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Sliding Sleeve Skate Spinner!
Here’s a free marketing idea for enterprising folk. Sell a “Sliding Sleeve Skate Spinner” ($59.99, since the high end Gold Medal Spinner Pro is $49.99, and this works better). Sell a 1 m square of linoleum as a “Sliding Sleeve Skate Spinning Surface” for another $39.99, or better still, a square of hardwood for $39.99, and floor wax as a “Sliding Sleeve Skate Spinner Lubricant”, for $29.99 (1 month supply, of course). Background Some time back I bought a skate spinner (also called a spin trainer - two plates with a bearing between them; you stand on it and practice spins) which didn’t work cause the bearing was bad. Needed all my weight to spin, and it kept stopping at one point in the rotation. Tried cleaning it out, and re-lubing it, and now it spins easily – except at that one point. I recently saw one of the same brand and model (very common, but I don't want a libel suit) in a store that spun perfectly, with or without full weight. Came back the next week to buy it. Was sold, but they had another. It also had a bad bearing, spun with friction. Obviously the manufacturing quality varies. Besides, they get dirty, and stop working. They were too cheap to use a sealed bearing. These things are nothing but a turntable bearing (also called a spinner or swivel), with added mounting plates. Bill Scheider, who sometimes posts here, has a home-made device here: http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~schneidw/...e_spinner.html I started thinking about ways of improving the device. Sealed turntable bearings can be bought that WON’T get dirty, for about $3-5. With a floor standing spinner your foot has to be in exactly the right place, and you can’t easily step into a spin or jump. A little off, and you fly off to one side. (I’ve tried the blue plastic one too (no bearings - just a plastic piece you step on that has a shape on the bottom that will rotate against a floor) – again it is hard to place your foot at the right point, and you need a surface to spin on so it doesn’t wreck the floor.) So find a way to attach it to a shoe. Even better, mount a little swivel along a blade guard, and do it _with_ your skates on. You should be able to slide it into the place you want to spin. That's an idea almost good enough to sell. I probably should have patented it. Then the obvious idea came to light. Put on a sock. Spin on the linoleum kitchen floor. Oh my god. It feels almost like the ice, with just a little more friction. Step into it. Jump from it. Works. Practice 3 turns. Sort of works. Switched to a synthetic sock - more slippery than cotton or wool. Still better. Now that I think of it, I’ve seen people practice routines in socks – not even an original idea. Oh my G--. Why would anyone waste money on a commercial spinner? But they do. I did. Twice, if you count the plastic one. With a little hype, and a some confusing gobbledygook, you should have no trouble marketing a sock for an outrageous price. Should you charge more for a "left" or "right" sliding sleaze (I mean sleeve) skate spinner? Can anyone think of a way to make it more slippery? (A better Sliding Sleeve Skate Spinner Lubricant?) (Magnetic levitation? Nah, costs too much to make. One sock, manufacturing cost a few pennies, $59.99, just right.) Last edited by Query; 02-02-2008 at 04:08 PM. |
#2
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Better yet (discovered by accident by me not too long ago)
1. laminate floor, approximately 3x3 feet 2. bottle of silicone-based lubricant from your local drug store 3. pair of synthetic socks Drip luscious amounts of lubricant upon laminate floor, wipe out over the entire surface and spin. Backspins have never felt closer to being on an outside edge off-ice before! not sure if it'll work on a linoleum surface, it might. That being said, I still use my gold medal spinner anyway. |
#3
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>discovered by accident by me
Oh oh. Now we all have a mental picture. Do tell! >That being said, I still use my gold medal spinner >anyway. You must have found one with good low friction bearings. Why do you still use it - what is better about it? I was thinking about finding a teflon spray (both surfaces) or grease, or a teflon sock. Is silicone grease a better lubricant? |
#4
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i did a 2-rev scratch spin on a bowling floor in bowling shoes today. it was practically like ice... so if you know how they make that...
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the toepick is your friend |
#5
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It's possible mine is from a different factory? I got mine from Austria and I know for example the Graf skates sold here in Europe are not from the same factory as those sold in Canada for example?
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The spinner gives me more stability, though for the life of me I can't spin on it without shoes (better yet, boots) and an ankle brace. That was the case long before I broke my ankle and my naturally "mobile" joints might have something to do with that (uhm, as in, the muscles are what's holding all of my hand- and feet joints together, not the ligaments, which isn't so great because it causes extra wear on the knees). Also I like the spinner because I can feel my body's axis/gravity centre on it. |
#6
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my coach says gold spinner is useless-the plastic "paddle" is better
I was asking my coach about spinners and showed him my circular gold spinner. He said it doesn't do much for you because it doesn't require you to keep your balance.
He strongly favors the blue "paddle" with the rocker, so that you get the feel of having to find the sweet spot. For what it's worth. |
#7
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Skate@Delaware Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter! |
#8
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Nope, I struggle too. I think it's how you use it. You're *supposed* to put the ball of the foot in the middle. But if you put your entire foot down on the thing, well yeah then there's not much to it.
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#9
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My cats and I find a polished floor much better, I end up falling of these gadgets and scaring the life out of them.
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#10
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I have a plastic paddle spinner which is wonderful for practising turns on, as you can almost believe you're on an edge.
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Mrs Redboots ~~~~~~~~ I love my computer because my friends live in it! Ice dancers have lovely big curves! |
#11
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but I digress!!! I stopped spinning on my kitchen floor-it's tiny and the cabinets are hard when I hit them (OUCH)!!!
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Skate@Delaware Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter! |
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