Fully enclosed nickel weighted fidget spinner

thingiverse

This spinner stands out due to its unique design that fully encloses US nickels instead of relying solely on bearings for weight. To accomplish this, you need to pause the print mid-way through, insert the nickels, then resume printing. The printer will bridge over the nickels and fully enclose them, although bridging can be somewhat inconsistent. Adding hairspray to the top nickel often helps it stick better in place. The exact point at which you should add the nickels depends on your print settings, such as infill or whether a raft is used; however, checking the print preview will allow you to determine this point, typically between 70-80%. There are four distinct options for the spinner itself: Thicktriplespinner uses nine nickels, three per arm, in a 3-armed design. Thickdoublespinner employs six nickels, with three on each arm, in a 2-armed design. Thintriplespinner also has a 3-armed structure but utilizes six nickels, placing two on each arm. Lastly, Thindoublespinner features a 2-armed design that uses four nickels, with two on each arm. In addition to the spinner designs, I have created bearing caps that I believe surpass any other offerings found on Thingiverse. These caps feature a tiny lip that elevates them above the bearing, preventing contact and ensuring smooth operation. They also lock together perfectly and possess a flat side for improved print quality. Designing This Concept If you wish to apply this concept to create your own enclosed nickel spinners, I recommend using circles with a 21.9mm diameter and a height of 2mm per nickel as a starting point. However, if space allows, consider increasing the height to 2.2mm for better bridging results; using 2mm can sometimes cause interference.