[Puster Bill]

OK klh, you inspired me to make another wheel.

My first one (pictured earlier in this thread) used cardstock and transparencies, and I used the self-stick lamination. It works fine, but it did get bent up a bit in my desk drawer.

This time, I did things a little differently.

First, I made it smaller. The new one is 6" in diameter. Being smaller, for a given material thickness it will be more rigid. Also, the smaller size makes it easier to take along. I play on a laptop, so being able to take the wheel along is a big plus.

Secondly, I used an Elmers glue stick to glue an extra piece of cardstock on the back of each wheel. That makes it more rigid, especially now that the main center wheel is 4 sheets of cardstock thick. I laminated each wheel front and back.

Third, instead of just laminating the transparencies twice (once back, once front), I did it four times (twice front, twice back). They came out pretty rigid. Not as much as I would have liked, but acceptable.

I still used the push-pin technique, but I must admit I am pretty much at the limit for that technique: The wheel is now so thick that I couldn't use a pin with the tip cut off. I had to use a pin with the tip intact, and hammer it into a de-pinned head.

I plan on changing that at some point, however. I'm thinking of either doing what you did with a small bolt and a nut, or seeing if a rivet of some kind would work. I haven't made up my mind yet.

It took me roughly an hour and a half to do the whole thing.

When I get a chance, I will post a comparison picture of the old and new wheels.