Start with a 36" fan from Lowe's, about $220. We removed the blade and had a local machine shop fabricate an adapter for the shaft with a 24" plate to hold the foamcore "easel" on which I'll attach canvas or paper.
We fashioned a brake using a standard bicycle brake, cable and lever. About $30. I found that once spinning, the centrifugal force from the weight of the shaft adapter, foamcore and canvas would keep the motor spinning for a significant time. The brake allows me to stop the motor quickly and maintain the paint pattern.
I snapped this photo with the foamcore platform in motion. I used industrial strength velcro to attach the foamcore to the spinning plate, making for easy removal. There is no canvas on here at the moment, the paint you see is residual from the spin art process. You'll also notice a well-spattered cardboard wall. Howard didn't want me painting the garage, only the canvas. In my next blog, I'll post some spin art I've recently created with this Rube Goldberg.
