Chris Searle
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Test 3d print spinner
2017-07-04 3D Printing - Laser Cutting - CNC
3d printingfidget spinnerspinnerfusion360simplify3d

So - the kids are taken by the current fidget spinner craze.

I have to say that personally - they seem like simple gyroscopes - but OK - they think they're interesting.

So - what can we do with that to make it more interesting (and perhaps just a little educational)?

Well - how about we design and make our own?

Test run

So - I got around to a test run this evening - so that at least it looks vaguely like I know what I'm talking about when working through one with the kids.

Some design points:

only one centre bearing - I'm not going to spend loads of cash on something used to weight the outside
weights are simple ball bearings - 8mm - bought in a 100pc lot off aliexpress.

For the test I designed a simple 5 arm spinner in Fusion360. Space for a bearing in the center, and weights around the edge.

Section through the spinner showing bearing and caps from Fusion 360
Render from Fusion 360

For the caps - I re-did the locking caps from a youtube video from the 3D Printing Nerd, again - modelled in Fusion360 (see video at end of post).

Then it was a case of print and put together. Photo shows the assembled spinner and a bearing (since that's hidden inside the caps).

Finished spinner with bearing

My son at least is very keen to design his own spinner now - and also thinks that perhaps Dad is just possibly a little cool :)

He's also impressed with a 52 second spin time (very informal test) - I have no idea if that's good or not - but he liked it.

So - success - he's interested in doing some 3d modelling with me - which can't be a bad thing :)

Video from Joel/3D Printing Nerd showing the locking caps

Video: Penny Spinner