Originally Posted by
Rodney
You may not have been the first but it's still a neat idea. I see them every now & then, usually pretty cheap.
Does it stop when you stop turning or freewheel for a while when you let go?
Rodney
Depends upon the amount of rotating mass and how much of it is out of balanced, as well as if there are precise bearings or bushings. My first go with one arm and a pin, spun nicely, but it was severely out of balance, it would still spin after I let go, but the imbalance was noticeable and annoying. When I went to an arm with a pin on each end to engage the spokes, it ran much truer. Most of these are like sewing machines and don't have bushings or bearings, so over the years the abrasive dust can leave a lot of slop. They could probably benefit a llittle by having bronze or lead bushings fitted. Oh the gear adds inertial mass also, and the one that came with a 6" wheel, will coast for quite a while. hope I answered your question.
