It’s a skill that takes practice – how much pressure to put where, to keep the teeth engaged but not push too hard, developing a feel for which directions to push in, allowing the rotating wheel to speak to your hand. I started so young that it’s intuitive, so breaking it down into motions involves a lot of awareness-building.

That said, the newer Spirograph sets sometimes have a bit of warp in the wheels which make it more difficult than the vintage sets. Wild Gears is better in that regard as the material is heavier. But the gears can still jump, especially if the table isn’t perfectly flat or if you aren’t using it. Keep trying.

Thanks! Yes, especially if the ring is a bit warped as these ones tend to be, it helps to use lots of putty. Thanks for mentioning it.