Making a Flying Saucer Wheel

First off:
Credit where credit is due - this DIY piece is pretty much a rip off of the post Stormsong put up on Degu World Proboards and Degus International Forum so a big thank you for the inspiration and the how to guide!

What is a Flying Saucer Wheel?

Essentially developed for Chinchillas the FSW is a different type of exercise wheel which requires a different technique of running.
They can also be good for Degus to add variety to their environment and if you have more than two as we do, you find that one jumps in the normal wheel and kicks one of the others out...

These can be picked up quite cheaply when they are made of plastic.
However given that our girls not only wear out plastic like there is no tomorrow, but also like to chew things that are bad for them if opportunity arises (like plastic) the only solution to add one of these is to find a metal one.
However one of these can set you back £80+.



Given that is a sizeable investment when I built the extension to the first Thickets cage for approximately £100 this would seriously eat into my DIY box budget.

So I embarked on this project.

The first task was to get a Lazy Susan from Ikea.



Due to the fact it would cost £20 to go to Ikea in Bristol and then buy one I found one on Ebay that would be delivered for £12.
Bargain.
Next it was off to B&Q for some more kiln dried pine as I eventually intend to put this in their home.



I cut the pine to a 40cm length so it is just slightly longer than the Lazy Susan.



Next I pre-drilled through the wood so later it could be secured it to the spinning base of the disc with wood screws.



In order to make the disc stand at an angle a leg of 10cm was made and a foot to add stability.



These were drilled and screwed together.



The leg was then attached to the 40cm piece of Pine.



Which was then secured to the base of the disc.





In order to give the Goos grip I ordered a wicker matt from Tesco direct.
It is a little smaller than the whole disc but it was something like £3.95 for two delivered so now we have something to stand hot dishes on in the centre of the dinning table as well.
I applied a decent amount of child friendly glue and stuck it to the disc as centrally as I could.



And weighted it down with bricks whilst it dried.




And here it is!



I would love to end this with a story of how the girls love it, but in truth it barely fits in their cage, I have to remove their nesting box to place it.
Given that my concern is that the CARA they have is not adequate for them I decided not to leave it in.

Also I need to train them to use it as at the moment they think it is food!

I hope to post up a video of them using it at some point in the future and make it a permanent addition to their DIY home.
Still all in this cost me just shy of £20 so cheaper than driving up the motorway and considerably cheaper than buying a metal one!