The spinner is rapidly conquering the world. Millions of people from all over the world spin and toss this toy at work, in traffic jams, at home, while walking, in line, etc. A spinner is a powerful and at the same time very simple and affordable anti-stress that helps you get rid of tension and relax without attracting attention to yourself. The spinner became so popular that people began to perform various tricks with it. This toy is loved by everyone, young and old: it is played by both preschoolers and big bosses in modern offices.
A spinner is an affordable thing. If at first they could only be found online, today they are sold on literally every corner, and there are also very budget options. However, homemade spinners are not inferior in popularity to ready-made options: Internet users are actively looking for how to make a spinner with their own hands at home. And this is easy to explain: homemade spinners are unique, made from scrap materials, and their production is also a kind of anti-stress.
We offer you several options for making this accessory. The first one is the most labor-intensive, the rest are a little simpler. Choose the one that you find most understandable and like the most.
Option one: difficult, but interesting
We will really only use available means. We will need:
- wooden ice cream sticks (20 pieces);
- a bearing made of metal or ceramic (if you want the spinner to spin easier and longer, choose the latter) size 8*22*7;
- 50-kopeck coins (make a hole in the center with an awl) (12 pieces);
- nuts and bolts small in size and diameter (4 pieces each);
- buttons from jeans or denim jackets (or the simplest push pins) (2 pieces);
- glue;
- sandpaper;
- paint (it’s more convenient to use aerosol paint).
How to make a spinner?
Step 1: Preparation
We take two wooden sticks and cut each into two equal parts (lengthwise). That is, at the output of two sticks we already have four.
Now we take five whole sticks, press them tightly together and apply a layer of glue on top. We place the second layer of sticks on top: we place four whole ones in the center, and put the previously cut sticks along the edges. Cover them with a layer of glue. The third layer will consist of five whole sticks (like the first). The fourth and final layer is a repetition of the second.
The output is a base consisting of four layers of sticks glued together.
Step 2: Basic work
Choose the size of the spinner for yourself. We will tell you using the example of a 9*9 square, but the proportions can be freely changed.
Make marks on the workpiece and cut out a square (let's say 9 cm).
Now we draw an equilateral triangle inside the square. To do this, divide one of the sides of our square in half and draw two 9 cm segments from this point, and then connect the ends.
Then divide each side of the triangle exactly in half and make serifs. Connect each notch to the opposite vertex. The intersection point of these segments (they are called medians) is the center of the spinner, where we will place the bearing. Trace its outline with a pencil.
On the same segments, make notches at a distance of 2.5 cm from each vertex. Place a coin in the center of each of them (the hole is needed to align the hole with the notch and not get lost) and trace it with a pencil.
Using an awl or sharp knife, poke holes inside the outlined outlines. And then loosen them to cut even holes. You can press the bearing and coin into the workpiece (but carefully so that the glued layers do not separate).
Cut out a triangle from the blank. Now we make two-centimeter notches in the center of each side. Like this:
The height of the notch at the median is 7 mm. Cut out these side triangles.
Step 3: Spruce up the polish
We take sandpaper and sand the surface of the future spinner. We walk around the edges. Paint the workpiece on both sides and leave to dry.
Step 4: Weights
Glue four coins together. We will end up with 3 stacks that we will insert into our holes in the spinner. Place the bearing in the center.
To make it easier to rotate, we place previously prepared buttons or buttons in the center of the bearing and glue them. The finished product can be varnished.
Tip: if you own a jigsaw and a drill, take note of the diagrams from our instructions and make the spinner body not from ice cream sticks, but from a regular wooden panel. Then simply sand your workpiece with sandpaper, paint and varnish.
Ready!
What is a spinner
The word "spin" is translated from English as "rotation". By and large, the toy is a rotating body that moves around its axis when energy is imparted to it. You can get a spinner without bearings, but it will not have the required rotation speed.
At the moment, it is best to order a ready-made model, since it is relatively inexpensive.
A standard spinner consists of three petals, with a bearing located in the center of each. It is worth noting that the mass of each petal must be the same, as well as the shape, otherwise there will be no balance and the rotation will stop very quickly.
What's the catch?
In our free time, when we are waiting for something, when we are thinking, we always take something in our hands in order to somehow entertain or calm ourselves. For this you need... a spinner. Of course, you can’t call it a children’s toy, since it is an accessory for psychological and emotional relief.
Option five: if you don’t have cutting tools, but still want to make a spinner
A spinner made of paper or cardboard is also an excellent option for this toy. It will spin just as well! We take cardboard and a compass, cut out 4 circles of equal diameter from it (determine the size of the spinner for yourself, it doesn’t matter), glue them together. Take bright cardboard or paper to make the toy more attractive and delight you not only with its properties, but also with its appearance.
Make the holes for the bearings slightly smaller than the diameter of the bearings themselves. This is necessary so that they fit tightly and do not slip out when you spin your toy. Learn more about making such a spinner in this video.
Spinner - how to make a homemade spinner from bottle caps
The most necessary spare parts when assembling a spinner from bottle caps are, of course, bottle caps (from 4 to 7 pieces), from one to four bearings (under number 6000RS) and glue. You will also need a knife or a spade/step drill. Sandpaper along with a glue gun will also come in handy.
First you need to get the bearing, which will occupy a central place in the future, remove the anthers from it and wash off the lubricant. The other three bearings can be inserted in their original form into the remaining three side covers. If bearings number 6000RS are used, then to secure them, you may not even need to lubricate their side faces with glue before inserting them inside the side covers (it fits tightly into most of the covers anyway). The lids can be painted (optional).
Bonus
The video instructions below talk about the three easiest ways to make a spinner at home. All of them in one way or another repeat the last three instructions (No. 4, 5 and 6), but in this video you will also find some important tips for making a popular anti-stress toy.
Choose the method that seems most interesting and understandable to you. It’s quite possible to make a spinner with your own hands in 2-3 minutes, or you can get confused and make a toy in a more labor-intensive way. The result will directly depend on your efforts. However, no matter which method you choose, at the end you will definitely get a cool anti-stress toy, which is so popular today.
What are toys made from?
Katherine has repeatedly offered her invention to large companies for mass production. Hasbro refused to make fidget spinners, believing that they would not be in demand. This was a miscalculation, because a few years later the toy quickly won the hearts of children and adults. Now it is made from:
- plastic;
- titanium;
- brass;
- precious metals;
- copper
Bearings can be metal or ceramic. The choice of material for them determines how noisy the accessory will be. It is vibration and noise that have a positive effect on the health of the person spinning the spinner. The blades are equipped with weights.
Adults buy expensive accessories because they need a status item. Children rarely buy metal or stylish models, as they may lose or give this toy to a peer.
General instructions before starting work
Before you start working on your spinner, you need to have an idea of what exactly a person wants to get as a result. To ensure that the result does not disappoint, you need to work according to a simple scheme.
- Stage No. 1 - selecting a model and design
Since there are countless possible models of spinners, and we are all different, and we like different things, then to begin with, you can choose the appropriate model from the simple ones. This is necessary so that the process does not turn into punishment. Or you can go the other way and choose the most original model from a special material of an unusual shape. This option is suitable for those who have already tried to create things with their own hands.
Options for creating a hand spinner with your own hands.
- Stage No. 2 - draw and draw
For everything to work out, you should take care of the drawing on a scale of 1:1. You can draw the future spinner model on paper, or you can search for ready-made drawings on the vast expanses of the Internet.
Drawings and blanks.
- Stage No. 3 - prepare tools
Now that the creator has decided on the design and the schematic image is ready, you can begin to prepare all the necessary materials.
Wooden with bearing
A wooden spinner is the most pleasant and affordable option that you can create with your own hands. A real lesson in labor for adults and children!
Tools for work:
- Glue gun;
- Bearing 2 mm;
- Plywood sheet, thickness 5 mm;
- Several coins;
- Drill;
- Hand jigsaw;
- Clamp;
- Scissors;
- Sandpaper;
- Pencil or construction marker;
- Ready-made spinner template.
Progress:
- Print out the diagram and cut it out. We fix it on a plywood sheet and trace it. It is necessary to mark the places in each of the circles where there will be holes.
- We drill additional holes on the sides of the circles with the door, allowing us to cut out a beautiful circle shape from the inside of the wing.
- The future spinner needs to be cut out of plywood with a jigsaw. Then carefully sand the edges and surface until the surface is smooth.
- The bearing must be inserted into the hole prepared for it in the center. If you have difficulty, you can use a hammer and hammer the metal element into the wooden one.
- The wings of the “spinner” need to be weighted down—for this you will need coins. You can glue the weights for each hole in the following order: a coin with a face value of five rubles, then two, and again five, as shown in the video.
- You can cover it with solid color paint, or you can decorate it in another interesting and original way - there is room for imagination, which is so nice to realize with your own hands.
History of the accessory
Many adults, far from the hobbies of young people, are interested in what a spinner is. This is a small pinwheel that you spin with your fingers. It is based on a small bearing made of ceramic or steel; the device makes noise during operation. In addition, the spinner has several blades made of different materials.
There are many rumors around him; there is no single version about the inventor of the toy. The championship is attributed to the American Katherine Hettinger, who, during a business trip to Israel, saw boys behaving provocatively in front of the police. She thought it would be nice to find a way for them to release the accumulated energy, after which she came up with a spinner.
She also owns another version of the appearance of this item. In an interview with the Guardian, the woman said that she came up with it for her daughter, who has health problems. The first sample was made from newspaper and tape. The woman patented her invention, made the first copies of it at home, and sold it at fairs in Florida.
Fidget spinners are considered a toy for children with autism and ADHD. Scientists have proven that they help relieve stress and calm you down. Office workers loved them.
The patent status of fidget spinners is currently unclear. Another person claims to be the creator - American Scott McCoskery, who claims that he created it from metal to relieve anxiety during long telephone conversations.
Manufacturing
Making my spinner is very simple. This is an experimental model and there are no exact dimensions, everything was done by eye. And the original bearing should be ceramic.
For credit cards, we find the center and drill a hole with a diameter of 18 mm. We saw off the heads of the bolts (they will create the required moment of inertia with their weight), and from a 4mm bolt we make a stud. Remove the boot from the bearing. On the sandwich panel we trace the outline of the card and drill three holes, as in the photo. Place the bolt heads in the holes along the edges and the bearing in the center hole. We cover the top and bottom with plastic cards and use double-sided tape to glue the resulting sandwich together. We cut out our product with a knife. We cover the edges with carbon film for the car. We insert a pin with a silicone sleeve into the bearing and tighten it with nuts. The result is a spinner with the owner's first and last name.
To start operation successfully, you just need to pinch the middle bearing between your thumb and forefinger and turn it with your middle finger or second hand.
The result is an original trinket. If neither you nor your friends have ever seen anything like this before, then I advise you to watch a video of this thing on the Internet. It will attract your attention and maybe you will want to make your own SPINNER!
From a plastic card.
The spinner is a fashionable, branded alternative to the rosary. A very popular thing in England, and all over the world, thanks to the Internet. A cool toy - hand spinner - is a finger trainer that reduces stress.
All spinners
differ in size, weight, color and are made of different materials (metal, plastic, wood, etc.)
After looking at various options, I came up with and made my own.
For this I needed:
- bearing;
inactive credit cards;
two 10mm bolts, a 4mm bolt, two 4mm nuts;
piece of sandwich panel;
Double-sided tape;
vinyl car film.
