Read about what two Santex guys built when they put their minds together.
How did you come up with the idea to build a fidget spinner together?
Ale Cragnolini: I brought one of my 3D printers to the office to print some parts for a friend’s foundation. All the people in the office asked about the printer’s capabilities and what all it could do, including the idea of the spinners.
Manuel Varela: When I saw that Ale had brought the printer to the office, we talked quite a bit about how it worked and the things he could make with it. I made the comment that it would be cool to print some spinners, and from then on kept pressuring him to try it until finally he agreed to print the structure for one. With the structure he made with the 3D printer, I was then able to add the ball bearings and features to make into an actual spinner.
How long did it take?
AC: The 3D printing process took about 30 minutes. The model was already done and it was downloaded under CC license.
MV: My part of the assembly took about 5 hours, I suppose. Taking out and washing all the ball bearings was the most complicated part. There are some specific tools you need to use to do it, along with hot water, cleaning detergent, and solvents.
Have you built similar devices before?
AC: All the time! I love 3D printing.
MV: No, I’m not really a crafty person. In fact, this is the first spinner I used! I just thought it would be a cool idea to try it.
Do you think you will make more in the future?
AC: I’m always looking for fun new things to print. I hope the next big hit toy has more success than the spinners.
MV: Probably not. I was really curious to see how it could be built, and I enjoyed the process! But I wouldn’t want to have to clean those ball bearings again hahaha.
