Fidget toys are perfect for keeping hands busy no matter the situation, Whether at school work or in a meeting. Typical fidget toys are manufactured and sold to end customers. Now that home and commercial 3D printing has advanced a new category of toys has emerged 3D printed fidget toys. These designs can be customized for shape size color and how the movement is built.
What are 3D printed fidget toys that have so much interest?
3D Printed Fidget Toys Explained
3D printed fidget toys are designed to fit in the hand and are made to be moved touched or manipulated using a 3D printer. In contrast to traditional manufacturing toys these creations are made from digital designs and constructed layer by layer.
To start the process the design must be in a 3D model format like STL or OBJ. Next slicing software is used to prepare the model and the printer is programmed with the instructions. Once the printer uses the material to build the model layer by layer the fidget toy is completed.
Unlike many store-bought fidget products 3D printed versions offer a high degree of customization. Users can often adjust:
Size Color Texture Flexibility Shape Mechanical movement
This customization option has made 3D printed fidget toys a popular hobby among makers and students and has made them a great personalized accessory.
How Do 3D Printed Fidget Toys Work?
At their core fidget toys are designed to give the user a toy that is meant to be used in a repetitive motion. There are a variety of ways that design can create different mechanics for fidgeting.
Some examples of movement designs are:
Spinning
When a fidget toy is a spinner that particular design has the mechanics to allow for the fidget to spin in a continuous motion in a circular pattern.
Examples include:
Gear spinners
Ring spinners
Traditional spinner designs
Clicking
Some fidgeting designs can give the player a feedback click in the form of an audible noise or a tactile bump.
Examples include:
Push clickers
Mechanical switches
Press-style toys
Rolling
Rolling fidget toys glide along the player’s fingers or hands.
Examples include:
Thumb rollers
Ball-style fidgets
Rounded hand rollers
Folding
Movement of the fidget is created by the rotation or bending of different sections.
Examples include:
Infinity cubes
Hinged designs
Folding chains
Flexing
Movement of the fidgeting toy can be created through the bending twisting or articulation and changing of sections.
Examples include:
Flexi snakes
Articulated animals
Connected chain designs
Each of these movements can fulfill a different need depending on how the user feels.
Common Types of 3D Printed Fidget Toys
One of the reasons that fidget toys are becoming more popular is the abundance of design variety.
Articulated Fidget Chains
Articulated fidget chains are a toy designed with multiple sections that can rotate and bend. An interesting design of these are print-in-place models meaning that the sections of the toys that were created in the 3D printer stay in place and are able to be twisted immediately after the toy is completed.
Advantages include:
Quiet movement
Easy portability
Cannot be too cumbersome to bring
Gear-Based Fidgets
These style of fidgets rely on having rotating pieces crafted into the toy.
Advantages include:
Satisfying motion
Interactive design
Visual appeal
Infinity Cubes
Infinity cubes are made of many smaller cubes and can fold through multiple sections.
Advantages include:
You can fidget with these for an eternity
Great for taking on the go
Can be used with one hand
Worry Coins
A worry coin is a
Advantages include:
Silent operation.
Simple design.
Fast printing.
Flexible Animal Designs.
Articulated animals especially snakes dragons lizards etc.
Advantages include:
Entertaining movement.
Decorative appearance.
Beginner friendly printing.
Materials Used for 3D Printed Fidget Toys Various elements can affect feel durability and flexibility of the final product.
PLA
PLA is one of the most widely used.
Advantages include:
Easy printing.
Good detail quality.
Low warping.
Disadvantages include:
Less impact resistance.
Lower heat resistance.
PETG
PETG is plenty of strength and flexibility.
Advantages include:
Greater durability.
Better impact resistance.
More flexibility than PLA.
Disadvantages include:
Can require additional print tuning.
TPU
FLEXIBLE
Advantages include:
Soft feel.
Bendable movement.
Shock resistance.
Disadvantages include:
More difficult for beginners to print.
The choice of the material largely depends on how the toy is to be used.
Why People Use 3D Printed Fidget Toys
Why people choose to use fidget toys are numerous but reportaably some have been largely recurring.
For Study Sessions
Some students need to keep their hands busy while they focus and this can especially be true with reading note-taking and during lectures.
For work
Some office workers and remote employees may use quieter ones that are a bit more discreet during meetings or while they are having long computer sessions.
For Travel
Additionally some portable ones can provide a simple activity to keep busy with fidgeting especially with longer waits for flights or train rides.
For Every Day Habits
Repetitive habits like tapping instruments clicking things twisting small objects and other restless movement of the hands.
Different designs fit different environments.
Benefits of 3D Printed Fidget Toys
Customization
The main benefit is customization.
With 3D printing dimensions colors text shape and the surface texture can be personalized.
Cost Efficiency
Small designs can use a very small amount of material.
A rudimentary fidget toy can use 5-20 grams of filament and less than an hour of print time making them suitable and cheap to print fidget toys for hobbyists.
Accessibility
There are countless online communities that offer free designs meaning those that want to print their first designs are able to start quickly.
Creative Possibilities
Restriction of shape or moving mechanisms can occur with traditional manufacturing. 3D printing is not bound by these.
Many complex features can be created through the design of interlocking sections print-in-place mechanisms and internal moving parts mechanisms.
Challenges of Printing Fidget Toys
Moving objects and mechanisms can be more difficult than people expect.
Tolerance Problems
The tolerances of gaps between moving sections must be very small and exact.
Inadequate tolerances can result in rough movement stuck parts and unintentional fusion of parts.
Support Problems
Unintentional supports can restrict movement of mechanisms.
Many print-in-place mechanisms are designed to be printed without supports.
Selection of Materials
Using an inadequate material can alter how a fidget toy feels and can lower its durability.
Overcomplicated Designs
Many new 3D printing hobbyists can start with complicated mechanical designs without prior practice.
By starting simpler new hobbyists can create better mechanical designs more complex than they would with a more difficult starting point.
Setup Guidelines for 3D Printed Fidget Toys
If you are unfamiliar with 3D printing the following guidelines may help:
Employ PLA filament
Opt for a 0.2 mm layer height
Select a 15-20% infill
For intricate designs increased speed may be required
Start out with smaller models
Use caution when drastically enlarging models with moving parts
Working with these parameters will prevent failure and improve motion aspects of designs.
3D Printed Fidget Toy Trends
As the 3D printing technology continues to become available to the general public 3D printing designers are incorporating advanced technologies and mechanisms with the use of new and innovative design materials.
Some designs may incorporate:
Modular assembly and parts
Multi-material 3D printing
3D printing and manufacturing of mechanisms and systems
Incorporation of personalized textures and designs
The possibilities are limitless due to the integration of design by many and limitation of manufacturing by few.
Bonus Information
Incorporating all of personalization and function into everyday objects gives the opportunity for 3D printing designers to bring creativity into all aspects of their lives. There are numerous designs available for moving mechanisms including spinning clicking rolling bending and even various types of textures.
The true value of 3D printed fidget toys is the personalization. No longer are you forced to pick a bland standard/fixed option from a local store but instead are granted the freedom to design the toy to your interests and style so that your toy looks and feels good to you day after day wherever you may take it.