Spinner Weight?

[Witchboard]

What amount of weight are you using on your spinner?  It's been so long since I've seen a tempest or any other game that uses a spinner that I'm unable to check for feel.  I'm about to build my spinner and was wondering.  Thanks guys.

[REBIRTH]

Not exactly sure what you mean, but hopefully this will help.  I am using an Oscar Controls Model 3 Pro (like his current Vortex spinner).  I assume you want to know the weight of the part of the spinner that actually spins (as opposed to including the brackets, fiber board, etc..  I also can't weigh the thing since it is installed...   The knob weighs about as much as 10 quarters (meaning the coins), the flywheel (about 3 inches in diamter) weighs about as much as 10 quarters as well, plust the metal post holding the two must weigh about 3 quarters - so say as much as 23 quarters.  When I spin it, it has some weight to it, feels sturdy.  

[Witchboard]

Correct.  I'm noticing on most spinners there is a weight added, be it 2" washers or whatever.  I'm wanting to know how heavy that weight is so I can determin how many washers or other material to use.  When you say "flywheel", is that the same thing as encoder wheel?

[REBIRTH]

Actually now that I check it out - there is a flywheel and an ecoder wheel.  On my spinner, which I didn't make it was produced by Oscar (http://www.oscarcontrols.com), there are 4 parts that make up the weight - the encoder wheel (which again is a 3 inch diameter, solid metal wheel with some good weight to it), the flywheel (which is abotu a 2 inch diameter metal disc which is welded to the encoder wheel, which probably contains most of the weight), the knob which the one i bought is an aluminum one with nice weight to it, and the metal rod that connect the two (the rod that goes through the CP).  If you check out his website and look at the pictures of his new Vortex spinner you can see what I mean.  While you are at it I would suggest that you think of buying one instead of making your own - but if you are into making it go for it, you would save a bit of cash.  I've been using mine for a year and never had a problem, worth the cost if you can afford it.

Good luck!  

[Witchboard]

Actually now that I check it out - there is a flywheel and an ecoder wheel.  On my spinner, which I didn't make it was produced by Oscar (http://www.oscarcontrols.com), there are 4 parts that make up the weight - the encoder wheel (which again is a 3 inch diameter, solid metal wheel with some good weight to it), the flywheel (which is abotu a 2 inch diameter metal disc which is welded to the encoder wheel, which probably contains most of the weight), the knob which the one i bought is an aluminum one with nice weight to it, and the metal rod that connect the two (the rod that goes through the CP).  If you check out his website and look at the pictures of his new Vortex spinner you can see what I mean.  While you are at it I would suggest that you think of buying one instead of making your own - but if you are into making it go for it, you would save a bit of cash.  I've been using mine for a year and never had a problem, worth the cost if you can afford it.

Good luck!  

Thanks.  As a matter of fact, I'm purchasing my encoder wheel, optical board and spinner knob from Oscar.  I've pretty much did a part list and I can build one for about $15.  Not including the knob or shipping.  I'm going to order a knob from Oscar and one from Bob Roberts and see what the difference is.  I'm presuming the one from Bob is plastic where as I know Oscar's is aluminum.  I would LOVE a slikstik skirted knob, but I can't justify spending that much just on a knob and shipping.  Maybe some other time when I have the money to blow.  Thanks for all the good info.

[NoOne=NBA=]

I think I used about 25 1-1/4" fender washers when I put mine together.
8-10 of these were the knob, and the rest were on the bottom.
That gave it about the same feel as my Oscar DOT spinner.