Spin Art Machine
 

Anyone else have a spin art machine? What kinds of inks and/or paints do you use with it?

I got a small one at Rite Aid a few summers ago and it worked pretty well. Got a larger one for my birthday this summer and have had a blast playing with it. It was delightfully messy to clean!

Anyway, anyone interested in seeing some of what I did check it out here:
This and That from Here: Make-A-Thing-A-Week Year begins - Week .5 - Spin Art

Any hints and tips anyone else has would be most welcome.

Sue A.

aka icemoosey

We have two spin art machines. One is battery operated and if you use it in a dark room it lights up in funky colors. It came with 4 paint bottles - all primary colors - AND glitter which was gorgeous when sprinkled over the spinning paint. I really love your samples! I think I might be more inclined to create my own spin art if I bought some more interesting colors. Thanks for the inspiration!

The other machine we have is "powered" by continually sqeezing a handle on the side of the bow. It requires a little coordination, but my kids are slowly mastering it and I feel like it's a more "active" experience for them. I also like that it's not yet another battery operated toy. It also has a plastic shield that prevents the paint from splattering outside of the bowl. It's also much easier to clean than the electric model. I think it's made by the children's craft supply company called "Alex."

I had a spin art machine when I was a kid too. Brings back lots of memories for me!

I don't have one; but I would love one! I have GREAT memories of making spin art at the county fair every year with my best friend!

I was so excited when they became available to the general public; or at least when I finally noticed they were available. I just don't have a good reason to BUY one...yet..:-)

Hi Cobby!
I did one every year at the fair too. And I had a spin art machine on my Christmas list every year since age 14. I finally gave up waiting and got one. I'm really glad I did.

Hi Ctychick,
I saw those hand pump ones when I was looking at them and thought it might be difficult to maintain an even speed. Looking back, I see that maybe being able to vary the speed would be helpful based on the ink/paint type being used. Some things blob in the center more, some things fly more.

I guess I'll have to play with it more. (Oh no! Play more!)

You can get an even speed if you keep pumping, but the speed is certainly not as consistent as the electric machines. The hand operated version is only about $10. I wouldn't recommend it as your only spin art machine, but if you have an electric one and have a few extra bucks to play with AND are a real spin art fan, LOL!, you might want to give it a try. Worst case scenario - if you lose electricity during a snowstorm this winter, you can still make spin art!! LOL!!!

I seem to remember they were on a glossy paper. would regular poster paint work? I don't have one so I don't really know.

I too made a spin painting at the boardwalk every summer. I wish the fair still did it.

Hi Spin-Art Fans!
In a childs art class that I used to teach, we had to cut corners on a lot of things. The kids LOVED doing spin-art, but it was too pricey to get a machine for each classroom. (we were spread out across the city). What we did instead was we used SALAD SPINNERS! we used to use paper plates, because they were cheap and fit inside the spinners nicely. you put the plate in the bottom of the spinner, add a few drops of paint, then put the lid on and spin. You can do this a number of times until you get the look that you are wanting. You don't have quite the control as you do with one of the 'real' machines, as your art is covered up while spinning, but it does contain the mess really well, and you can find really cheap salad spinners at the dollar store!

Anyways... I just thought I'd throw that in there for someone who doesn't want to justify a 'real' machine!!

Happy Spinning!

I just picked one up last week in a second hand store for $2, battery powered, but quite a painty dried on mess. I took a warm damp cloth and wiped it down and the painty almost instantly started peeling and wiping off. 10 minutes later, it looked like new. The paint bottles were empty, but the batteries were still in it and the thing worked beautifully...even found 2 new unopened batteries in the box for the next change. Whatta deal! :)

Anyway...has anyone tried using ink refill on these? I am thinking about trying it, probably adding a bit of water to try to match SU colors for cards...if I don't hear, I'll try and report back here!

Cheryl

My husband built a spin-art machine out of a large bucket (maybe 5 gallon) and an old fan motor. he made it so it would hold a 6" square piece of paper/cardstock. He made it to use at one of our kid's school carnivals. It works great!
I've used everything from craft acrylics (Apple Barrel, etc...) to cheap kids paint.
i wonder if alcohol inks would work....I'll have to try it!
I think reinkers would create a nice effect.

Oh, the possibilities!

Yep, I used ink refills - they worked pretty well. I only had 2 colors at the time - red and black. Both were SU You can see samples here:

This and That from Here: Make-A-Thing-A-Week Year begins - Week .5 - Spin Art

Also used alcohol inks, glitter glue (Crayola) and acrylic paints.

Happy experimenting!

Alcohol inks worked really well! I also used ink refills - they worked pretty well too but I only had 2 colors at the time - red and black. Both were SU.

You can see samples here, although they do look better in person:

This and That from Here: Make-A-Thing-A-Week Year begins - Week .5 - Spin Art

Also glitter glue (Crayola) and acrylic paints.

Happy experimenting!

What an awesome idea!! I'm hitting the dollar store tonight!

-Sue

What a hoot! If we lose power it'll probably be dark too so it'll be mystery spin art until daylight arrives! :-D