Pinwheel Fix

thingiverse

As I was putting on a replacement washer, cut out of thin plastic, my pinwheel pin broke. So I turned the mast upside-down, just a straight-shaft, no molded-head, and designed this pinwheel head around the mast. It worked really well the first time. Had to smooth out the mast-socket part of the print with a drill bit so it weathervanes easily. The flat top of the mast socket and the rounded head of the mast makes for low friction. Use Fusion 360 to customize this for your pinwheel or mast. Print the pinwheel-fix upside-down, relative to gravity, and add thin supports under the pinwheel pin. This makes for a stronger pin. I used 0.20mm layer height for this and 25% infill. 5 top & bottom layers. You'll have to rotate the washer and print it flat flat clearly - sorry. The washer printed well with no perimeters and Rectilinear bottom and top infill. 0.15mm layer height (0.15 bottom layer too) for the washer, which makes for four layers of cris-cross fibers and a strong washer. I gave it no clearance, so it will be too-tight, but stay put better. You could add an offset in the washer sketch and add some clearance if you like, or make it bigger. The mast-socket is 7.3mm diameter. The pinwheel large pin is 5mm, the smaller tip part 3mm. There is one parameter in f3d: WallThickness - it defines the outer part of the base. Originally, I was going to adapt to the old pin-base, but it was too tedious, and I realized I could get weathervaning for free. It works great! CAUTION: It does rely on gravity to keep the pinwheel head on the mast, so, it's probably not for kids running around, or high winds. Someone else will have to modify the head and add a retainer so it swivels but stays on the mast. Maybe a pin that would ride in a notch in the mast? Who knows go for it! :)