Gear Bearing Hand Spinner Toy

thingiverse

UPDATE 2017-06-02: Due to popular demand, I've uploaded the STL for the ninja star version seen in the video. Be careful of the pointy tips! You can see a video of the spinners in action here: https://youtu.be/e5lha6vckdI Recently, I've wanted to make one of those hand spinner / fidget toys. I think the easiest and most sensible way is to get some skate bearings and build one with those... However, I don't like the easy route, and I'm not very sensible... so I wanted to see if it was possible to make one using Thingiverse user emmett's gear bearings to make a hand spinner. (I've always loved the gear bearing. It was one of the first things I ever 3D printed.) I think the resulting spinners look pretty cool, since you can see the gears in action. They spin OK, but definitely do not spin as well as skate bearing ones... I think they spin well enough to use as a fidget toy. The more I spin it, the smoother its motion seems to get... So, spinning it to make it spin better is becoming an unhealthy obsession for me. (Must... Spin... It... NOW!) So, I have uploaded 2 versions - A 7 Gear version and a 6 Gear version. (Note: Each version has its own version of the top/bottom caps (to account for differences in the spinner's thickness). There are some subtle differences between the two... For the 7 Gear version: This was my attempt to make a hand spinner that was my personal ideal size. I made the bearing thinner/smaller using the Customizer, and then added the fins. This version seems to be quite difficult to "break in" (i.e. get it to move for the first time). It may be a more difficult print... but I like this version more personally. For the 6 Gear version: This version uses Gear Bearings very similar to one of emmett's provided defaults. I think this one is much easier to "break in". So, I think this is an easier print. However, this hand spinner is a bit chunkier than the other version. It still feels fine to hold though! With both versions... After you get them off the printer, you will need to break the gear bearing in. You will need to twist it hard using an allen key to get the gears moving. At this point, the bearing will still be super stiff. Once the gears are moving, I use a hand drill to spin the bearing very fast. This seems to loosen the bearing quickly and makes it spin much better. (If you are dedicated, you can hand spin it until it is loose, but it will be a lot of spinning!!) There are caps that you can print and attach. You will need to use a dab of super glue to attach the "top cap" onto the axel from the "bottom cap". The caps make it feel nicer to hold and spin, but are completely optional. It works fine without the caps. If you print one, post a picture as a Made object. Let me know how yours spin! As I said, I think a skate bearing one will spin better, but it's fun to make fully 3D printed stuff, right? And printing moving parts that come assembled straight off the print bed is fun too! Have fun! (Maybe this will be a good last minute Christmas Gift for a fidgety office colleague!) Print Settings Printer Brand: Up! Printer: Up Plus2 Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.15 Infill: Solid Notes: I print this solid, and at the slowest speed and highest resolution that my printer does. I do this to make the gear bearing part as precise as possible. However it will probably work OK at faster speeds. I print this with supports. To make the fins nicer to hold, I tapered them. This means the edges do not touch the print bed. So supports are needed for those. (The gear bearing itself is flat on the print bed and does not need supports.)