I think the Skater Mini is an amazing product, and, you have built a replica for around $47? Let me send you some money, dude. I need one until I can afford the real deal.
In a way you are right, but also the whats important is to keep the camera as low on the 'ground' as possible. So to be able to get low angles when doing product or food shots. I also exported the top shot of the mini skater into my corel draw and made sure that the wheels are in the same position. Mine is made of wood also. Its almost finished and I'll post it in a while.
With three wheels, each which can be set at independent angles, my Mini-Skater can pivot on a central axis, go straight ahead, or pivot around a defined arc (like the inside diameter of a round table).
It doesn't seem to depend on having a hunk cut from one side of the triangle or the distance between the wheels. If you can pivot on a point - AND go straight - then you could variably define an outward or inward spiral as well.
your observation that the wheels with "larger axis of rotation" has lesser tendency to spin around actually inspired me to mount the circular wheel holders by "sandwhiching" the rims, gosh what a term, the concept works like the original ps technik.
Thanks for posting your design.
I drew them in solidworks and output the file to my companys rapid prototype machine it creates the part from ABS.
Sorry I can not make anymore, just a heads up because a number have people have asked me to make them sets