Make your own DynoDisc

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How to make a simple DynoDisc

The following materials are needed to make a well performing DynoDisc system: 1) Machine screws for the Spindles, 2) Wood, fiberboard, or plastic for the Discs, 3) a soft drink can for the Spinner Bowl.

For some of the discs shown here I bought three thin wooden discs online that were a little over 1/8″ thick and precut to diameters of 6″, 8″, and 10″. They worked fine except the 10″ one was warped a bit went it was delivered. The other two discs were also precut and made from an acrylic type of clear plastic with diameters of 7″ and 8″. They made some awesome discs! But you have to be careful drilling the center holes in the plastic; the drill will heat up fast and grab the material easily, possibly breaking the plastic. I drilled mine on my small drill press but you could use a hand drill.

After obtaining the material you will use for the discs, drill a 1/4″ or 5/16″ hole in the center depending on what size screw you will be using for the spindles (see below). You have to be very precise in finding the center of your precut disc before drilling the clearance hole. The more the hole is off center, the more wobble you will encounter. I will show how I drilled mine below in pictures.

If you do not buy pre-cut plastic or wood, then use a compass like the one in the first picture to lay out a circle. Make a prick with the center punch in the middle and then draw the circle. You will be able to bypass the first steps shown below where the exact center is marked for drilling. After drawing the circle on the material you are using, use a saw to cut it out. Smooth all the edges.

Be sure to zoom in on the pictures by clicking on them. Watch the videos in fullscreen by clicking the small square in the video controls.

The easiest way to find the center of the precut discs is to use a combination square set and make 3 or 4 marks to establish the center location. Carefully use a center punch and make a small prick mark. Use a ruler to check from different angles for the accuracy of the center prick. Adjust as necessary.

**Using a combination square to mark the center**.

**Ready to make a center “prick” mark on the wood disc.**

**Carefully make a prick mark on the intersection of the lines scribed at the center. This is one of the plastic discs.**

Here a ruler is used to check for accuracy on the plastic disc. Lay the ruler exactly next to the center prick on the ruler’s mark lines at 5″ or 6″ and compare each edge of the circle on the circumference. They should be fairly even. If the location is off, angle the center punch and “move” the prick mark by gently tapping with the hammer.

These four pictures show the process used in drilling the plastic and wooden discs. If you are using a drill press, make sure to line up the drill closely before turning on the spindle.

**This is a closeup of the prick mark in the plastic. It is close enough to drill a starter hole.**

**We are now ready to drill the starter hole. You can use a #1 center drill but I prefer to use a less rigid small twist drill.**

Drilling the starter hole in one of the wooden discs. I am using a drill press but a hand drill may be used. Just make sure to firmly hold the plastic or wood. The drill may grab the material, especially in a plastic disc.

**Closeup of the starter hole in the plastic disc.**

**Ready to drill a 1/4″ hole through this wooden disc.**

**Use sandpaper to deburr the hole in the wooden disc. Use a countersink for the hole in the plastic disc.**

For the spindles I made in this demo I used both 2″ and 2 1/2″ long 1/4 – 20 Hex Head Screws and some 5/16-18 socket head cap screws, all stainless steel. However, regular machine screws made out of softer steel will work fine. Get some nuts and washers that fit the screws to secure the discs to the spindle. I also cut off a piece of 3/8″ ID clear rubber tubing and pressed it onto the top of the 5/16″ socket head cap screw. It makes it easier to grasp when spinning the disc.

The easiest way to make a smooth spinning tip for the bottom of the screw is to buy some rubber end pieces found in a hardware store that go on wire shelving. Pick the right size for the spindle being made. The most common sizes slip on 1/4″ and 5/16″ machine screws perfectly.

The rubber tips will make a working point that will also grip the spinner bowl. Just slip them off and on when changing or adding discs to the spindle.

If you have a belt sander you may want to grind an angle on the screw bottom. That will make the rubber tip be a little firmer where it makes contact with the can or spinner bowl.

**Two of the 5/16″ spindles with the points ground on a belt sander.**

**Rubber tip pressed on to the bottom of the 5/16″ spindle.**

Assembling one of the the plastic discs on the 5/16″ spindle. The head on the socket head cap screw will allow the 1/4″ spindles used with the wooden discs to be inserted so that two discs may be “stacked” **together.**

Several of the discs assembled and spinning side-by-side. It is very exciting to see the fruits of your labor! The plastic disc is spinning in one of the plastic spinner bowls that I made in a lathe and is shown further down the page. It works much better than a soft drink can.

This is the 8″ plastic disc spinning on a can for the first time. Very smooth!

All three wooden discs are sandwiched together on a 1/4″ spindle. You will notice that a couple of the discs are a little off center as they spin, but it really doesn’t affect the overall performance.

Both plastic discs are mounted together on a 5/16″ spindle and separated by a flat washer. Together they are fairly heavy and really build momentum as they accelerate. They are a blast to spin!

The following pictures show how to make different designs on cardstock or paper to add on top of the finished discs.

**Trace around one of the wooden discs to make a special design on a piece of card stock.**

**After cutting the paper disc out with scissors comes the fun part. Decorating! We all have a little kindergarten kid in us!**

This video shows the last few seconds of a nice spin session where the new paper cover design was checked out.

Taking advantage of the Socket Head cap Screw on top of the 5/16″ spindle, the wooden disc with a 1/4″ spindle can be stacked on top. The rubber tip has been removed as it is too big to enter the top of the bottom screw head. The rattling noise is the 1/4″ spindle accelerating as it sits in the hex head of the lower screw. The head could be drilled out a little bigger to make it smoother. Notice as the top disc gains speed the clatter gets quieter.

More designs

**Another disc cover made out of card stock.**

New design taped on top of the disc and spinning. Cool!

This is the disc shown on the left spinning. It wobbles because it is not balanced. You can hear the can underneath vibrating.

DynoDisc spinning instructions are shown below.

DynoDisc spinning instructions

The two images on the right are practice pads for use when learning to spin a DynoDisc. Click on them, save to a hard drive, then print them out on some heavy cardstock.

Custom Made Spindles and Spinner Bowls

A custom made spinner bowl will work a lot better than the bottom of a soft drink can when it comes to spinning a DynoDisc. Combined with a custom made spindle, the discs will spin very smoothly and accelerate quickly. In both slideshows there are comments written on the bottom left of the pictures.

The slideshow below shows how a spinner bowl was made in the lathe.

3″ diameter Acetyl stock being cut to length on a band saw.
Lathe in my old garage.
Shaping the spinner bowl.
Tapping a 3/8-16 hole for parts to screw together with a long set screw.
View of threaded hole.
All finished.
Two finished spinner bowls.
The bottom is fastened to the handle.

Blueprints for a typical spinner bowl and spindle.

**All the dimensions can vary for the inside diameter and handle diameter. The angle inside the bowl where the spindle makes contact should be fairly close to what is shown.**

The 20 degree dimension on the bottom of the spindle is not critical. The important thing is for the angle to be the same as the drill angle that formed the top cavity. That way maximum contact will be achieved between the spindle bottom and the cavity on top when stacking discs. This will help the disc accelerate faster.

In the upper right corner of the blueprint of the spindle on the left is cutaway “AA”. Notice the little recess at the bottom of the drilled hole. This feature was drilled in picture #5 in the slideshow below. A center drill was used to make the small recess at the bottom of the drilled hole. When stacking, the extra clearance insures that the bottom of the top disc spindle will make good contact with the 20 degree angle. The reason for this is explained in the paragraph below the blueprint.

The diameter of .591 will fit easily into a CD or DVD opening. Since the thread itself is a 5/8″-18 thread (outside diameter .625), there is plenty of slop when the nut is screwed on. It will still secure the discs tightly. The bottom of the spindle will vary in the final shape to give the spindle a one-of-a-kind look. The only semi-critical dimension is the bottom 3/8″ or so of the spindle shaft. The shaft has to fit easily into a .350 hole when stacking a disc on top of another. Plus if the diameter is too small it will make it harder for the disc to accelerate without excessive slippage. The O-Ring helps the spindle grip the side of the spinner bowl. The nut, not shown, also has O-Rings to give a DynoDisc spinner some extra grip.

This slideshow below details the making of a typical spindle.