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Interesting, the Torofluxus looks like a fun thing to make - if anyone has details on how it's constructed, post up in the comments...
The Torofluxus was invented in the early 1990s by Jochen Valett, then a 70 year old artist and craftsman near Hamburg, Germany. A thirty foot long ribbon of fine "flat spring steel" is woven into a torus and the ends spot welded. When attached to a plastic core, it flows downwards gripping onto the core and shimmering like a silver bubble.
Torofluxus - Link.
Thanks R!
Judging from the video, played in super-slow-mo, one could construct the bubble out of a steel slinky that has been cut, rewound, and spot welded. To make one: take a steel slinky. Cut the metal banding that keeps you from putting an eye out off of the two ends of the slinky and cut off a dozen or two turns. Then stack up one complete turn. Next, pull the balance of the slinky around and through the inside of the loop you are holding. Hold onto the new turn you just added so that you are now holding two turns. Repeat until you have the metal portion of the toroflexus in your hand. Don't drop until it is on something as I suspect it will go "sproing" and nuke your hard work. (Though I could be wrong about that last part). Well, I'm off to Target for supplies. :-)
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There is also a simple version of this that gets different results. The other version is sold as a toy. The toy consists of a circle of steel the same size as the plastic tubing in this picture but instead of the spring it uses a little washer-like peice of metal. When spun just like this one it vibrates the washer on the unit and you can play with it just like this.
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Target was unsuccessful. Any makers know of a store in Phoenix, AZ that sells slinkys?
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You can buy slinky's at any cracker barrel restaraunt. There's one off chandler road and the I-10, among several around the valley. They have a gift shop at the entrance full of vintage toys and candies.
Hope that helps,
Ncinerate (in Tempe, AZ)
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In my search for a slinky for an unrelated squirrel thwarting project I found that I had to go to Toys-R-Us to get one. Target and Walmart were both busts.
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the torofluxus looks a lot like a mobius ball made in chainmaille but mobius balls are made of individual rings. I guess in theory you can make a torofluxus with the same method as a mobius ball but with a slinky....yeah XD.
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