Newbie to animation, help with motors

1736 Views 16 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Diabolik, Oct 8, 2017

dan0uch

Discussion Starter · Aug 2, 2017

So I'm venturing into animated props this year, which I've never done. I have basically zero experience with motors or electronics of any kind. I'm going with a creepy carnival theme, and I thought I would start with something simple...a big carnival wheel game that spins slowly in my front window. I was hoping I would just be able to google a low RPM motor that I could just plug in and attach a wheel to, but it seems there's more to it than that

The wheel itself will be lightweight, made of foam, probably about 3 feet in diameter. Can someone with more experience with this point me in the right direction on what I should be looking for here? I'm not opposed to attaching various pieces together (motor, power supply, etc), although something ready to plug and go would be great

Thanks guys

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

cecollazo

· #2 · Aug 2, 2017

Try a disco ball motor. They are ready to plugin and can handle relatively heavy loads when compared to a similarly priced geared DC motor.

dan0uch

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 2, 2017

I looked one up on Amazon and it looks perfect for my needs, and is cheaper than most other motors I was looking at. I knew people here would know the best way to do this

Thank you!!

J-Man

· #4 · Aug 2, 2017

This would work and it's cheap. You'd have to attach a cord with a plug.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/STOCK-SYNCH...065846?hash=item1c645f84f6:g:lBsAAOSwS7hW~zAH

Reactions: 1

Screaming Demons

· #5 · Aug 2, 2017

Or a reindeer motor from Kindy's or a yard sale reject. It's already safely prewired.

Bosco P. Soultrane

· #6 · Aug 2, 2017

J-Man said:
This would work and it's cheap. You'd have to attach a cord with a plug.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/STOCK-SYNCH...065846?hash=item1c645f84f6:g:lBsAAOSwS7hW~zAH

What J-man recommends would be perfect for your needs and it's under four bucks. Deer motors are too expensive at kindys and this motor is basically same thing that is inside the deer motor.

DustinBurgin

· #7 · Aug 2, 2017

J-Man said:
This would work and it's cheap. You'd have to attach a cord with a plug.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/STOCK-SYNCH...065846?hash=item1c645f84f6:g:lBsAAOSwS7hW~zAH

So this will run off power straight from the wall? wow projects just got alot cheaper!

J-Man

· #8 · Aug 2, 2017

DustinBurgin said:
So this will run off power straight from the wall? wow projects just got alot cheaper!

Yes, this one operates on 110vac. You can get the same type of motor for 12vdc. Search on ebay and there's lots to choose from. They're also available in different rpm's so pay attention to that as well as the voltage when purchasing.

Bosco P. Soultrane

· #9 · Aug 3, 2017

Here is my wheel using a 5-6 rpm 110vac motor. You can see it moves okay if that is all you want it to do. (it was made out of an old lazy susan I got at Goodwill).
If you order the mirror ball motor (which is essentially the same thing) it will turn at only 1-2 rpm. That is really slow. I want mine to move faster and to vary. I think that i will get a DC motor that is faster and then hook it up to an arduino and an H-bridge so that I can program how fast or slow I want it to turn. That way I can make it look like a ghost is spinning it and then it slows down and stops. then it can start up again randomly.

Reactions: 1

dan0uch

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 3, 2017

J-Man said:
This would work and it's cheap. You'd have to attach a cord with a plug.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/STOCK-SYNCH...065846?hash=item1c645f84f6:g:lBsAAOSwS7hW~zAH

Bear with me here, like I said I've never played around with electronics. If I were to go this route, would any AC cord work as a power supply? I have tons of old cords laying around, could I just cut and splice one to the motor and then plug it into the wall? Or can you recommend something better to purchase?

J-Man

· #11 · Aug 3, 2017

dan0uch said:
Bear with me here, like I said I've never played around with electronics. If I were to go this route, would any AC cord work as a power supply? I have tons of old cords laying around, could I just cut and splice one to the motor and then plug it into the wall? Or can you recommend something better to purchase?

Yes, any cord will suffice. Just be sure to insulate the splices well.

Rustie

· #12 · Aug 3, 2017

I am not electronically inclined at all, so I tend to stick to the reindeer motors. Sure they are a bit more expensive, but it is well worth it to me. I wish you could adjust the speed a bit, but cant expect too much from a pre-wired motor.

Reactions: 1

DustinBurgin

· #13 · Aug 3, 2017

J-Man said:
Yes, this one operates on 110vac. You can get the same type of motor for 12vdc. Search on ebay and there's lots to choose from. They're also available in different rpm's so pay attention to that as well as the voltage when purchasing.

OK thanks J-Man! Is there any pros to having it in 12v?

J-Man

· #14 · Aug 3, 2017

DustinBurgin said:
OK thanks J-Man! Is there any pros to having it in 12v?

Just depends on the rest of the prop. If there are other parts that run on 12vdc then it's a better choice. Also gives you the option to power the prop with a battery. If it's the only device in the prop that needs power, then the 110vac motor is probably a better choice.

Diabolik

· #15 · Aug 4, 2017

There are also versions of these motors with full metal gear sets in them. they are slightly more expensive (like $10) But feel a bit more robust. The weak spot on the common ones with plastic gears is where the metal output shaft leaves the motor. It is pressed into a plastic gear and you just have to be careful you don't put too much pressure on it when it is not running because you can twist the shaft right out of the gear. Ask me how I know......

rowlandharris

· #16 · Oct 8, 2017

Diabolik - where do you find the motors with all metal gears? Normally that isn't shown in the description...

Diabolik

· #17 · Oct 8, 2017

rowlandharris said:
Diabolik - where do you find the motors with all metal gears? Normally that isn't shown in the description...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC6V-9V-12V...-Motor-/331584469153?var=&hash=item4d33f978a1

This is the same style that I have.

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

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