Using wheels other then flex wheels for flywheel

[Connor-91917B]

Hi! I am currently trying to make a flywheel, but i am not able to get any flexwheels until August, and have a tournament on aug 2nd. I am wondering if anyone has had success making one, and if so, how? Thank you!

[Benn]

Use traction wheels for a replacement for flex wheels, many teams in NBN and TP have had success using them.

Wrapping rubber bands around them might be useful to increase grip.

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[YesSir]

also, because the disks are foam, you don’t need to worry about normal wheels not having enough compression

[Sam_9364E]

In my experience, regular traction wheels with or without bands or custom traction wheels made out of a wheel/gear and sticky foam strips and wrapped in bands have worked better/have been easier to use than flex wheels. I think a lot of people saw flex wheels and were initially prone to using them since they are new for a flywheel game and they have the “most” grip. But personally, I have gotten better results from regular wheels than flex wheels, after trying lots of different types of wheels including different sizes of flex wheels. Flex wheels can work though, you just may have to make some modifications to get the best out of them. (also btw, flex wheels aren’t necessarily the best option for spinning rollers either )

[amogus]

I think those are used because they don’t expand like flex wheels.

[shadow]

Would you say weight matters when it comes to wheels? Will the heavy wheel have a tougher time to speed up will a lighter wheel be more ideal? Or based on your results it doesn’t matter.

[AlecMiller]

@shadow

Would you say weight matters when it comes to wheels? Will the heavy wheel have a tougher time to speed up will a lighter wheel be more ideal? Or based on your results it doesn’t matter.

Look up a thing called “angular momentum”

The purpose of a flywheel is to take the rotational motion (spinning) of the flywheel and convert it into linear motion (shooting across the field) of the disc. When the flywheel starts to accelerate the disc, some of the angular momentum (spinning energy) of the flywheel is transferred to the disc to speed it up. This slows down the flywheel a little bit.

So, if you want to ensure that you can speed the disc up consistently, do you want the flywheel to be lighter, or heavier? Which will be less affected getting the disc up to speed?

Or maybe think of it another way, you have a car sitting still and another car crashes into the back of it. Which will make the car in front move more, a small smart car, or a Hummer?