fidget/fiddle spinner hubcaps

thingiverse

I've designed spinners for my family, but I didn't bother creating my own since there are many good designs available. I've been printing lovewaffle's cog triple spinner, which is a great option. However, most of the hub cap designs I found were either difficult to fit or could cause friction against the bearing, so I decided to design my own. To address these issues, I designed my spinners with several features in mind. First, I created a pedestal on the shaft that only makes contact with the inner rotating part, reducing friction against the bearing. Next, I tapered the shafts slightly so they fit easily but snug down firmly when assembled. This ensures a secure connection without causing any problems. I also designed the shaft halves to interlock, making them easy to assemble and preventing them from coming loose over time. A small amount of glue in the hole will ensure that they stay together forever. The outer caps are wide enough to act as dust covers, protecting the open ball races from grit and debris, yet small enough not to protrude beyond the spinner's inner diameter. The design also includes a nice height and taper on the outer caps, making them pleasant to hold. To minimize any messy printed edges that could rub against the bearing, I tapered the inside rim of the outer caps slightly. Overall, my design is massively over-engineered for its purpose, but it works beautifully. My spinner has been spinning for over a minute with a hybrid-ceramic bearing, and I'm extremely pleased with the results. To print these spinners, I recommend using 0.1mm layer height with 100% infill. It's also a good idea to print multiple sets at once to avoid hot-printed blobby male parts.