Introducing Wild Gears
This photo sequence will show you some of my first experiences with Wild Gears. It’s Spirograph on steroids! Click on any picture to enlarge.
Note that I’m using tiny bits of Spiro Putty, or poster putty
Aaron Bleackley’s Wild Gears Kickstarter campaign includes a video, and will give you a good overview of the project.
I have some questions:
is there an user’s manual included in this kit?
Do Wild Gears fit to Spirograph?
Thanks!
No and no. Wild Gears’ teeth are bigger. As for a guide, I do have a chart of the number of points in a pattern developed by a wheel and a ring with any given number of teeth, that I’ve been developing with help from Aaron and some other info I found online, which is here: https://spirographicart.com/expanded-table-points-drawing-hypotrochoids-epitrochoids/
I’ll also keep making posts about patterns.
But remember this is not a mass-produced product, and the customer base is more specialized. Part of the fun is discovering what it can do.
I’m also working on a long article comparing Wild Gears and Spirograph – coming soon. There are lots of differences!
Thank you very much for your answer. I’m looking forward to read the article comparing Wild Gears and Spirograph. And I’m looking forward to playing with Wild Gears as well!
I’m drawing with Kahootz Spirograph (from Amazon) and two vintage Spirographs (Cyclograph and Spirograph Plus, from eBay) and I have a lot of fun (I’m 50 year old!)
There – just for you (and lots of other readers, I hope) I finished it up and added some pictures. (And I’m older than you!) Here’s the direct link: https://spirographicart.com/2014/07/30/wild-gears-different-spirograph/
I read it just now, thank you!
I have been pondering the best way to store my Wild Gears. First I was considering gluing some cardboard to the back of the acrylic “frames” to make trays out of them for the gears, but then quickly realised that this wouldn’t work as I would need them free to work as the “rings” in a regular spirograph set. At the moment I am leaning towards creating some cardboard envelopes for them, with a heavy card backing layer and a thinner card top layer to help keep everything in place. I was thinking of storing the little donut hole size adjusters in a separate zip-lock bag so that they don’t get lost.
Have you had any bright ideas?
No bright ideas yet, but it’s been nagging me. I cleaned off my late father’s big old oak desk, and it’s pretty well dedicated to Spirograph and Wild Gears right now. The frames are leaning up against it vertically, ready to use, and the gears are spread out over the table. It would be nice to categorize the wheels somehow – round ones, shaped ones, small ones, big ones. Maybe some big ziplock bags for the big ones, small bags for the small ones, and when in use, a small dish for the teeny ones and donuts. I think I’d want something I can see the gears through. Let me know what you come up with.
Ideally, if you had the space, you could arrange them like a well-organized carpentry workshop, with each gear hanging on a peg over the outline of its shape. 🙂
Hi Heather,
I am thinking of purchasing some Wild Gears, maybe two sheets. Do you have any recommendations as to which ones would make a good starter set? I already have a vintage Spirograph set and love it. Thanks for the great blog, your art is inspiring.
I have the Combo #1: Full Page Gear Set and Strange Shapes Gear Set, and I’m very happy with my choice. I haven’t even come close to exploring the full potential. Thanks for the kudos! Have fun, and feel free to share your work when you’re ready!
I’ve just noticed that Aaron is doing a 2.0 version of the Wild Gears system, and has a Kickstarter campaign that ends in 36 hours. He is making some design improvements to the existing shapes, as well as adding some new ones. See https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/465068187/wild-gears-20-reinventing-the-spirograph before the campaign ends.
Thanks for the alert! I’ll write a blog post about it so subscribers can find out.
I am thinking of purchasing a Wild Gears set. I have several vintage and new Spirograph sets including a Super Spirograph and several odd spin-offs. I’m a bit baffled by the different packages of Wild Gears and am not sure where to start. Would the Compact Set be a good way of dipping my toe in the water, especially as Wild Gears seem to be (justifiably) pricey? Thanks.
Yes, definitely! In fact, I’m currently working on (finishing up) a video of “unboxing” the Compact Gear Set. It can do the main things that are unique about Wild Gears, in a small package. Parallel lines, wheel-within-a-wheel etc. Aaron selected gear numbers that work well together (making patterns with smaller numbers of points because they have common factors) and put it together in a 7×7″ package that you can store in a large baggie. I’m editing what I recorded already, and as I play further with the set, I’m thinking I’ll have to do a follow-up video. Or several.
Thank you, I look forward to watching the video. Luckily I have a birthday in just over a month and am hoping that a friend of mine might treat me to the set 🙂