and operation, not mount. The board will be replaced with a stainless or galvanized steel panel. The board is designed to support the weight of wheel and distribute it on a wide area of the cage for support.
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Angle shot of mounting:
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The verdict:
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The wheel has been in use now for about 3 days. My little guys took to it within the first 10 minutes. (They had prior wheel experience) The wheel so far is COMPLETELY quiet. The only noise is what the chins make with their feet on the wheel as they run. There is no wheel noise. There is no flex of the wheel during use.

I do hear a slight sound from the cage when they run. The FN cage has a small amount of rattle due to the trays and floors being hung in the cage frame.

I also have a second mount that has a lower profile, so it only puts the wheel about 2" from the back cage wall. (The one pictured above is approx 2 1/2" from the back wall. My chins can and have managed to walk behind under and over the wheel with no issues. The lower profile may make it harder, I'm not sure.

I have taken some video, but am not sure how to get it from my HD camcorder and uploaded/ convert for use on YouTube.

What do you all think? I'm considering producing these for sale (hence the water mark on my pics), but as of right now I only have parts for maybe 3 wheels. This thread is to solicit opinions and ideas, not as a forum to sell these.
 
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Looks good so far, what type of metal is the pan? I'd definitely give it a good month or two of use before deciding if it's a "success" or not, though.
 
I think it looks great!! If you're gonna make it cheaper than the chin spin then I'd consider buying one!!
 
Ash said:
Looks good so far, what type of metal is the pan? I'd definitely give it a good month or two of use before deciding if it's a "success" or not, though.
Click to expand...

The wheel is aluminum.

lol, yes, I'll have to wait a few months to declare it a success. :thumbsup: I looked at all the wheels I could on line, including some very popular and highly rated ones.

I do have high hopes as I use sealed, grease filled bearings. I also use two bearings, not just one and not a 'lazy susan' type.

I purposely left off some very revealing pics that really show how robust this design is. The mount with bearings comes in at over 1 1/2 lbs. (my lower profile part comes in at 1 lb, 12 oz) and this is without any mounting hardware or the wheel.

Time will tell I suppose. ;)
 
i like it! definitely keep us updated on the longer term success of this wheel, as i'd be inclined to buy one if it works well.
 
I like it! :thumbsup:

broderp said:
I do hear a slight sound from the cage when they run. The FN cage has a small amount of rattle due to the trays and floors being hung in the cage frame.
Click to expand...

I have a quiet Leo Braun wheel and also experienced some cage rattle. It was suggested to me that I buy some stick on felt, and cut to cover the half-circle door stop where the door meets the cage. Not sure if this is where your rattling comes from, but it cut down on the noise considerably.
 
momenteller said:
I like it! :thumbsup:



I have a quiet Leo Braun wheel and also experienced some cage rattle. It was suggested to me that I buy some stick on felt, and cut to cover the half-circle door stop where the door meets the cage. Not sure if this is where your rattling comes from, but it cut down on the noise considerably.
Click to expand...

You were right, thats were some of it is comming from. Thanks for the tip.
 
I've seen chin urine devastate aluminum. Keep an eye out for flaking. You might want to keep an eye out for a different material just in case this pan doesn't hold up. Looks great, nice and clean. Keep us updated.

Ronda
 
Nice work. This is what happened overnight to a wheel I made out of one. On the other hand, I have chins who don't mess with them.


theycheweverything.jpg
 
Ronda said:
I've seen chin urine devastate aluminum. Keep an eye out for flaking. You might want to keep an eye out for a different material just in case this pan doesn't hold up. Looks great, nice and clean. Keep us updated.

Ronda
Click to expand...

StevieP said:
Nice work. This is what happened overnight to a wheel I made out of one. On the other hand, I have chins who don't mess with them.


theycheweverything.jpg
Click to expand...

Wow, that just cant be good for thier little bellies!:err:

I think just about any material would be bad for them; and they will chew just about any material from the looks of it. Many of the "name brand" wheels use aluminum. Some use aluminum and wood. I suppose it no different than 'brand X' wheel, if your chins chew aluminum, then I wouldn't buy one in aluminum.

So far, so good. My guys do not even chew plastic, and they ignore the wheel except to run on it. (The initially gave it a nibble to say 'hello', but have not done any thing at all to it.)

I'll keep an eye out. Not sure what else to make it out of if aluminum doesn't work.
 
alli713 said:
The flying saucer wheels are steel, although I know that would be more expensive to make.
Click to expand...

Steel would also add weight. Weight that would have to be supported by the cage. There's a lot less steel on a saucer than on a wheel.

I'm not sure, but urine would probably be worse on steel than on aluminum, if that were to ever be an issue.

We'll see. Maybe once I have a few made up, I'll see if anyone wants to "test" them for me under heavy use to get more of a field test. ;)
 
I have several wheel-lovers who would love to test wheels for you if you ever needed that type of thing...
 
I'm not sure that a wheel would have more steel, the saucers are pretty big, they have the running part as well as a supporting cone, so personally I think they'd be about the same, but not that it really matters. But steel would hold up a lot better over time.
 
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