Just discovered a new world of fun toys. They are called fidgets, essentially things that you play with when you feel very fidgety. They are toys that you can take with you everywhere and can use to put your mind onto something different.
I am discovering the whole world of spinners and decided to make a few with some acrylic and the laser cutter.
I had some spare bearings from the long board build and removed the metallic seals to reveal the ball bearings.
They are ok spinners but so far I have been only able to spin for 15 to 20 seconds tops.
I have ordered a few ceramic bearings to see if they really make a difference on spinners.
I made a few designs and had to iterate on the sizes of the arms (so it fits my hands but also the kids hands) and the size of the hole for the bearings (19.8mm) to achieve a snug press fit but not too tight so that I avoid breaking the acrylic as I push down the bearings (which are supposed to be 22mm). The spinners are made of 2 identical parts of 3mm thick acrylic. (I also made a bamboo version). The bearings are 7mm thick so they stick out very slightly on both sides.
I had to clean a lot the bearings because they were filled with grease, which is great to keep the water out but not so great to make them spin forever. I used some GT85, Isopropyl alcohol, the degreaser, a toothbrush and the ultrasound machine….alcohol is the simplest way to achieve quick clean-up.
