# Ferris Wheel Assembly

Build a motorised brick Ferris wheel, from baseplate to turning wheel, step by step

By George Harrington

Topic: Home & DIY

[Open the interactive Jig](https://ask.jig.com/j/0kbRV66K4ysC)

## Guide

### 1. Ferris Wheel Assembly

Here is everything you need to build a little motorised Ferris wheel: a baseplate, a controller, a motor, a tower and the pieces of the wheel\. Tap any piece to see its name\. Drag to turn the view\.

The first Ferris wheel, built in Chicago in 1893, was 80 metres tall and carried 36 cars\.

### 2. 1 · Set Out the Base

Press the controller, the light cube and the boarding steps onto the white baseplate\. The controller is the brain: it holds the battery and tells the motor what to do\. Push each piece down until its studs grip\.

### 3. 2 · Raise the Tower

Stand the yellow lattice tower and the red tower bricks side by side\. Together they make the tall support that holds the wheel up off the table\.

Big Ferris wheels stand on steel towers the same way\.

### 4. 3 · Cap the Tower

Lay the orange wedge plate across the top of both towers\. It locks them together and makes a flat shelf for the motor\.

### 5. 4 · Add the Motor

Set the white motor on the shelf with its round blue output facing the front\. The motor is what will turn the wheel\.

### 6. 5 · Slide In the Axle

Push the black axle into the cross\-shaped hole in the middle of the motor’s output\. An axle is the rod the wheel turns around\.

### 7. 6 · Make a Plus Sign

Now build the wheel lying flat\. Lay the four green plates on the purple round plate so they point out like a plus sign\. These are the wheel’s spokes, the arms that reach out from the middle\.

### 8. 7 · Lock the Hub, Add the Pins

Press the second purple plate, the green round brick and the orange cone onto the middle to lock the arms in place\. Then press a white plate with a pin onto the end of each arm\.

### 9. 8 · Mount the Wheel

Stand the wheel up and slide its middle onto the axle, cone facing you\. Now the motor and the wheel are joined\.

### 10. 9 · Hang the Gondolas

Hook a gondola onto each pin by the hole in its red tab\. Each gondola hangs from one point, so it can swing freely\.

### 11. Ride Time\!

When the motor runs, the wheel turns, but the gondolas stay level\. Gravity pulls each one straight down as it swings on its pin, just like the cars on a real Ferris wheel\. Your riders are waiting\!