Fidget Spinners

[eharri446]

I am sure that everyone has seen the latest fad going around with the Fidget Spinners. I saw them a while back but was not ready to spend upwards of $6.00 to buy one.

Last week, however, I was in my local Dollar Tree and there at the checkout counter were boxes of these things for $1.00 each. So, I bought three of them. Two I left at home, and one I brought into work with me.

They are really good quality-wise and they have quite a bit of weight to them so that they spin for a long time.

The only draw back I found on mine, was that there was a small area where the plastic was pumped into the mold that rough from when they broke it off the when they took the item out of the mold. It took me about two minutes with a sharp knife to smooth that out.

I have plans for making these with my hobby CNC machine, and I am going to try and make some with wood.

 

[Charlie_W]

A fellow club member showed one he turned a couple of months ago. He just turned a wooden disc (double sided) and inserted a bearing in the center. It spun very nicely!
Good luck!

 

[eharri446]

The plans that I have a for the three legged kind. So, that is what I am going to try making out of wood. I will probably get a 1/16" think wood and laminate different colors to make the starting blanks.

 

[Herb G]

How many fidgets will it hold when done?

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

The market has softened on these from what I understand. My source is a buddy whose 10 year old son had 4 different 3D printers running these at one point. He made probably 12-20k selling these wholesale and retail. It's dropped way off in recent months.

 

[dogcatcher]

The market has softened on these from what I understand. My source is a buddy whose 10 year old son had 4 different 3D printers running these at one point. He made probably 12-20k selling these wholesale and retail. It's dropped way off in recent months.

The market for the "run of the mill" fidgets has dwindled, but for really custom and innovative ideas, the market is still open. Think of the market for executive toys, desk "ornaments" that people buy for the hard to buy person.

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

Well that's true, MassDrop sells out of $65+ fidget spinner regularly. Didn't mention it because I suppose my brain still can't accept it.

 

[Chuck Key]

I have plans for making these with my hobby CNC machine, and I am going to try and make some with wood.

Made one about four months ago out of two layers of 3mm craft plywood cut out out on a 2500mw laser. Used old skate bearings but recently replaced the center bearing with a vxb ceramic bearing. Grand kid have it now.

[yt]TFo7wYlkAvs[/yt]

 

[chartle]

Well that's true, MassDrop sells out of $65+ fidget spinner regularly. Didn't mention it because I suppose my brain still can't accept it.

I know of hand machined $600 all metal spinners. Some sent to China, the same place that makes knockoffs of his work.

 

[dogcatcher]

There is a lot of "room" for innovators, the ones with artistic ability to create different styles. I have seen some that made me wonder what the guy was smoking when he thought that one up. Then I met the guy, in reality, it was his artistic brain functions that created the weird ideas.

 

[EBorraga]

I had a buddy make this with a 3d printer for me

 

[edicehouse]

I found the best use of these are throwing at coworkers when they fall asleep at their computer.

 

[chartle]

The market has softened on these from what I understand. My source is a buddy whose 10 year old son had 4 different 3D printers running these at one point. He made probably 12-20k selling these wholesale and retail. It's dropped way off in recent months.

Wait I thought they were huge . . . . . . .

Ok wait just got a text from my trend adviser, they are like so first week of September. Keeping an eye on man buns.

 

[JimB]

The market has softened on these from what I understand. My source is a buddy whose 10 year old son had 4 different 3D printers running these at one point. He made probably 12-20k selling these wholesale and retail. It's dropped way off in recent months.

Wait I thought they were huge . . . . . . .

Ok wait just got a text from my trend adviser, they are like so first week of September. Keeping an eye on man buns.

Develop a fancy pair of scissors and call them Man Bun Removers. They will sell as fast as you can make them.

 

[MTViper]

I think these are the dumbest things made recently, right up there with the pet rock, BUT I
made the mistake of mentioning that I'd seen some of these made from wood to my grandson. His eyes got big and he was amazed that I could make something like that. So now I was on the spot.

I started making them using bearings from inline roller blades for the spinner. I've made them from pine, cedar, padauk, Spectraply, and a few more woods. My son wants one out of acrylic so I expect I'll make one of those too.

Mine have been discs instead of the 3 point stars. Sometimes I drill holes into them with a forstner bit to make it look cool. Here are a couple of things I learned when I started making them: 1) the bearings are 22mm and very few of us have a 22mm forstner bit. It's right between bits so I ordered a cheap 22mm bit from Amazon. Made a world of difference. 2) you need something to hold onto that fits tightly inside the bearing to keep from slowing the disc down as it spins. I settled on half inch long 0.25" nylon bolt and nut. I had to wrap the bolt in teflon plumbing tape to make it fit right. A 5/16" nylon bolt would have fit better, but I couldn't find any locally. 3) Soft jaw for your chuck work really well at holding the disc as you turn and sand both sides. 4) These don't continue spinning as well as the originals because I haven't added any weight on the perimeter to give it more energy.

My results so far: I've given away 8 so far to grand children and friends. I sold one for $10. Should have given it to him.

Remember Fidget Spinner is a registered trademark so don't try to sell them by name.

 

[chartle]

Remember Fidget Spinner is a registered trademark so don't try to sell them by name.

Are you sure, every listing calls then fidget spinners. Even Wikipedia uses the name generically.

 

[Dale Allen]

I know why they stopped being so popular.
How are these people supposed to spin them when both hands are busy on their phone.:rotfl:

 

[chartle]

As for it being a fad Walmart is clearancing all their spinners, spinners they just started selling a few months ago.

Hey July 2017 called and they want their toy back.

 

[Talltim]

My son made custom spinners. People would send him drawings and he designed and 3D printed their "very own" spinner.

There is still a market, but the bloom is off the rose.

 

[chartle]

I know why they stopped being so popular.
How are these people supposed to spin them when both hands are busy on their phone.:rotfl:

No problem there is a spinner app. :biggrin: