Game Show/Prize Wheel

by stillash in Workshop > Woodworking

10790 Views, 15 Favorites, 0 Comments

Game Show/Prize Wheel

Game Show Wheel || How To
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.11.52 AM.png

Most of my projects have been fairly small or of a medium size. My sisters work was putting on a youth event and the theme was The Price is Right. So they asked me to make some of the price is right games included the big wheel. This is the biggest and probably the coolest thing I have ever made.

Tools & Materials

1. Ryobi Nail Gun

2. Drill

3. Random Orbit Sander

4. Dewalt Table Saw

5. Screws

6. 5/8" Nails

7. Rust-Oleum Spring

a. Rust-Oleum Apple Red

b. Rust-Oleum Black

8. Ryobi HOT GLUE GUN

9. Metal Pipe

10. DEWALT DW618 Router

11. Rockler Circle Cutting Jig

Cutting the Two Circles

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.56.07 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.56.21 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.56.30 AM.png

I got a half sheet of plywood and found the center. Then i tapped a little hole in the center for the jig to guide on.

This wood was 1/2 thick so I took a couple passes to cut it all the way through.

Outside of Circle

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.56.46 AM.png

I got thin plywood for the outside of the wheel. Its about a 1/8" thick. Make sure to cut it in long strips so it will bend easily. The width of the strips I cut were 12"

Making the Wheel

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.57.05 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.57.18 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.57.26 AM.png

I cut down a few pieces of 2x4's to 11" for the inside of the wheel. This would attach the two halfs so I could wrap the plywood around the edge.

I then used a 1 1/4" forstner bit to cut a hole in the middle for the 1" pipe to go through. This is what will make the wheel spin. I then pre drilled a bunch of holes for screws to attach the thin plywood to the circle. I then came back with a nail gun to add more strength to the bond.

Finishing and Sanding the Wheel

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.58.19 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.58.27 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.59.26 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 9.59.52 AM.png

I used wood filler to cover up the nail holes and as many of the screw holes as I could. Once it was dry I sanded it down and used black spray paint to cover the whole thing.

Building the Base

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.00.02 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.00.10 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.00.23 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.00.39 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.00.48 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.01.05 AM.png

I used 2x4's for this step. The two long pieces that would be on either side of the wheel had a hole cut in it for the pole so that it could spin freely. It was roughly 4 foot tall pieces.

I then cut some 18" inch piece to put between the two halfs. I used pocket holes to attach these. Then I cut some angled pieces to add extra support to the base. I used 2 1/4 inch screws here to keep everything together. I didnt use any glue so I could take this apart.

Spinning Issues

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.01.18 AM.png

Once I had squared up the base the wheel was having a lot of trouble spinning so I used a jig saw to a cut a opening in the side pieces so that the wheel would just drop in and sit on top. This helped a lot with movement and I used some silicone spray to make it spin faster.

Section Seperaters

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.01.25 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.01.34 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.01.48 AM.png

I cut some 1 inch strips of the thin plywood to act as dividers for the wheel. I painted them a metallic silver. I measures out 11.5 inches and attached a strip.

The Marker

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.02.09 AM.png

I needed a way to determine what prize the contestants would win when they spun the wheel. So I used a 25" long piece of wood and a small piece of acrylic. The wood attached to one side of the base and the acrylic triangle was glued on the end.

Prize Options

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.02.24 AM.png

We laminated a bunch of different prize cards and used hot glue to attach them to the wheel. This was so they could be changed in the future.

Enjoy Your New Spinning Wheel

Screen Shot 2018-03-19 at 10.02.38 AM.png

Overall I am very happy with this build. It came out great and was a lot of fun. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.