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I'm just linking this youtube tutorial. I think it's Erin from Erin's Animals, but the channel is called "Something Animals". It just shows how incredibly simple it is to make a hamster wheel! And having had a few wheels that have a bolt going through the centre onto the stand I can relate to how this works. If you think about it, the trixie wood wheel is quite simple with just a couple of pieces of wood for the stand.
These days wheel prices have rocketed and it could be an economical way to make a great, safe hamster wheel. In the video she talks about glueing lolly sticks to the surface for some grip, but you can also buy cork to stick inside a wheel (which is very nice for hamsters feet and can be plastikoted so it's wipe clean).
The one thing I noticed with this wheel is that, initially, it did not seem to spin that freely and I think it needs more than the two nuts between the wheel and the stand - perhaps a couple of washers as well or a "spacer" piece (like the Silent Runner wheels have) so the wheel stands a little bit further away from the stand. I think this has been adjusted before the shot with the hamster running in it. Some of that is adjusting how tight the nut is but I think washers would help too. I am almost inspired to want to make one! If I can find the time.
These days wheel prices have rocketed and it could be an economical way to make a great, safe hamster wheel. In the video she talks about glueing lolly sticks to the surface for some grip, but you can also buy cork to stick inside a wheel (which is very nice for hamsters feet and can be plastikoted so it's wipe clean).
The one thing I noticed with this wheel is that, initially, it did not seem to spin that freely and I think it needs more than the two nuts between the wheel and the stand - perhaps a couple of washers as well or a "spacer" piece (like the Silent Runner wheels have) so the wheel stands a little bit further away from the stand. I think this has been adjusted before the shot with the hamster running in it. Some of that is adjusting how tight the nut is but I think washers would help too. I am almost inspired to want to make one! If I can find the time.