Chinchilla Exercise Wheel

To craft a running circle, you need hardwood planks and boards (ash, alder, aspen, and birch) and a 10 mm thick piece of birch plywood.

Trim the ash board (85 mm wide and 25 mm thick) into 500 mm long work-pieces using a miter saw.

Cut them into 37 mm wide pieces with a disc saw.

Trim them down to the size of 16х34х500 mm on a thickness planer.

Trim the edge with a palm router (R6 mm).

Trim the pieces down to the finish size (150 mm) using the miter saw.

Using a template, cut a 225 mm radius at the work-pieces’ edges with the palm router featuring a guide bushing. The radius will facilitate the assembly process.

Sand the parts.

Cut two 500x500 mm pieces off from the birch plywood board. Cut out two circles (454 mm in diameter) with the router using a circle compass. Move the router 12 mm toward the center point and cut a rabbet around the circle for board panels. Move the router once again and cut out a ring. Sand the new parts.

Before assembling the circle, mark out the ring in such a way as to divide it into 40 parts. Make a 6 mm margin (half the thickness of the board panels), and drill countersinks for self-tappers’ heads. Bolt the first panel to the circle. Then fix the remaining 39 panels and band-clamp them. Screw them to the circle. Turn the whole thing over, bolt the front ring to the rim in the same fashion, and do the final finishing.

Bolt a metal band to the rim. Aluminum will protect the wood against chinchilla teeth.

Add a wood-burned ornament. Paint it with white oil to protect it against damage.

Now your chinchilla circle is ready. It has a sturdy, completely enclosed bearing mechanism that runs completely silently and it affixes to the side of the cage with 3 wing nuts. Excellent exerciser for your little pet, isn’t it!