Improved Fidget Spinner - designed for PLA by MKotsamanes

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Improved Fidget Spinner Gadget
PLA has lousy wear and creep capabilities. I started with a typical Fidget spinner design but by the end of the day the center bearing was loose. This model has a split collar to better capture the center bearing and allow for epoxy or other glues to bind plastic to plastic without destroying the bearings. At the time of posting this design I have only been using this for a few days and still firmly assembled, it is an improvement on a one piece design jut not sure how it will hold up over the very long term.
Things you will need:
Gel Glue or Epoxy
4 x 608 bearings (skateboard bearings)
This design also works with 1 bearing for the center but works better with 4
Foam tape, electrical tape or other type of tape for finger pads
Assembly is simple.
1) Start with the center. Test fit this part first. Place one of the collars on the bearing. Add a small amount of epoxy or similar gel type glue where the plastic ends and the bearing. Insert the assembly into the center (the fit should be snug). Now insert the other half the collar into the other side.
2) Using pliers to press the bearings into the outside openings. After they are partially in you can use a vice to press the bearings straight into the spinner or work from side to side to with pliers to press them in straight.
3) Insert one of the pads into the center bearing. Add a small amount og epoxy or other gel glue into the the center of the bearing and install the other pad.
4) After the glue has set add foam tape or electrical tape to the pads to add a bit of grip when spinning.
For my printer settings and the attached file the bearings have to be pressed into the PLA with pliers and/or a vice.