The Horizontal
Wheel (a.k.a Spinning Flower or UFO) is a horizontal wheel that
sits on a wooden cross-arm on the ground. Various
fountains and ground blooms are placed on it so it spins and
sprays fireworks up and out in all directions. It is sort
of like a huge ground spinner on steroids. It is sometimes
called a Spinning Flower because the spinning spray resembles a
flower. It is also sometimes called a U.F.O because when it
first starts out, it looks like a flashing saucer hovering close
to the ground. Click on the images to the right/left to bring up larger
versions.
MATERIALS
-
8.5"-12" Tricycle Wheel
- about 31-41" of 2"x4" board
- 6 3" wood screws
- wood glue
- Gray Deck and Flooring Latex Enamel Paint
- visco fuse
- fast visco
For an 8.5" diameter wheel, cut the four pieces from the
2"x4" board. Make two short pieces of 4.5" and the two
long pieces of 10.5".
You want the cross-arms of the base to be one inch larger than the
wheel. This will be large enough to stabilize the wheel, but
short enough to not get damaged by the spray from the wheel. For
a different diameter wheel, the long pieces should be 2" larger
than the diameter of the wheel. For short pieces take the
diameter + 0.5 inch and divide by two. So for a 12"
diameter wheel, the long pieces would be 14" and the short pieces
would be 6.25.
Place the first long piece
of wood on edge. Place the short pieces perpendicular to the long
piece and in the middle of it to form a symmetrical cross. The two
short pieces are the arms of the cross. Next lay the 2nd long piece
flat on top and across the two short arms. This picture above shows
the base at this point of its construction. Use wood glue to
glue the pieces together. Let it dry for several hours or over
night. On the left is an upside down view of the base.
This would also be a good time to
sand and paint the base. If you make it a dark color (gray), then the
base is harder to see during a performance and the wheel looks like it
is floating above the ground.
Six starter holes will be
drilled into the top of the base. Draw the first center line
long ways along the middle of the board. Draw a second center line
perpendicular to the first center line. This will locate the center
point of the top board of the base. Drill a (5/32"?) hole
on the first center line one inch from each edge of the board.
Drill another hole two inches on either side of the center point on
the first center line. Drill a hole on the second center line
3/4" from each edge on the board. Counter sink each hole so the
screws will be flush with the surface of the wood. Screw the six
3" wood screws into the six holes.
Add the Wheel
Remove any extra nuts, washers or
other hardware from the axle of the wheel. Touch the wheel lightly to
see if it spins freely. If it does not, take two pliers and put them
on the two bearing nuts of the wheel. Gently loosen them just a little
bit until the wheel spins freely with a light touch.
Drill a hole a the center point in the top board of the base. The hole
should be just slightly smaller than the diameter of the axle. For my
wheel, it was 19/64". Screw the axle of the wheel into the hole,
making sure the it is level. Spin the wheel lightly as you screw it
in, to see that it is level. If it turns hard, place a pipe wrench on
the other end of the axle and continue to turn axle into the hole.
Continue turning until the bearing nut is flush with the board.
Adding Fireworks
Now fireworks can be
attached to the horizontal wheel. The most important issue with the
horizontal wheel is how to power it. This wheel uses jumbo ground
blooms to make it move. Use the biggest and longest lasting ones
ground blooms you can find.
Examine this diagram carefully. You attach the non fuse end of the
bloom on the rim using duct tape. It will seem like it is an extension
of the spoke. Make sure the fuse is parallel to the rim. The
spray from the ground bloom comes out of a hole near the fuse.
This spray is forceful enough that it will turn the wheel. It is
essentially a very cheap "rocket engine". Make sure each
ground bloom is pointing in the same direction, so the spray from each
ground bloom forces the wheel to go the same direction. Space the
ground blooms evenly around the wheel. Note how the fuse will
eventually be attached to the ground blooms.
You can use just about any fountains
on the spokes of the wheels, but I like to use two 9" tube
fountains and 2 cones. Use duct tape to attach the 9" tubes and
cones to the wheel. The tubes should be opposite each other and
so should the cones. This insures the wheel is balanced as it spins.
The fountains are place on the spokes of the wheel pointing upward,
but angled outward from the center of the wheel. Below is a
picture of a finished wheel with 9" tube fountains and cones (click
to enlarge).
Connect some fast visco to
each of the jumbo ground blooms as was shown in an earlier diagram.
Attach some fast visco fuse between the two cones (or shorter
fountains). Attach some visco fuse between the two 9" tube
fountains (or taller fountains). Next attach some fast visco fuse to
the fuse just past the first ground bloom. Also attach it to the fuse
midway between the two cones (or shorter fountains) and then attach it
to the fuse midway between the two 9" fountains (or taller
fountains). Make sure there is at least 1" overlap of the
fuses. Examine the previous picture to see exactly how the fusing is
done.
Here
is a video clip of the horizontal wheel in action.
