Hi everyone
This is how i provided a simple and effective way to the (too)many mice that me and my girlfriend are growing. Living in a tank may not be that much fun, so mice need to have toysand exercise tools in their homes to avoid becoming way too fat.
The obvious solution is a mouse/hamster wheel, but this toy tends to be a problem since it tends to get noisy at night.
Surfing the 'Net you can find "Silent" wheels that cost about 20 dollars/euros, but that's too much IMOHO and a very nice challenge trying to do i t myself. So I decided to make my own, spending far
less money (about 3 euros) and recycling things.
I named it "Cool-Runnings", just because I think it needed a name and this was the best I came up with :-)
This is how i provided a simple and effective way to the (too)many mice that me and my girlfriend are growing. Living in a tank may not be that much fun, so mice need to have toysand exercise tools in their homes to avoid becoming way too fat.
The obvious solution is a mouse/hamster wheel, but this toy tends to be a problem since it tends to get noisy at night.
Surfing the 'Net you can find "Silent" wheels that cost about 20 dollars/euros, but that's too much IMOHO and a very nice challenge trying to do i t myself. So I decided to make my own, spending far
less money (about 3 euros) and recycling things.
I named it "Cool-Runnings", just because I think it needed a name and this was the best I came up with :-)
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Signing UpStep 1: Tools and Materials
Materials:
- 1 CD/DV Spindle cover, from a 25 or 50 Disk spindle
- 2 HD magnets (with metal base attached)
- 1 skate ball-bearing (20mm)
- Some nuts, washers, and bolts,
- small short wood screws
- 4cm x 15cm x 1cm wood board
Instruments:
- heavy duty drill (not pictured)
- hobby rotary tool
- 18mm flat wood drill bits
- hacksaw
- measuring tape, multi tool, pencil
I paid my ball-bearing 3 euros, that is much more than what you might pay for it on line or at a sate shop. You don't need a super-ceramic extra professional one... just one that spins smoothly enough
You can get the magnets form an old HD. I need the magnets and they must be strong since I use them to fix it to the walls of the plastic tanks I use as cages. If your cages are metal bars or net
you can find different ways to fix the wheel like zip-locks or metal wire
- 1 CD/DV Spindle cover, from a 25 or 50 Disk spindle
- 2 HD magnets (with metal base attached)
- 1 skate ball-bearing (20mm)
- Some nuts, washers, and bolts,
- small short wood screws
- 4cm x 15cm x 1cm wood board
Instruments:
- heavy duty drill (not pictured)
- hobby rotary tool
- 18mm flat wood drill bits
- hacksaw
- measuring tape, multi tool, pencil
I paid my ball-bearing 3 euros, that is much more than what you might pay for it on line or at a sate shop. You don't need a super-ceramic extra professional one... just one that spins smoothly enough
You can get the magnets form an old HD. I need the magnets and they must be strong since I use them to fix it to the walls of the plastic tanks I use as cages. If your cages are metal bars or net
you can find different ways to fix the wheel like zip-locks or metal wire
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The act of replacing the bearing is closer to rebuilding the whole housing from scratch though, so if it had been possible in my terrarium, I would have gone with your mounting method
But now it truly is a silent spinner; I did a blind test, and I cannot hear if the wheel is spinning at a distance of about 30cm!
Even when I put it right next to my ear, the noise is just barely audible.
The annoying racket of my hamster running has been turned into really adorable sound of her tiny feet going like the wind.
Thank you :)
I didn't use the same mounting method though but drilled a hole in the center piece, took off the those locking clips, added texture lines and popped it onto the old wheels stand.