Wooden Wheels

Gemma_xo · 01-31-2016, 10:58 AM

Firstly, hi =]!
It's been a while since I've been around (insane amount of personal issues and family / friend drama one thing after the other, my PC got abandoned due to wanting to ensure despite everything the hamsters got their needs met!)

I'm sick of Pixie's wheel failing, I've tried many different plastic ones and she's just not getting on with any of them, so I'm going to get her and Tinkerbell (who, by the way has settled in marvelously! She's a little diva but I love that about her!).

I've seen these two on Zooplus, I have Plastikote paint ready to paint the new wheels to match the girls' houses, so that's not an issue, although I was thinking with the bottom one, I wouldn't want to ruin the outside look, so I'd have to buy a clear plastikote pot, and painting it would be a nightmare..

Wheel 1: Wonderland Wooden Exercise Wheel
Wheel 2: Wooden Exercise Wheel Speedy

So, I was heading more towards the first link but I'm not sure.
Also, what size would be suitable for a Hybrid Dwarf?

Thanks =]

flowerfairy · 01-31-2016, 11:48 AM

I have four similar to the first one posted. They are great wheels. Nice and quiet.

Eight inches is a good size for dwarf hamsters.

cypher · 01-31-2016, 11:17 PM

I use the first one, it's a good quiet wheel & fairly easy to keep clean once you've plastikoted it, I haven't tried the second one but I think the wonderland would probably be the better of the two.
You need the 20cm size, give it a good check over for any rough bits when you get it then give it a couple of coats of plastikote, I do the base as well as inside as that tends to get pee on too!

Pebbles82 · 02-01-2016, 03:07 AM

Clear Plastikote won't show at all or ruin the look

I painted one with it and it looks no different. I would definitely go with the first one. The second one seems to have a few splintery issues from what I've read and not that good quality. Sometimes you do get the occasional Karlie one (the top one) where people say the struts on the wheel are rough and splintery (and I've had a splintery one), so then a quick go over with a piece of sandpaper on any rough bits helps, and then the two coats of plastikote (I believe a coat is dry in a couple of hours although I left 24 hours between coats). The Plastikote also helps seal the wood against any rough bits.

I know you say you are fed of plastic wheels, but have you tried the 20cm wodent wheel? I really like the wodent wheels - they are much better made than most plastic wheels and are virtually silent (unless you get a squeaky one and then you oil the spindle with a bit of vegetable oil). We have the biggest 30cm one and it's virtually silent. Hamsters also seem to really like going in and out of the holes as well. Again you'd want the 20cm one, and in Germany they call the 20cm wodent wheel the robo wheel because it's the size recommended for dwarf hamsters.

Unfortunately pet planet have been out of stock of them for a while, so it would mean ordering one from Germany, but the postage isn't too bad (£7) and delivery is usually 4 to 5 days.

Rodipet have a range of colours to choose from too

All the sizes are on this page - the 20cm ones are the ones with the round holes

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/laufraeder/wodent-wheel/

The price isn't bad there, the euro conversion works out approx £14, but with postage it would be about £21. They also do a special stand for it so it makes a hide underneath the wheel and keeps it stable - I think they're great - but bumps the price up a bit.

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/laufraed...obo-wheel.html

And they also make this house with the wheel stand on the roof and two entrance doors

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/laufraed...obo-wheel.html

Gemma_xo · 02-01-2016, 03:26 AM

Yeah! I think I've made my mind up.
I'll be getting two of the first ones, they're going to be sanded down regardless of the state I recieve them in, I'm a little over paranoid, both of their wooden houses got sanded, waited a day, light sand again and then painted & a day between coats and another day to dry fully..

I do infact have a Wodent Wheel. Pixie just gets into it and looks all grumpy, doesn't move in it, and will shuffle; not run.
Tinkerbell runs a few steps then slides down, they both have a Karlie wheel so the holes are in it, but I think they prefer the lightness of it to the Wodent wheel. I've noticed its a lot thicker and sturdier (and much better quality!) but those two are too stubborn. I just hope they get on with the wooden ones, they're far easier on the eye, and they'll match their houses once painted, I won't be stuck with two great big black lumps un each cage.

Pebbles82 · 02-01-2016, 03:43 AM

Lol! Sounds like the wood Karlie wheel it is then. I hadn't used sandpaper before when I sanded our last one, so I bought a range of grades of sandpaper. I found the two best ones to use were 100 grade and 240 grade. The 100 grade is medium/rough and got rid of the splintery bits easily. The 240 grade is very fine and I finished off with that and it gave a lovely smooth finish. Only took about 10 minutes!

Gemma_xo · 02-02-2016, 04:54 AM

That's great! I never used sandpaper before the houses either! They're the ones I used for the houses too. So to have someone confirm they work is awesome.
Thank you