How to Make a Spinning Wheel Carnival Game

Making the Wheel

• 1

  Mark a piece of 1/4-inch masonite to form a 15-by-15-inch square using a large metal right-angle ruler. Cut it out with a jigsaw. Identify one side as the front and one as the back with a small pencil mark.

• 2

  Draw a line connecting the opposite corners of the square on the front side of the masonite. Do the same for the other two corners. Where the line crosses is the center.

• 3

  Put a small screw in the center and attach a sting to it. Tie a pencil to the end of the string and draw a circle to the edges of the square. Remove the screw and cut the circle with the jigsaw.

• 4

  Tighten a 5/8-inch fostner bit in the drill and put the tip of the bit into the screw hole in the center. Drill a hole through the masonite from the front side. Tap the 5/8-inch bushing into the hole from the back side.

• 5

  Mark a half inch in from the edge of the circle along each of the four lines coming out from the center. Drill a hole using a 1/4-inch fostner bit at each mark from the front side for the first four pegs.

• 6

  Divide each space between the pegs in half and mark the next four peg holes a half inch in from the edge. Repeat the same process to get eight more peg holes.

• 7

  Draw lines to the center on the front from each peg hole. Apply blue painter's tape on either side of opposing triangles and apply acrylic paints to the areas.

• 8

  Remove the tape once the paint is dry and repeat for the two spaces perpendicular to the first two. Repeat for all of the remaining spaces.

• 9

  Cut 16 pegs from the 1/4-inch dowel. Each peg should be 1 1/2 inches long. Apply adhesive to each peg and put them into each hole on the painted side. Allow them to dry undisturbed over night.

Making the Stand

• 10

  Cut a piece of 3/4-inch board 1 1/2 inches wide and 27 inches long. Drill a hole 17 inches up from what will be the bottom of the wheel support. Use a 1/2-inch fostner bit.

• 11

  Mark a line 1 1/2 inches above the hole. Attach one half of a 1-inch hinge with the body of the hinge below the line. Screw a small eye hook into the same side 6 inches up from the bottom.

• 12

  Cut the 1/2-inch plywood 18 1/2-by-7-inches. Screw a small eye hook 6 inches up from the bottom. Attach the other half of the hinge to the same side of the board at the center top.

Attaching the Wheel

• 13

  Put one 1 1/4-inch washer onto the machine screw. Next slip the 3/8-inch nylon spacer onto the screw.

• 14

  Put this through the nylon bushing in the wheel up to the washer. Add three 1-inch washers to the back side of the wheel over the nylon spacer.

• 15

  Put the wheel support board over the spacer. Add one 1 1/4-inch washer and then the lock nut. Tighten the lock nut just until it catches.

• 16

  Gradually tighten the lock nut with a wrench and screw driver. Spin the wheel to test for tightness. Snug the nut, but not so tight that it interferes with the turning of the wheel.

• 17

  Put the ceiling hook into the vertical support 1 inch above the edge of the wheel. Put the loop of a key fob onto the hook. Trim the fob so that it is just reaching the bottom of a peg. Cut the width of the fob so that it is about three quarters of an inch. Test the spin of the wheel and adjust the fob as needed.