Adam Savage Improves a Cat Exercise Wheel

Adam's friend Traci Des Jardins visits the Cave with a challenge: fix and improve her cat's exercise wheel. With some tweaks and swapping out of parts, the giant wheel's operation is greatly improved. It ended up a fun little project that required a bit of problem solving, and Traci's cat got a great workout out of it at the end!
Watch Adam's conversation with Traci about cooking and making recipes here: • Adam Savage Interviews...
Shot and Edited by Joey Fameli
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Adam Savage / donttrythis
Thanks for watching!

[@tested]

Watch Traci teach Adam how to make the PERFECT omelette here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5Wqc4V9qd6tjpI

[@short7440]

Ok

[@spman2099]

Given the subject matter of this video, I think you meant to write "PURRFECT".

[@short7440]

@@spman2099 They really did miss a good pun opportunity, didn't they?

[@klinekg1]

What brand is that wheel?

[@BlobVanDam]

"Do you want to see someone fix a cat wheel?" God no "Do you want to see ADAM SAVAGE fix a cat wheel?" SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

[@leninrob898]

BlobVanDam lolmore like hold mtbeer let me watch this

[@winterseyes]

IKR, LOL!

[@hhhh-wd4ih]

improve*

[@lorriewigand6039]

Lol

[@Void_Sevrin]

BlobVanDam yee

[@LittleMountain90]

It's weird how, outside of Mythbusters, Adam is just like, a regular nerd. Except with a kickass workshop.

[@sethv2986]

@Carlos Santos Roque lmao

[@MitchellTF]

Mythbusters is what happens if a bunch of nerds get a budget.

[@inferno9924]

@@MitchellTF In that case... we should give nerds more of a budget

[@JamesMichaelDoyle]

love how the cat talks while running.

[@TheTonybudd]

+JamesMichaelDoyle ~ "oh yes, this is much better, thank you very much" . . .

[@rosvokersantti]

I totally read that in Adam's Jamie-voice :D

[@almatsailaukhan9181]

JamesMichaelDoyle he's reviewing it

[@Rikard_Nilsson]

"Feel the purrrrrrn!"

[@elonmust7470]

It was saying "help me help meeee!"

[@josephyang4997]

Yea for the kitty at the end. If they didn't show it on the wheel, I was going to flip.

[@Steezypleasy]

I'm so glad you said this. I saw the credits at the end and came to the comments to complain. I would have been mad to not get the closure

[@thefrog9119]

Same here, it would have been very disappointing not to see the cat in action ! 😛😸

[@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980]

Awwww now that is one happy little kitty. 🐈 I'm so glad they showed him using the end product it would have been a very unsatisfying video if they hadn't.

[@DanHarkless_Halloween_YTPs_etc]

IKR! Thought we were gonna be robbed for a second there. Also, I was slightly worried they had reduced the friction too much, and the wheel was gonna spin so fast that the cat would pull a "drunk Adam falling on the treadmill". When I was a kid, my family visited a pumpkin patch that had a bunch of cool old farm equipment that my little brother and I of course felt compelled to play on. We climbed up onto this weird huge spinning disk thing and had fun running in place. At first. What we hadn't properly processed was that the other side of the disk protruded a few feet into a barbed wire fence! There was no central hub to grab onto or anything, and the disk was too high off the ground to just jump off, so we got scared and ran even faster trying to avoid getting "sucked back" into the barbed wire. Eventually, my brother, running behind me, couldn't keep up, and he got pulled into it. 🤕 Ah, the '70s, the days before strict liability enforcement.

[@ivaughn57]

same tbh

[@xingxax8915]

*"I love how well everything fits together, nvm everything is wrong"* My life in a nutshell

[@user-id2nr1zp1u]

lol same

[@needtobelazy]

I honestly think Adam Savage would be the coolest friend to have.

[@gabrielbeanidasilva]

yeah probably

[@superdinero8]

i agree

[@CharlieB1989]

I dunno I find him a little intimidating, all that unpredictable energy.

[@utopianera1989]

Exactly

[@galaxyoutcast7377]

yep

[@ryanpemberton7056]

I love that you guys keep the mistakes in these videos. You could have easily cut out the part where Adam cuts the brass fittings the wrong length, but I'm glad you didn't. It's easy to get this idea in your head that your heroes are infallible, so I find it really encouraging as a budding maker to see Adam going through that process of making mistakes and working through them. It reminds me when I get frustrated that making is a messy process, for everyone.

[@OneMouseGaming]

I had the amazing chance to convey that message to Adam when i met him. People in his position do not have to share their ideas, passions, failures, and knowledge. A more recent example of showing your failures as a ODB for machining parts for adams apollo suit. The entire episode is Adam failing on 3 or 4 attempts all due to different mistakes at different steps of the process. We are all human, and we truly learn from our mistakes.

[@rowynnecrowley1689]

"A maker"? That's not even a thing.

[@ilovemypurplesocks]

@@rowynnecrowley1689 false. Google is your friend.

[@Godz3839]

@@rowynnecrowley1689 you don't know what a maker is? there are makers conventions and everything.

[@Anthroid9]

100% agree. All the greats have failed numerous times and we usually only hear about their successes, rarely their failures. And for someone in this day and age to showcase failing in a video is imo a great idea, and does show that you don’t always succeed on the first try

[@CosmicFuzzFM]

You know you're a cat person when you take-up a quarter of your living room with 1 cat toy

[@Teth47]

+Skunky Vibes I'd venture a guess and say her house is enormous, also, it's not really that much bigger than a cat bed in terms of floor space.

[@burpitola]

+Teth47 it also looks pretty nice, It's not disruptive- looking at all, and its obviously good for the cat, I think it's great :)

[@Teth47]

Brandon Szparagowski Oh, I'd love to have one, I want to make one for my dog XD

[@burpitola]

Teth47 yeah, they're pretty cool XD

[@pws3rd170]

Fuzz FM it is actually smaller than the average dog bed

[@Corristo89]

"I have some materials..." Understatement of the decade! Adam could build a fucking Terminator in his workshop, so fixing a simple cat wheel shouldn't be a problem.

[@tails345]

+Corristo89 Don't give him any ideas! D:

[@erinfinn2273]

+tails345 Too late! He's already done it!

[@DanFrederiksen]

+Corristo89 speaking of capabilities in his shop, he is a pretty obvious candidate for having a 3d metal printer. 3D metal is the future where home 3D printing gets really serious.

[@erinfinn2273]

Dan Frederiksen Maybe even one of those huge ones that can print entire cars.

[@wupme]

+Corristo89 he cuild build more than one. But whats even more scary, jamie might have one already assembled he once used at another job....

[@Doan84]

The wheel is to smooth now, that the cat is trapped in the wheel and will have to walk in it without a break for the rest of its life.

[@micglou]

Doan08 too

[@pharmit24]

Doan08 lol hilarious!

[@jonasroyful]

Doan08 thats my cat, ziggy roy, he has had moments where he doesn't know how to get off

[@chaoticlogic588]

Jonas B. Nelson Does he really meow continuously while walking on it?

[@jonasroyful]

sometimes, he'll meow when locked outside or he's hungry

[@Penguinssss]

I like that there's no music or announcer... The sounds of a workshop is so naturally beautiful..

[@RDPproject]

There's nothing more satisfying than sitting down and watching Adam planning, tinkering and working on a project.

[@stauffap]

+RDPproject Not even building something by yourself?

[@lucbrien9237]

+stau ffap For those of us with no space or skills, this is the next best thing.

[@stauffap]

***** Well skills can be learned and you really don't need that much space to build stuff. There are a lot of DIY projects out there. I get it though. It's really fascinating to watch for some reason.

[@dgisgd]

I watched the whole thing just to see the cat use the wheel.

[@aesbj9228]

dgisgd And it didn't even look fat did it?

[@jonasroyful]

a esbj ziggys not fat, though he eats a lot, he's a very outdoor cat

[@suckless2335]

dgisgd There was something a little eerie for me about watching Ziggy at the end. Not only this that a huge cat, not fat at all, but the steep curvature of the ring seems to keep his front legs a little compressed and his back legs almost like he is standing on his "tip toes". There is some weird 'uncanny valley' going on. It almost makes it look like his hips are being supported by some invisible rope. Any ways I hope this doesn't end up sounding rude, I mean no disrespect to Ziggy or his family, I just found myself oddly entranced by the ending shot. Ziggy is certainly a beautiful cat

[@justaguitardude]

SuckLess do you think it has anything to do with the breed? lynx have short front legs and long rear.. i missed what kind of cat this was tho. i will say i liked the design, it was so much simplify than i originally was thinking before we saw it was just a few cheap skateboard wheels.. very clever i say.. to bad they had to use cheap china parts or it could of been a cheap rock solid toy for a cat from purchase to play time.. im sure i would of tired to over engineer it.. now, ill always remember Ziggy's wheel of death if i ever need a cat wheel :d

[@jonasroyful]

SuckLess oh, were not offended, ziggy has a very feral stance, hes a 7th generation wild bengal

[@bigdog4574]

I'm so glad they put a video of the cat using the wheel.

[@mechanicalpants]

10:04 It amazes me that cats actually use these things, makes me wonder if our cat ever would? Love how he keeps announcing to everyone that he's using the wheel like a good boy.

[@nicolagregson6054]

it's crazy that these companies use such poor quality components , given the price of the dam thing. Adam to the rescue !!

[@MrWolfSnack]

+Nicola Gregson They build something to last, they only sell one. They build it half assed, people have to buy 2 or 3 of them. That's why the government banned freon in refridgerators and A/C units. They lasted too damn long. My basement fridge from 1973 has outlived 4 refrigerators from my kitchen since the early 90's. Newer fridges use eco-safe (read: cheap shit) refrigerant and it burns out after maybe 10 years. Takes the compressor out with it too.

[@nicolagregson6054]

MrWolfSnack I can understand them doing that kinda thing with some items that people don't really have a need for its just a luxury thing they want. But it disgusts me when they put profit and greed over their target customers needs, elderly people, hard working low income families etc.

[@Watchinthefoolshere]

+Nicola Gregson The company was in a rush to get it produced. It was a Kickstarter fundraiser and made in China. :-(

[@whatareyoudoingyouidiot342]

+MrWolfSnack I can't speak for anyone else, but when I buy something that's built half-assed, it's usually the last thing I buy from that company.

[@whatareyoudoingyouidiot342]

***** Broken window fallacy.

[@DavidWaeldervideo]

I love how the common error that we all have made in various forms is not cut out of the build.

[@DanHarkless_Halloween_YTPs_etc]

Error̲s̲. Yeah; agreed.

[@friggetyfuck]

I wish he added something to stop the outer wooden rim from rubbing against the wooden base as it spins

[@tobynmanthorpe]

Sumit D If you look when the wheel's off, you can see there are spinners on the base at the sides. Not very big ones though.

[@RexusKing]

Sumit D You can see there are two side-bearings at each side for that at 1:00.

[@chartle1]

***** Looks like they could have been beefed up a bit but I'm assuming they thought of that and when they got such a drastic improvement decided probably wouldn't be worth it.

[@0YouCanCallMeAl0]

Cliff Hartle It's still noisy as fuck, I wouldn't be able to bare that scraping noise!

[@Pitchlock8251]

***** Should fill up the base with some foam, Might kill some of that noise.

[@katybray6984]

I really feel like one of the best parts of Adam is how many things he's describes as So pretty or Beautiful

[@Rickybiker]

the lower box is like a speaker I would of put foam in the base to lower the db

[@kjamison5951]

Good point.

[@inthefade]

+ricky n Good call. Not like a speaker, but a speaker cabinet, or a resonating box. Foam would go a long way to deadening the sound.

[@taunokekkonen5733]

So not would have, but would of?

[@Acco-yx4ni]

ricky n they use the same principal in guitars.

[@snazzydre7015]

I was thinking of more ways of lowering the db but instead of foam i was thinking sand or those triangle things that dampen noise or a specific type of wood chip.

[@angelusnielson7135]

How we think. "doesn't fit, find something smaller." How Adam thinks. "It doesn't fit, we'll just mill it down..

[@silicatewielder1128]

To be fair, he does have a lathe

[@GenePool]

It's a rare and wonderous moment when you realize you have both a lathe and a need to make chips.

[@jerrypatton7676]

I want a lathe

[@ahmedjaber86]

Subbing to this channel was one of the worst decisions I've ever made. Every time you guys build something, I get it in my head to try it myself. Now I have to build a cat wheel, which I didn't even know was a thing until now. Dammit, Adam...

[@dcoulter10]

Same ^^

[@artemiasalina1860]

Ahmed Jaber That also means you'll have to get a cat now, too. And cat food, and flea collars, and rolly toys, and ...

[@TheTechnosasquatch]

ArtemiaSalina Nah, just scale it up and use it yourself.

[@oO_ox_O]

Ahmed Jaber You got problems, I will have to look for a cat first.

[@terryrhuebottom]

TheTechnosasquatch Scale it up for kid size add a belt drive and re purpose a wind generator. And finally lower that electric bill. If they get bored hand them an cell phone.

[@monthlysurvey]

Cut to the cat speeding up the wheel too fast and getting flung around like that one gerbil gif.

[@argusfleibeit1165]

That's what I fear-- it has no way to stop if the cat starts to run. I've seen those wheels, unmodified, go fast enough that the cat goes up the side and flips over, landing hard on the still-moving wheel. Skate-board wheels are made to spin as long as possible, and a human being can put a foot down to stop when needed. The cat can't stop the wheel when it wants to.

[@amypolzella8349]

@@argusfleibeit1165 I know it was loud I guess but I think there is resistance for a reason. I don't think they really should have messed with the design only because cat safety could be risked. Cool video but it was something I was worried about.

[@Bretts_Builds]

That mini miter saw is the coolest thing I've ever seen

[@mattsoup4121]

Can't help but think it would be quieter with something like roller blade wheels since they're rubberized, but the microphone might be picking up the sound different than human ears.

[@myar4931]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but rubberized wheels would create more roll resistance with friction because they're softer. WHile they'd make less noise, they'd cause more resistance, which isn't what they wanted.

[@mattsoup4121]

Mia Ray they're not that soft though, for the weight of a cat on that number of wheels I don't think they'd compress much and slow it down.

[@myar4931]

Mattsoup That's true. *shrugs* I don't know much about rollerblade wheels, hehe.

[@run00n0]

or longboard wheels

[@guyingrey1072]

construction truck wheels :D

[@Verlisify]

At the end I started to think it was intentionally made poorly so the cat doesn't fly off it

[@gampants]

Right, there is no resistance so it will just keep turning and turning. it won't slow down when the animal does.

[@Oatmealism]

@@gampants Except animal is resistance because as the animal slows down it is going to steal energy from the spinning wheel and cause a braking force to be applied.

[@gampants]

@@Oatmealism that's ... Well they did say 18 lbs ... But that's still alot less than the weight those wheels are rated for even with the whole rig isn't it?

[@chase_h.01]

2:09 A wild Norm has appeared.

[@inkflux.]

Chase H. I was gonna comment that but I just scrolled down

[@fercampos4161]

Went back to find... would probably have never noticed hahaha

[@ikmnification5737]

Norm looks like he's in time out thinking, "what are you doing? wish I could help"

[@Figi69]

This makes me think there might be a drinking game possibility here.

[@quentinumbra8223]

-throw rock-

[@tyrone9796]

The cat at the end... lol

[@DandamanV]

binkS Snoke I'm so glad they included it! Really wanted to see the cat running at full speed on it though

[@JaguarBST]

I did not expect it to be that big xD

[@belles7914]

He sounded like some of the music and noises in Totoro

[@johnnyliu7105]

its a bengal cat man, they get between 15-30 pounds

[@youngzm]

Cat last seen going Mach 2.4 with no signs of stopping.

[@adnedarn]

Doing research I thought this wheel looked like one from GoCatWheel so I wrote them. It is NOT. The wheel in this video is a Catswall wheel made in Taiwan, while the GoCatWheel is made in California. They sent me a photo of their base and it looks amazing (uses 12 high grade ABEC 5 sealed ball bearings, commonly found on skateboards)... I'd be happy to forward the email if anyone is interested.... Dave with the company said this question has been asked before, so I figured I would share :)

[@thunderloong]

I would like to brutally point out that some resistance in the wheels is necessary for it to be an EXERCISE device, causing the cat to run forward of center and thus on an incline.

[@skatefreak666666]

+Roger Crouch the mass moment of inertia of the wheel provides some resistance and makes it still work as a exercise wheel

[@sorou]

+Roger Crouch I was thinking the same thing! I suppose in the end though, it could work more like a treadmill, or that any kind of movement beyond what normal house cats get is pretty good.

[@whymac543]

it's supposed to encourage running without having to use a huge amount of open space to do it. the point is not the resistance. however, that's a solid observation and I will admit I didn't even think of it. (:

[@jonathanlowe8755]

It would be more effective, but definitely NOT necessary. Just getting the cat to walk more often would be a positive effect. It isn't like the cat is training for a marathon.

[@stacydart9470]

The manufacturer deemed some resistance neccesaryfor the safety of your beloved furbaby and I agree. This guy has turned a well thought out product into a hamster wheel. Everyone has seen video of a hamster going too fast and getting flung across the cage. The cat using this modified wheel could easily strain its back. I would not want my cat being flung out of the wheel or being spun to the top with its back arched to come crashing down on its face.

[@YoutubeAdministrator]

measure twice, cut once.

[@K3N71]

HAHAHA OMFG I USE THE EXACT VOICE LINE IN OVERWATCH

[@YoutubeAdministrator]

+Ken “Herpaderp” Adachi - Bartholomay huh?

[@K3N71]

Genji has a voice line of the above phrase.

[@SejinKim5]

Measure never, cut over and over again until you get it right.

[@Dannte89]

sounds like the construction company i worked for lol.

[@TaylorMartinStuff]

Someone used some Bones Reds. Great bearings. ;-)

[@chfilms7651]

MOD Truth.Bones saved the day! :) (Ride Reds myself)

[@MniHaD15]

XD just finished watching an old video of urs

[@alessioyautja612]

MOD I just dropped by your page, looks promising so I subscribed ^^

[@2deluxe58]

Didn't sink the bearings in far enough looks like

[@sbent518]

MOD I sure cannot imagine anything else under my feet! and I can't justify the price of ceramics.

[@mikevisby8744]

I love how you can bring Adam something so random, and he can make it better.

[@MercuryFederer]

Man, I miss the Mythbusters so bad....

[@mathijssparreboom3145]

Not Rhett Mclaughlin Hi.

[@davidbryant88]

Yup. All good things must end tho.

[@janozemem8585]

Chek the you tube look fool epizodes

[@michaelbenoit248]

L K, no joke. I wish they would do it again. They made a lot of money from every episode to.

[@nedcramdon1306]

Adam was difficult as hell...

[@lwizinski]

Thanks to Ziggy for the postscript showing how well it works now!

[@thetheflyinghawaiian]

You could always pack the bearings with a high viscosity grease if it rolls too well. Thats what companies that make children's scooters do to slow them down.

[@prenticedarlington2720]

Bloody good idea. Well done! I was concerned about that. The cat is now too low and would probably rather be heads up again. Grease or gearbox oil.

[@MichaelSvenson]

Those bearings are not typically dismantled and packed. Many are not able to be. They are intended to be thrown away after about 6-12 months of use (on a skateboard).

[@listofromantics]

1) Adam's shop is outrageous! 2) I can't begin to imagine how much the cost of all that would be. 3) Nor how much to insure & secure all of that. 4) ...The cat actually uses it??? Mind. Blown.

[@yelruta]

Nero Wolfe Put a laser pointer on the wheel

[@warpatato]

+Nero Wolfe 5) The numbering really isn't necessary

[@Scodog1]

4) forget previous 3 and think of all the stuff you can build :)

[@TheJorjj]

Some say the cat is still running

[@TheTonybudd]

+Largemac ~ and just wont stop talking about it! . . .

[@mmseng2]

He'll reach the end one day...

[@johnnschroeder7424]

Love seeing you modify (improve) a common every day item, what a perfect example of problem solving applied to real world situations. FUN!

[@lockodonis]

If he had more time I'm sure he could have introduced some sort of adjustable resistance device too!

[@xmtxx]

A dynamo, to charge a powerbank or something else. That kitty has to earn it's food :).

[@fununclenerfs]

Alternate title: "Adam Savage reinvents the wheel"

[@osckarh]

This video is the living proof that i will watch pretty much Adam making anything. He is just made for entertaing me... Thanks Mr Savage

[@elvismark6816]

Mr. Savage it's great to see that someone is helping someone else even though I'm getting a lesson on this type of machine for your cats to know how it is constructed and makes it easier for me to build one it's hard to get these kind of products in Canada but to build one it's easy now I have seen how it is constructed now I could build one thank you very much mr. Savage and thank you very much for helping someone else sincerely TCB third son of Elvis Presley hope to hear from you mister Savage

[@error262]

I wanna see the cat running on it :'( (yes I know it walks on it at the end)

[@PhattyMo]

Error989 10:02 Not quite running,but.

[@volrath__]

Error989 Did you watch the end of the video? :')

[@pharmit24]

Error989 Watch till the end.

[@error262]

Mark that's not running

[@DizzPants]

Error989 Well tell that to the Cat.

[@ModJamesRandall]

does anyone else think it sounds way louder after he fixed it?

[@MrCrapheadist]

Yup. I think it was those side railings rubbing

[@joost199207]

Probably because it's going faster now. If you would spin it at the same speed with the old wheels, it would make allot more sound (or break apart).

[@JarrodAllenSmith]

Zell It's because they replaced the soft rubber wheels with hard wheels. So the hard on hard surface makes a louder noise.

[@theseGFX]

Jarrod Smith no way the wheels he used looked like street tech bones wheels that come stock with completes, they're really soft.

[@Felisargyle]

brandon caleb I think your right I think it's rubbing the rails because the new wheels have a bit smaller diameter

[@Kyouske_42]

I just love these suddle but appreciatable improvements! More of these filmed on Tested would be gorgeous!!

[@ACT0080]

Adam you are the man! I'd love to see you in your lap/shop!

[@JonarRoman]

I think Adam looks like some sort of mad scientist when he runs his lathe....Wheels spins, digital readouts...readout digits.... Long story short he needs to do more video's on the lathe....

[@ChristopherSmith-bh4sz]

aNjaSqurl i was waiting for one of the chuck jaws to tap him on the head as he bent in close to check his work...

[@elchappytan59]

I think I stared at 5:13 for 3 minutes just taking it all in

[@ThalesII]

EL CHAPPY TAN You can actually walk around Adam's shop on Street View! bit.ly/1KGJdHZ

[@georgepenny4593]

EL CHAPPY TAN You can tour the cave on Google Street View. www.google.com/maps/@37.753918,-122.420677,3a,90y,350h,90t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1sBdGhwCpf40wAAAAGOvCBAQ!2e0!3e2

[@baddriverssouthwales]

Bob Fleming EL CHAPPY TAN Go by the hammerhead shark and look back at the snooker table ;)

[@hairyneil]

DrivingSouthWalesUK What a fantastic sentence!

[@MuggsisGune]

So awesome to see people really tearing something down and fixing it. As someone who's been working in IT for a very long time, I sincerely miss being able to get my hands dirty and spend time trying to repair something. Everything seems like it's a modular part that you just order a replacement and snap it in, deliberately designed to be difficult to repair (looking at you, Apple), or I'm just not allowed to take the time to work through the problem and end up forced to get a new one (being forced to approach everything as a cost instead of a project really blows).

[@ThePhoenixAscendant]

Adam, you're like that awesome neighbor who has all the cool tools who helps out the people in the neighborhood! You rock!!!

[@kataseiko]

I would actually use a medium hard wheel instead of the really hard ones. Because you want that thing to stop again when the cat is done exercising. You don't want the wheel still spinning when the cat jumped out 20 minutes ago.

[@sebianoti]

It's random, straight to the point, I love it.

[@MrTonyMontana1177]

I love watching Adam fix and create things. He'll be the best uncle to have.

[@backyardarcher9471]

Every now and again, you tackle a project exactly as I would but, more often than that I learn something new.

[@Omskanielar]

I love how amazed he is when things work out :D But... arent those things supposed to not move as fast and as easily? I think the cat wheels should stop spinning if the cat stops running, to avoid injuries...

[@durnin84]

+Mme.Tenebrae Just what i was thinking, I can understand the point about the noise from the bearings/whatever knocking/wobbling but you don't want the wheel spinning so fast it launches Simba across the Serengeti

[@Omskanielar]

Michael Jebodiah Springfield That last part of your reply made me laugh waay too hard xD But yes, a wheel spinning that fast that easily can also easily lead to accidents...

[@Ruojis]

+Mme.Tenebrae My thougths exactly. I have made one (I have video of it in youtube) and the problem was that our cats would run like the wind for two seconds and then slow down. Some kind of a adjustable brake would have been good. Or small dynamo :p

[@Omskanielar]

Ruojis Gonna watch your video ;)

[@GroovyDrifter]

+Mme.Tenebrae I don't think the cat is going to be injured just for stop walking, the device is not a powered threadmill... but as far it is an exercising device it should have some kind of brake or resistance. This can easily be done if one of the wheels (or any rotating part) is made of metal or rubber covered metal (iron, steel, aluminum, copper...) and has a powerful magnet on its vecinity (google "Lenz effect"). You can even adjust the resistance changing the distance from the magnet to the metal part (the closer it is the more it brakes)

[@elneutrino90]

I think Adam just loves to work with the tools and machines, no matter what he is working on, he just enjoys.

[@sagganuts18]

A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as fixing a cat's exercise wheel to let it know that the world hadn't ended.

[@Shadoweclipse1386]

Adam, I loved your builds, but I would love to see more repairs and modifications to things too! This was great!!

[@frankm3214]

8:45 Adam gives his signature I can't believe it worked laugh. Just a suggestion The Three Stooges, "Success!" might work better.

[@CJT3X]

But then it wouldn't be his signature, it'd be to stooges....

[@sebulva]

I'd post a sticky note on the wheel's floor.. just to appreciate it better in movement..

[@b_ailey]

skateboard wheels were the first thing i had in mind! a fresh set of wheels and bearings on a skateboard always feels so smooth.

[@roedyhellyeah]

love it! I would machine flat notches on the axle so it would slide in but never turn. and i saw that the wheels are wider then the old ones. but i is very satisfying and inspiring to see the master work!

[@walkingbrick4529]

"I have not failed, I have found 10,000 ways that won't work," -Thomas Edison

[@QUICKBOOKS1]

2020/2021 in a nutshell!

[@iant720]

You don't need an Arbor Press to press in bearings they pop in with your hand, and center themselves on an inner race in the wheel ;)

[@druno82]

Man, you were WEARING a chronograph! What a perfect time to meticulously track the before and after free rotation

[@TheGamzers]

That sounds like a very happy cat lol also why was this in my recommended 4 years later?

[@XSpImmaLion]

Love the work and dedication, and really appreciate the videos... but for this particular case, I have to wonder is a little bit of resistance was really something to be eliminated. Noise and wobblying I can totally understand, but wouldn't a bit of resistance in the wheel be actually... interesting for it? Cat seems to still like it though. xD

[@iProYou]

This video just makes me want Adam and Jamie back more. I can tell how Adam is doing most of the work. Where he wants counter part to do it and understand it for him

[@glynnismajor]

Thank you so much for showing Ziggy running on the wheel! I was monitoring the time remaining as Adam wrapped up the improvements- seriously anxious about whether or not Ziggy would make an appearance. Now I'm wondering why the price of these wheels dropped by 200.00 recently. Lol I appreciate the information SO MUCH!

[@collegeduke118]

Norm stands awkwardly in the back ground! lol

[@debbieh7063]

Does the kitty meow every time he runs on the wheel?

[@bradleynoneofyourbizz5341]

What other kind of noise WOULD a cat make? Oh, wait. You mean....never mind.

[@debbieh7063]

not sure I want to know where you were going with that, but I just meant with the clip at the end, the cat's just like walking and yelling.

[@mushnoodle]

bengals are quite chatty :)

[@beefcakeandgravy]

Bengal cat. Noisy AF, and love to yell at you when they're: a) Hungry. b) not hungry. mine also purred like a machine gun.

[@subascosauce8288]

It only meows after one revolution, it's counting, it has to do 50 revolutions on its weight loss and new lifestyle plan.

[@demef758]

The wheel is still making noises. I distinctly heard a repetitious "meow" squeak as Ziggy walked on his reworked wheel!

[@HanzoSenpai19]

Man, you are such a great person! Keep doing the best you can!

[@lukesutherland8954]

I think the reason for the friction for was it to slow own. If the cat try's to stop it's going to go round in circles

[@tintinismybelgian]

The cat can probably learn to slow down its pace before it leaves the wheel.

[@Vodhr]

I was thinking the exact same thing... It's an exercise wheel, not a artificial-gravitation generator! XD

[@Vodhr]

​@@tintinismybelgian Do you have any idea how hard that would be to coordinate? Especialy for a cat that may not so easily draw the conclusion "It is still spining, so I need to keep runing, but if I keep runing, it will keep spining". A regular threadmill can take a bit of coordination to use safely, and that has engines to make it adabtable with push of a button, with handles to hold on to, and safe rigdes to stand on by the side. Imagine yourself runing on one scalled up. You got to get it up to a start first, and once it is rolling, you are in there and you can only very carefully slow down by maticuously adjusting your runing to a slightly lower velocity. Slow down to fast or stop, and you will surely trip and tumble about on the thing as it keeps roling for a while. Alternative would be to jump out of it, but While the wheels could be less woobly to reduce noise, removing the fricion could make this thing severaly dangerous for the cat if it get's up to speed. Meanwhile, the passive friction would allow it to stop faster once the cat stop trying to run and stop applying momentum. As it is now, if the cat start runing, then the cat might reach "critical speed" where the forward momentum forces the cat to keep sprinting, which keeps applying the momentum. In short... it could go really really bad! :O

[@cesarwyde]

Im a skater and a huge fan of him and man it is cool to see him use the same products I use in my skateboard set.

[@inthefade]

It sounds noisier in the end, to me! Softer wheels have more friction, but they are also quieter because the friction is translated into heat and lower frequency oscillations. It also means that over 9 wheels your tolerances can be more forgiving, and you get more contact over all of 9 of them. This is why the Montreal and Paris metro systems use soft rubber wheels instead of train tracks, like in New York. Those classic screetching rail sounds you hear in New York become bumpy motion, but it is way less audible. Still a cool project. I'd love to try and build something like this from scratch!

[@Nicolasdu5]

+ 1

[@Dreadwyn]

+inthefade Indeed, a case of 'emperors new clothes' if ever I saw one!

[@ArtyParty1589]

haha, i love how he pushed the bearings in. If he had a truck, he could slide it on the axle and push against the hanger

[@Johnfromthedesert]

Arturo Fuentes People who don't skate must assume you're referring to a truck as in a vehicle and are very confused. No offense, just an observation. 😋

[@ArtyParty1589]

lol, i really didnt think about it that way lol. oh man!! :)

[@pupintheturdiii]

cringe

[@lol...]

John Last yeah I thought it was a real truck

[@randyc750]

Or stack a second, loose bearing on top of the one you're pressing in with the arbor. That way you get past flush with the outer surface of the wheel. Last one is a pain, though. Better to use like a 15mm socket or whatever matches up to the outer race.

[@jerhms]

2:12 lol norm in the background

[@tristanridley1601]

When I imagine the future, it has people like this with workshops like this in every part of the world, solving problems and making the world more interesting. And loving doing it!

[@biazacha]

Ironically that was the past; craftsmen working for their local community, things made to last and be fixated rather than cheap plastic from a sweatshop with dubious working conditions. Honestly would love to see we go back to less mass produced times, but that goes against the billionaires interests….

[@sniffles8655]

This is the most interesting thing I have watched in while. Man I love Adam he is so great

[@markwlewisonutube]

Guys, one production point: on screen, the rotation is poorly seen. If a strip of blue tape was added to the orange area of the wheel, viewers would more easily be able to understand the improvements to the wheel by seeing the rate of revolution? I'm not saying anything fancy or complex, just a strip of painters tape, so revolutions can be seen and understood.

[@ZeroG84]

Softer wheels would take care of the sound too...

[@Volvary]

ZeroG84 Yes but they would increase the friction.

[@ZeroG84]

I think there's a sweet spot for that. Also, rubber feet would keep the vibration from transfering in to the floor.

[@glowfishin1]

ZeroG84 I was thinking about a "sweet spot" too. Perhaps the manufacturer built it with a little more friction for the safety of the cat? Or more likely cheaper components were used for mass distribution.

[@xaostek]

ZeroG84 They weren't looking to reduce the sound it was making, they were just using the sound as an indicator of how much friction there was

[@VexedFilms]

Volvary Which it sounds like she wanted anyway

[@fabulousfabricationsimmacu4962]

Love the harmonics of the lathe!

[@RussSchampers]

Such a fun watch for something completely different. I think the reason it wasn't super quiet was because the brass spacers had a lot of play in them. As the cat wheel turns, it turns all the skate wheels which are now walking back and forth tapping into either spacer creating noise. The design changes Adam made are a huge improvement. That lady could buy a spare pipe and a cheapy "spin style" pipe cutter and fine tune that on a Saturday morning sipping coffee. Only problem? They epoxied the axles into place. So removing the axles to be able to fine tune it would be "challenging".

[@draggonhedd]

Hey Adam, If you used a softer durometer skate wheel, like a fat gummy longboard wheel, it would be a LOT quieter without gaining much rolling resistance.

[@andreww1212]

I wish I had that workshop full of tools.

[@ZGryphon]

Will someone please buy Adam some side shields? It's makin' my hands itch watching him work the lathe without them. Armchair shop safety snark aside, always a treat to watch him work.

[@pforce9]

The ending scene was priceless, "Meow!"

[@ellswtf]

that lathe is the sexiest machine ive seen. i need one in my life

[@BillPairaktaridis]

+ellswtf It's actually not terribly expensive. There's a video on the channel in which Adam talks about quite extensively. It's a chinese brand but pretty well made and Adam has done some additions to it, like the digital read out. He got it for $3000 off of Craigslist but those must retail for $10,000 or more. The problem with a big-ish lathe like that is that you need to have the space for it, which means you have to have a pretty big workshop. It's funny because while filming for Mythbusters, Adam spent a few hours a month if that in his own workshop.

[@Teth47]

+Bill Pairaktaridis There's also the problem of power, a lot of larger lathes are 3-phase, and VFDs are really expensive...

[@nevyen149]

+Teth47 My father's lathe is (just) 220v, but it is much older that Adam's. His mill is 3-phase like you're talking about. He had to run it through another motor to sort things out. You flip a huge switch, while holding down an equally huge button. There is this drawn out Star Trek phaser sound as the motor starts up. Then you let up the button and can start the mill when ready. Always feels like I'm starting a nuclear reactor. It'd be beyond cool to have those digital readouts though.

[@Teth47]

nevyen Yeah, converting to 3-phase via a motor is another way to do it, but you have to have a motor with three times the rated power of whatever you're trying to run to make it work though, and if you don't already have one, it'll probably cost you as much as the lathe... It is super cool though, listening to large induction motors spool up is amazing.

[@nevyen149]

I don't remember if he got the motor with the mill. It was a long time ago, and he still doesn't talk about what he spends, so no idea what it cost. I didn't realize it was such a chore to convert the power. He used to work for the State, and had access to buy stuff from government auctions. He probably got his boss to let him buy the motor really cheaply. I used to get the big 40mm ammo cases for $2 a piece.

[@rachelking2371]

Adam Savage = Tony Stark ?

[@jonathanlowe8755]

Minus the alcoholism and womanizing.

[@JamesBalazs]

+Jonathan Lowe No, keep the womanising.

[@lukewaltham6739]

yes

[@simmerocky2393]

Yea, Adam savage is a billionaire that has a company that makes weaponry for the U.S. And iron man suits.

[@Will-yf6tj]

I mean... maybe he could. The duck bomb could just be a prototype for a much stronger and more sinister weapon.

[@Poitisan]

and that's why effort, experience and diligence are indispensable qualities. even the cat noticed.

[@michaelbenoit248]

I love cats so much, the last scene of the cat on the wheel was the best with him meowing. We have an 18lb Tom & he’s a really good snuggler kitty, but if he’s in the bed first he’s a good snuggle kitty.

[@StumpGamer]

as a skater, watching them press in the bearings was painful

[@die1459]

very

[@MrCrapheadist]

Lol. Same here. Also they are supposed to go much deeper than flush with the outside of the wheel. Haha skater nerd alert

[@StumpGamer]

+brandon caleb that's what I meant

[@Daniel-bt7be]

Yeah it was deeply unsettling seeing it half in like that. But without a pair of trucks to push up against it'd a pain to get it seated properly ya know

[@ysg]

I'm not a skater, what kind of wheels and bearings are those and what is the proper way to press them in? I want to build a miniature exercise wheel for my cat.

[@PopRocksV]

Oh hey guys... don't mind me creeping in the background... -Norm....

[@Gwyllion12]

This is so satisfying. Thank you!

[@thcoura]

how patient this guy is. cool

[@wollinger]

THIS is the ultimate prove that someone is a crazy cat lady!