| How to Make a Prize Wheel Jan 13th 2013, 14:00 A prize wheel, like the one used in the popular game show Wheel of Fortune, is a round wheel that is spun to determine what you win—–or lose! You can use prize wheels at carnivals, festivals, or parties, and they are very easy to make. It's not hard to do, and this article will show you the steps to do it. Feeling lucky? Let's give it a spin! Make the Wheel - Get a plywood round. They are available at most home improvement stores such as Lowes, Home Depot, etc. They come in various sizes—–a three-foot (90cm) round is a good size. A thickness of 3/4-inch to 1 inch (2cm to 2.5cm) is ideal. The round should be big enough to develop some momentum, and still small enough to carry around.
- Mark the center of the round. Find the center of the disc by lightly drawing two approximately perpendicular lines across its diameter. Where they cross is the center. Insert a small nail or screw there.
- To the screw or nail, attach a string and a pencil, and use it like a large compass to draw a circle. Make the circle smaller by an inch or two (2.5-5cm)from the outside edge of the round.
- Determine the spacing. First, determine the number of pie wedges you want on your spinner. For example, let's say you want 16 different ones. Divide 360 (the total number of degrees in a circle) by the number of pie wedges (16), and record the number. In this example, that number is 22.5. Write that number down.
- Make the wedges. Using your protractor at the center point, start on the left (0°) and make a mark at the the number you arrived at in the previous step. In this example, that's at 22.5°. Now just keep adding that number to itself, and make marks at 45° (which is 22.5 + 22.5), 67.5°, 90°, 112.5°, 135°, 157.5°, 202.5°, 225°, 247.5°, 270°, 292.5°, and 315°, 337.5°
- Draw the lines starting at the first line: connect the two marks on either side of the baseline—–they should be 180° apart. For example, draw a line connecting the 22.5° mark and the 202.5° mark (22.5° + 180°). Extend the line on both sides to the outer circle you drew.
- If you want, you can adjust the shape of the pie wedges, making some larger, and some smaller. Larger slices will have a bigger chance of winning, and smaller slices will have a smaller chance of winning!
- Plan out the location of the dowels. Between each of the lines, between the circle you drew and the edge of the round, make a mark. You can measure these out if you like, but it's not crucial, as long as they are about the same distance from the outer ring all the way around.
- Cut the dowels. You'll need as many dowels as there are wedges. Make each dowel about two or three inches long, and 1/2 to 3/4" (1-2cm) diameter.
- Drill the holes. Using a drill with the appropriate sized bit (just matching the dowel diameter), drill holes about half way through the wood, all the way around.
- Glue the dowels into place. Make sure that they are secure, so they don't fly off when you spin the wheel!
- Decorate the wheel. Paint the sections different colors, or alternating colors, or any color scheme that suits your fancy.
- Mark each section with a certain prize as well. The prize could be a variety of stuffed animals, money, or even tickets to a sporting event.
Make A Stand - Measure the base. It should be about an inch (2.5cm) thick, and as wide, or wider than the round. For our example, using a 3-foot (90cm) round, you'd want a base that's approximately 3 or four 4 feet (90-120cm) wide. Make sure it's deep enough to be able to support the weight of the round (plus the force used when spinning the wheel). Anywhere from 20 inches (50cm) to 3 feet (90cm) is good.
- Measure the backing for the wheel. It should be 3/4-inch to 1-inch (1-2cm) thick, and at least a foot (30cm) longer than the round's diameter. For example, for a 3-foot round, the backing should be at least 4-foot tall, and the same width as the base.
- Draw a straight line across the bottom of the base, perpendicular to the long edge and about two-thirds of the way from one side to the other. Draw another matching line across the top. (This offset will keep the spinning wheel unit from tipping over when you spin vigorously).
- Drill 4 guide holes across that line using a 1/16th-inch bit. Measure the distance between the edge of the base and the first hole and last hole. Make the same measurements on the bottom of the backing piece, and drill guide holes there too.
- Draw a bead of glue along the top line, place the backing perpendicular to the base, and using a wood screw that's at least twice the thickness of the base, screw the two pieces together.
- Use your drill bit through the base to set guide holes for the middle 2 holes, and then insert those two last screws. Tighten up all the screws, then let the base dry for 24 hours.
- Decorate the backdrop. When everything has dried and set, decorate the backdrop as you desire.
Mounting The Wheel - Mark the spot for the wheel. Make a mark at the halfway point between the width of the backing: at 2 feet (60cm), if your backing is 4 feet (120cm) in width. also, add 3 to 6 inches (7.5cm to 15cm) to the radius of the round, and make a mark that distance from the top of the backing. For example, if you have a 3-foot round, make a mark about 24 inches (60cm) down from the top of the backing (18 inches + 6 inches = 24 inches).
- Make an X where the two lines meet.
- Drill a hole in the center of the round. make sure it's large enough to accomodate a 1/2-inch (1.3cm) bolt, and let it spin on that bolt freely. Using the same drill bit, drill the backing where you just made the X.
- Mount the wheel to the stand. Slide a metal washer onto the bolt, then insert that into the round. On the back side of the round, slip on a couple more washers, then slide the bolt and round assembly onto the backing plate. On the rear of the backing board, slide a washer onto the bolt, then tighten the nut just until the wheel starts to bind, then back off until it spins freely again.
The Flapper - Make the flapper. All you need is a piece of heavy, sturdy leather. An old pair of shoes or an old leather belt should do just fine.
- This should be about 3-5 inches (7.5cm-12.5cm) long, and about 1/4-1/2 inches (1/2cm-1cm) thick.
- Clamp down the flapper. Rig up a clamp using two pieces of wood, a couple of screws and the leather flap in between. The clamp part will attach to the stand.
- Make sure the screws do not poke through the back of the wooden dowel clamp.
- Attach the flapper. At the space above the wheel, about halfway between the top of the backing board and the top of the wheel, in the center of the backing board, drill a hole about the diameter of the flapper assembly.
- Squirt a little glue into the hole, and insert the assembly. Let it set for a few hours before you start spinning!
Rules When Playing Rules to have when people play your game help make the game more exciting and remove any squabbles about winnings. - Set a cost for playing the wheel. You can figure this out by taking the cost of making the wheel and buying the prizes, the number of people who are going to play (this can be an estimate), and the probability of people winning the grand prize.
- Figure out the amount of times someone can play. People sometimes "get into a groove" and start to win prizes by the boatload. To prevent this, designate a number of times a person can spin the wheel.
- Try to develop a design that creates an optical illusion when spun. You can try different designs on paper to find out what works.
- Have a variety of prizes. Instead of only stuffed animals, have stuffed animals, money, and sports tickets/vouchers.
- If you do chose to decorate the dowels, make the colors in a series, like the Color Spectrum; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
- Decorate the wheel. Bright colors will make it more attractive.
Edit Warnings - Observe all safety precautions when using the drill and other equipment and keep machinery well away from smaller children.
Edit Things You'll Need - Wood wheel
- Dowels
- Screw(s)/Nail(s)
- Marker(s)
- Drill
- Leather
- Paint
- Stand
- Clamp
- Prizes
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