Jun 22, 2017 | By Tess
Fidget spinners have been all the rage in 2017, entertaining and relieving stress for both children and adults alike. If you don’t already have one, we highly suggest getting your fingers on one. And while you could go into your local shop (really, pretty much everywhere is selling these things) to buy a fidget spinner to fulfil your spinning needs, why not take the DIY approach and 3D print one of these awesome and creative fidget spinners, brought to you by the maker community.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #1: Classic Tri Fidget Spinner
To start things off, here is a classic 3D printed fidget spinner, one that resembles the sort that are mass produced and sold at drug stores. Designed by Thingiverse user 2ROBOTGUY, the Tri Fidget Spinner Toy has gained lots of likes, makes, and remixes on the 3D model platform.
While most parts of this fidget spinner are 3D printed, you’ll need a few ball bearings to complete the toy. 2ROBOTGUY suggests 608ZZ Shielded 8 x 22 x 7 Miniature Ball Bearings,” and notes that the center bearing could benefit from being switched to a 608ZZ/C Ceramic Ball Bearing to increase spin time.
In terms of print settings, the fidget spinner parts should be 3D printed at a resolution of 0.15 mm, 100%, and with 6 shells. The toy parts do not require rafts or supports.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #2: Cat Zoetrope Fidget Spinner
Having established what your classic 3D printed fidget spinner will look like, let’s move on to what might be the zaniest make on this list, a 3D printed cat zoetrope fidget spinner. That’s right. Not only is this a fidget spinner toy, but it is also a handheld zoetrope, and features one of the internet’s favorite tropes, cats!
Posted on Instructables by JON-A-TRON, the 3D printed zoetrope fidget spinner does require a bit more work to assemble than some of the other makes on this list, but we’d have to say it’s well worth the effort.
The parts required for the device include 2 caps, 2 bearings, 2 wheels, a drum with slits in it, and the frames (which you can always customize if you don’t want a cat animation). For the bearings, JON-A-TRON used 608ZZ Shielded Greased Miniature Ball Bearings (8mm x22mm x7mm).
The 3D printed components were designed by the maker using Fusion 360 and were 3D printed using a MakerBot desktop 3D printer.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #3: Batman Fidget Spinners
Known for his clever devices, Batman would be the superhero to carry around a fidget spinner in his tool belt. You know, to occupy himself on the crime-less days of the week. Would he use a Batman-themed fidget spinner though?
We don’t know—but we certainly would, which is why we’re featuring two Batman-inspired 3D printable fidget spinners on our list.
The first, posted by Heraldo Medeiros on Thingiverse, is shaped like the Batman logo and can be made in two versions: one with three 608 ball bearings (22 mm) or one with one 608 ball bearing and two holes for coins. (It should be noted that Medeiros’ files are designed to fit Brazilian 5 cent coins, which are conveniently 22 mm in diameter).
The 3D printed components of the Batman fidget spinner should be printed with 0.2 mm layers and 50 to 70% infill. No supports are required.
If you’re looking for an alternative, we also suggest checking out this 3D printed Batman-inspired fidget spinner, designed by maker TenDutch.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #4: Micro Single Fidget Spinner
This simple and sleek looking fidget spinner was designed by maker Tim Bolton, who set out to make a more compact spinning toy for his kids. He says of his own design: “I didn't expect it to spin all that good but I was surprised. It spins great and feels very good in your hand.”
The simple 3D printed fidget spinner is made up of just three printed parts and can be assembled with a single 608ZZ bearing. In terms of print settings, Bolton suggests 15% infill. He used white Hatchbox PLA filament to print the spinner’s parts.
If you’re planning on 3D printing the micro single fidget spinner, Bolton also notes that you may have to tweak the scale of the print by a percent or so to make it easier for the bearings to fit.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #5: Geared Fidget Spinner
Do you know what doesn’t grind my gears? Fidget spinners! Here are two 3D printed geared fidget spinners that you can test your printing skills with. It should be noted that both makes are works in progress, and therefore may not be perfect at spinning.
The first, a design by Thingiverse user Evan Kennedy, is made up of six 3D printed parts and five 608 bearings. According to Kennedy, when assembled the fidget spinner might not spin as well as the classic model, but the gears are still captivating to watch.
The second geared fidget spinner is similar to the first, only it was posted by user altognini. You can check out the comments section for tips and tricks to improving the maker’s 3D model.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #6: Pokemon Fidget Spinner
As if fidget spinners weren’t fun enough, a number of makers have gone above and beyond in making some awesome themed spinning toys. Two of our favorite have got to be these Pokemon-inspired fidget spinners.
The more simple of the two, a Pikachu fidget spinner, was designed by Thingiverse user James Robison (aka wingnut2k), and requires three 1/2” ball bearings and one 608 bearing. Printed on a PowerSpec 3D Pro, Robison did not require any rafts or supports and used a 0.2 mm resolution and 50% infill. If you’ve got a young Pokemon fan in your life, you can always scale the print down a bit and fit it with slightly smaller bearings.
Next, we’ve got a very cool 3D printed Pokeball fidget spinner, courtesy of TheDesignerd. As he says, “This is the craze of 2016 and the craze of 2017 combined in one beautiful nonsense."
This print is perhaps one of the most complex on our list as it requires quite a few 3D printed parts and a longer assembly process for each of the Pokeballs. Still, we’d say the added effort will be worth the oohs and aahs of your fidget spinner-loving friends. For this fidget spinner (and in addition to the 3D printed components) you’ll need three M8 nuts, a 608 bearing, and superglue.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #7: Star Wars Fidget Spinners
In keeping with the franchise-themed fidget spinners, we’re excited to present a few Star Wars inspired fidget spinners which are sure to thrill fans of the force.
First off, we’ve got a Tie fighter fidget spinner by maker Drew Lentz. The simple fidget spinner is comprised of just a few 3D printed parts and can be assembled with a standard 608 bearing. The 3D printed components should be printed at 3 shells with 100% infill. If you’ve got the time, you can even combine black and grey filaments like Lentz did for a cooler effect.
Alternately, you can also check out this series of 3D printed Star Wars fidget spinners which were remixed from Star Wars snowflake designs. For the complete collection, you’ll have to print a Yoda, Kylo Ren, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Death Star, Tie fighter, storm trooper, and more!
Most of the fidget spinners in the Star Wars collection use 608 bearings.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #8: Cat Fidget Spinner
Next on our list is this customizable cat fidget spinner, made by Lucina M. Basically, makers can customize how many cat heads they want on their fidget spinner (between two and five) as well as the type of weight. For the latter, makers can choose from a standard 608 bearing, or 5/16", 3/8", 1/2", M8, M10, or M12 hex nuts; and 3/8", 1/2", or 5/8" loose ball bearings.
The scalable feline fidget spinner is too adorable not to print!
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #9: BioHaz Fidget Spinner
For those less into cutesy toys, this BioHaz fidget spinner might be more up your alley. Inspired by the universal “biohazard symbol,” the edgy fidget spinner must look awesome in action.
To make the BioHaz fidget spinner, you’ll need three 14 mm ball bearings (which act as weights), as well as a standard, hybrid ceramic, or full ceramic bearing measuring 8 x 22 x 7 (or 7 x 22 x 7). Maker Paul Shax recommends heading up the 3D printed spinner before inserting the bearings, as they might be quite tight.
Printing on a Malyan M150, Shax used 0.2 to 0.1 mm resolution, 50% infill, and no rafts or supports.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #10: LED Fidget Spinner
One way to make any toy better? Put some lights on it! And that’s just what a few innovative makers have done.
One maker, by the username of “acuralegendz”, demonstrates how you can make your own LED fidget spinner using only a 3D printed frame, a battery holder, 608ZZ bearings, and a couple of LEDs. As the maker explains, you simply have to solder the LEDs to leads on the battery holder, which can then be bent to be flat and the LEDs can be poked through the fidget spinner’s holes.
For the 3D printed component, the maker recommends 0.2 mm resolution and an infill of 100%.
Another option is this RGB LED fidget spinner by Thingiverse user Milosch Meriac (aka FoolsDelight). For his version, you’ll need a 3D printed casing, along with 11 RGB LEDs with blinking and/or rainbow effects, one bearing, two Sparkfun LilyPad CR2032 battery holders, colored wires, and isolation tape.
While a video demo of Meriac’s light-up fidget spinner looks pretty good, the maker says his project is still a working progress.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #11: Penny Fidget Spinner
If you’ve been looking for something to do with your leftover pennies, this 3D printed fidget spinner could be a good solution. The make, designed by 2ROBOTGUY, uses twelve pennies, (four for each arm) as the weights. Not only is the fidget spinner more DIY than some others (you won’t have to buy any steel bearings, for instance), but it also has an amazing copper sheen when it spins.
2ROBOTGUY shows fellow makers how they can recreate his penny fidget spinner in a video, and offers some handy tips such as weighing the pennies to ensure they are of equal weight, choosing the shiniest pennies for the top, and using only a small amount of superglue to stick them into the spinner.
If you’re not a fan of the penny aesthetic, you can always opt to 3D print penny spinner caps which can be put in place of the top penny.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #12: Double Decker Fidget Spinner
For double the spinning action, we recommend checking out this Double Decker fidget spinner by maker Carl Johnson. The two-tiered spinner is a remix of his previous Minimal In-Line Spinner, and reportedly offers “extra spin” because of the added weight.
Like most of the fidget spinners on this list, the double decker version uses 608 bearings. Johnson has also included a selection of different peg designs (both of which work well, he says).
For the 3D printed components, the maker suggests 0.2 mm resolution and does recommend supports for the spinner body. An infill of minimum 40% is suggested for strength.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #13: Marble Fidget Spinner
Here is another good DIY fidget spinner, especially if you’ve got some marbles lying around. Created by Adam Gehl, the marble fidget spinner only requires a 3D printed frame (downloadable for free on Thingiverse), five standard sized marbles, and a longboard ball bearing.
Though the maker does not specify, we imagine you’d have to glue the marbles onto the frame to secure them during spinning. For the right scale, Gehl says the model has to be laid flat in the slicing software and the z-axis height has to be adjusted to 7mm. He also says not to print at any less than 70% speed.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #14: Adafruit Fidget Spinner
Adafruit has seldom disappointed us with its fun 3D printed projects, and its Adafruit flower fidget spinner is no exception. The toy, which is described in a detailed tutorial, is made up of a 3D printed flower frame, 3D printed finger rests, and a 608ZZ bearing.
One thing the tutorial does mention that other makes do not is that your DIY fidget spinner might actually work better if you clean out and re-lubricate the ball bearing. The Ruiz Brothers suggest using something like “Reel Butter” or another synthetic lubrication to get your fidget spinner spinning more than ever.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #15: Triplex Fidget Spinner
Next on our list is the Triplex fidget spinner, a subtle spin on the classic tri spinner. The 3D printed toy was designed by Thingiverse user Sean Hodgins, who was also responsible for the $5 fidget spinner Kickstarter campaign.
If you’re up for making your own Triplex fidget spinner you’ll simply need your 3D printer, some filament, and four standard skateboard bearings (22 mm). As the maker says, “happy spinning!”
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #16: Dual Wave Fidget Spinner
Next up is the 3D printed Dual Wave Fidget Spinner created by maker Matthew Morrow. The simple design (if you haven’t guessed from the name) only has two ends, sort of resembling a wavy rod. But, as we know, as long as both sides are balanced and there’s room for a bearing and weights, it will spin!
For this make you’ll again just need a 3D printer, some filament, and three 608ZZ bearings. Morrow says the holes for the bearings on the 3D printed frame might need some sanding down to fit the bearings, but otherwise it should be a straightforward print.
Using a 5th generation MakerBot Replicator, Morrow did use rafts but did not require supports. If you want the best spin possible, he also suggests checking out ceramic or hybrid ceramic bearings (though if you’re on a budget, best to stick to steel).
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #17: Knurled Tri Spinner
If you’re finding that your fidget spinner is slipping out of your hand too easily, we highly suggest checking out this 3D printed Knurled Fidget Spinner, created by 3DCentralVA. The DIY fidget spinner, which is notable for its rough knurled edges, can easily be made at home on your own 3D printer.
You’ll simply need to 3D print the spinner frame and the peg cap, and install four 608ZZ bearings. The peg cap is a notable feature because not only does it let users hold the fidget spinner in their fingers (as most do), but the slightly protruding peg makes it possible to do loads of spinning tricks, and makes it easier to transfer the spinner between hands.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #18: Mini Fidget Spinner
If you have to spin discreetly (say, maybe fidget spinners have been banned at school or the office) this mini fidget spinner might be able to fly under the radar.
Compared to many of the 3D printed fidget spinner toys on this list, this tiny fidget spinner requires a fair amount of printing and assembly, as it is made up of five 3D printed parts: a pin cap, pin, two outer layers for the body, and one middle layer. Aside from the pin which was 3D printed at 70 mm/s, all other parts were printed at 35 mm/s, with 100% infill and 0.2 mm resolution.
For the assembly, you’ll need a MR74 miniature ball bearing, 8mm Ball bearings, and some super glue to keep all the printed parts together.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #19: Newton Fidget Spinner
The most important thing about making a fidget spinner is ensuring that it is balanced and can maintain a center of mass—it is this that ensures that your toy gets an even and consistent spin. Usually, this means that the center bearing will be located exactly in the center of the spinner with structures of equal shape and size surrounding.
With this awesome 3D printed Newton fidget spinner, however, that idea is turned upside down. The very uneven looking fidget spinner (still a tri) is apparently perfectly balanced and can spin smoothly thanks to, you know, physics.
Once again, you’ll simply need to 3D print the fidget spinner frame and install four 608ZZ bearings: one in the center and three around. For the bearing caps, the Newton’s designer offers a referral to these 3D printable basic bearing caps.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #20: Ninja Star Fidget Spinner
This next fidget spinner is designed to bring out your inner ninja. Designed by Greek Gadget Guru, the Naruto Shuriken fidget toy hand spinner was inspired by what is possibly the coolest weapon ever: the ninja star.
Obviously, this fidget spinner is not meant for throwing, but it will still look pretty cool spinning between your fingers.
To build your own ninja star fidget spinner you’ll need to 3D print the two components that make it up, a single 608ZZ bearing, and some carbon fiber vinyl wrap, which was used to make the assembled fidget spinner more ninja-chic.
Using a BoxZY 3D printer, Greek Gadget Guru put his settings at 90% infill and 0.1 mm resolution. He did not require supports or rafts for the 3D printed components.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #21: 1/2" Ball Bearings Fidget Spinner
Looking like something out of Beyblade, these 3D printed fidget spinners are quite different than your run of the mill tri spinner. That is, rather than use three evenly spaced weights, these fidget spinners get their weight from numerous 1/2 inch loose ball bearings, which are distributed across a surface.
Designed by Thingiverse user Frank Appio (aka FluxAxiom) on Autodesk Fusion 360, the fidget spinners come in a few varying designs including the “6 ball shuriken,” the “9 ball rotor,” and the “10 ball knuckler.”
You will need a 608 bearing for the spinner’s center, though 1/2” loose ball bearings can be used for the rest of the weights. According to Appio, they can simply be clicked in and do not require glue.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #22: Steel Ball Fidget Spinner
We’ve got another ball-based fidget spinner for you here, only this one requires four large 24mm steel balls instead of many tiny ones.
Posted on Pinshape by maker lydmetalis, the 3D printed fidget spinner is reportedly very heavy to use and is therefore perhaps not suitable for kids. (If you’re looking to build up your spinning muscles, this might just be the gadget for it.)
For the center bearing you will need a standard 608 bearing. Also, you might need to clamp down on the 3D print frame parts once they are assembled to ensure they stick together.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #23: Tri Star Spinner
A spin on the classic tri fidget spinner, this spacey Tri Star Spinner is bound to satisfy your spinning needs. Designed by Jesse Zavitz, the 3D printed fidget spinner can be “dual adapted” to be twice as wide if you want.
The 3D printed components should be printed at 30% infill and at 0.2 mm resolution. The prints do require supports, but no rafts. The parts can be assembled with standard 608 bearings.
Zavitz has also included the SketchUp file for the 3D printed fidget spinner.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #24: Idle Hands Fidget Spinner
You know what they say... the devil makes work with idle hands. If that’s true, best to occupy your idle hands with this occult-inspired fidget spinner. (For those unfamiliar with pagan symbols, this witchy looking fidget spinner actually represents love and fertility!)
This fidget spinner is made up of three 3D printed parts (the frame, the cap bottom, and cap top), all of which can be printed at a 0.2 mm resolution. To assemble the widget spinner you’ll need a standard 608 bearing as well as five M4 nuts, which act as weights around the spinner’s circumference.
Best Fidget Spinner Design/Toy to 3D print #25: One-Piece-Print Fidget Spinner
Last but certainly not least on our list is this one-piece-print fidget spinner that requires only 3D printed parts. That’s right, even the bearings are 3D printed. As maker Murray Clark explains, the all-plastic fidget spinner incorporates four printed bearings which means that it should be able to spin right off the build plate. (You will need to free the printed bearings and add a bit of lubricant to get it going.)
Clark 3D printed his functional one-piece fidget spinner using their MakerBot Replicator+ with the following settings: 0.2 mm resolution, 3 shells, and infill of at least 50% (for added weight). The fidget spinner was printed from PLA.
More detailed instructions for the one-piece-print fidget spinner can be found on Thingiverse.
P.S. If you're feeling really ambitious, you can always try to break the record for biggest 3D printed fidget spinner.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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I would love a free figet spinner any chance I could get a Bluetooth one?
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