Fidget Spinner

[Dave Lehnert]

Ok, all of a sudden I see kids playing with Fidget Spinners. Everybody is selling them. I don't see the attraction to them but..............
Anyone make one of wood?

Any guess on how long it takes to see a Fidget Spinner kit from one of the woodworking supply vendors?

[Bill Dufour]

I would say by the time there is a kit out there the fad will be over. maybe you need a thumb twidler while you think about the resurection of the Pet Rock.
Bill

https://www.futilitycloset.com/2010/...thing-doing-3/

[Keith Westfall]

Made a couple...

Top and bottom of both. Made out of a Skate board!!

Should have had an edge view - multi coloured ply on the board

[Yonak Hawkins]

I wonder what the bearings in the wings are for.

[Andrew Hughes]

My grandson has three,The bearings in the wings are just for weight I'm guessing.The one in the middle is different.I know because I've cleaned them many time.
I also never win a spin contest because I'm stuck with the junky one.

[Bill Dufour]

Outboard bearing are mainly for weight to keep it spinning. cheap ones just use metal slugs. The center bearing is shielded for low friction. the outboard ones are rubber sealed but they will spin somewhat.
Crazy thing is the bearings are like class 7 or even 9! which is a huge waste of money. This is a step or two up in precision, and cost, from most metal working machines. I can not even understand how that tolerance is calculated. You are talking run out which most measuring gear can not see much less measure unless you spend hundreds on the micrometer and take all precautions such as, climate control, body heat, vibration etc.
Motors and woodworking machines are maybe class 5 or even class 3. might be better in a router at high rpms.
Bill D.

[John K Jordan]

I would say by the time there is a kit out there the fad will be over. maybe you need a thumb twidler while you think about the resurection of the Pet Rock.

Bill, that was exactly my first thought , Pet Rock and all, but then I am reminded of the lasting interest in little finger tops I've been making for years - people from 5 to 75 enjoy spinning them. A girl, 12, told me recently that her whole family still spins the one I gave her when she was in my kindergarten class. I've heard the same story from others, some still have them after a decade. Perhaps the fidget spinners have the same type of lasting attraction.

I bought several different types of bearings last week from Amazon, some steel and some ceramic, and I've started on making some from wood. I'm using cocobolo and plan on some with other heavy woods. I'll add the mass at the rim using the wood rather than metal slugs or additional bearings.

This from a discussions on another forum might be of interest to anyone interested:
This is from Ed Davidson, otherwise known as yoyospin. http://yoyospin.com/

Re: Fidget Spinners
Ed Davidson <edd777@comcast.net> 5/14/2017, 5:21 pm

Here's some pointers on making spinners, based in my experience:

- Almost all bearings will come out of the box with grease or oil in the races, which is a speed and spin-time killer. Bearings run best if they are clean and completely dry...no lube. However, most cheap bearings are steel (not stainless), and will rust.

- Start with a skateboard size "608" bearing that is stainless steel (both balls and races). They'll run between about $1.00 and $8.00 each through eBay or Amazon, depending on if you get them from a Chinese or domestic seller. Direct from China is much cheaper, but will take 4 to 8 weeks to deliver.

- Another alternative is a full-ceramic (all white) bearing, but they will cost between $8.00 and $15.00 each, no matter where you get them.

- The best bearing solution I've found is a "608" design with ceramic (white, sometimes black) balls and stainless races and body. They are available on Amazon.com in packs of 8 for around $27. Search for: Amphetamine Ceramic Skateboard Bearings

- If you use full ceramic (white) bearings, note that the body is made from Delrin or Nylon, and will flex. If you squeeze (press-fit) the bearing body into a tight hole, expect spin time to go way down.

- Most bearings will come with a plastic or metal shield on each side that protects the balls/races from contamination. You'll have to remove (maybe destroy) those shields to clean the bearings.

- Clean bearings with any de-greaser...citrus based works best. Rubbing alcohol or acetate works equally well if you don't mind handling flammables. Dry the bearings with high pressure compressed air.

- Yes, you definitely need some weight around the outer rim...to help with spin times/speed and general momentum.

- Note that almost all spinners have some kind of cap that your thumb and finger rest on that is proud of the bearing races...so your hand doesn't touch (slow down) the spinner. The caps also help keep dirt out of the races. All caps are two-parts, press fix or threaded through the bearing hole. They can be purchased online from people who do CNC machining, plastic injection molding and 3D printing. Search for fidget spinner "buttons" or "caps"


Ed makes them out of wood and metals. You can see some of his on his web site at the link above.

Reading on the net, a lot of people seem to be making spinners on 3D printers using free pattern files. That's nice, but it would be a shame to not use wood for those of us with the capability!

BTW, here are some of my finger tops, old photo. I've made hundreds out of domestic and exotic wood:

tops_comp2c.jpg

JKJ

[Prashun Patel]

I am makin some with my son. The best ones are the three pronged ones. Still trying to figure out how to make them balanced.

On the other hand this is an excuse to buy a 3D printer....

[Wayne Jolly]

I had never heard of these things before reading this thread. Two hours later and I am at my sons house and his daughter had one spinning on the table. I looked at it and immediately thought pet rock, but I was wondering about the bearings outboard in the wings too. They looked like pretty good bearings. Her dad said she got a killer deal on it. She paid 10 cents.

Wayne

[Rick Potter]

I read an online article about them. Custom ones go for as much as $500 and more, and are kept in display cases. Ceramic bearings, custom CNC'd billet unobtanium, laser etched with inset gems or whatever.

Reminds me of collectible beanie babies. I had some that were supposedly worth $1500. I gave them to a friends kid. I picked them up from a street vender in China for next to nothing.

Maybe they were Chinese knock offs of Chinese products .

[Paul K. Johnson]

Search YouTube. Literally hundreds of spinners have been made out of wood. I recently read an article that states these things do nothing that they're claimed to do in regard to helping people stay focused, be less susceptible to distraction, etc. But that doesn't mean it's not worth making one or seven just for fun.

[Paul K. Johnson]

I've seen custom ones for thousands of dollars. It was linked from something I was reading but I didn't save it. Same with custom tops that I've seen for as much as five grand.

[John K Jordan]

...I recently read an article that states these things do nothing that they're claimed to do in regard to helping people stay focused, be less susceptible to distraction, ...

My observation from working with kids is the spinners help with the focus all right. The focus is the spinner and the kids quit paying attention to anything else!

JKJ

[Vince Rosypal]

[Bill Bukovec]

I have one of the original fidget spinners. It's called a fishing reel.