6 Spoke "Ball Socket" Spinner

thingiverse

So thanks to my kids, I've been supplying the locals with Fidget Spinners. Using the typical Skateboard Bearings for weights and Ceramic "Hybrid" bearings for the center bearings is just not cutting it anymore. I had seen ball bearing spinners on here, but they require you to heat the bearing and melt it into place - a process that's just too hazardous for younger children who might swallow them. That's why I decided to model up a "Ball Socket" for the ball bearings instead. Once installed, they swivel inside the ball socket like a well-oiled machine. To install them, you'll need to apply some serious force - which is why I added a relief at the end of the stem - and a small vice or an arbor press works best. However, if your plastic is flexible enough, a quick tap with a hammer will do the trick. Just be careful not to crack your hard work in the process! They take standard .500" steel ball bearings that are available for as low as $0.10 apiece, and I like to use Hybrid 608 ball bearings that will give me 4+ minutes of hand table spins. But any skateboard or rollerblade bearing will do just fine. Choose the appropriate file based on your layer height - 100 vs 200 Microns. What I've found is that the 200 Micron "steps" inside the ball socket require more clearance than if you print at 100 Microns. If you print the 200 Micron file at 100 Microns, it will work just fine, but the balls will be looser. And vice versa - if you print the 100 Micron file at 200 Microns, the ball socket will be too tight.