u/GH015
r/longboardingDISTANCE r/MechanicalKeyboards r/FidgetSpinners r/Subnautica_2 r/keycaps r/longboarding r/keyboards
▲ 12 r/keyboards
c:
A few years ago I experimented with making keycaps out of sculpting plaster with botanical bas-relief designs.
They felt incredibly nice to the touch, plaster has a unique tactile quality. Unfortunately, even after treating them with a hydrophobic sealer made for plaster, they still weren't durable enough for long-term use. Maybe an oleophobic coating would have worked better.
The walls were extremely thin, and finishing them by hand was quite challenging, so not all of the keycaps survived. Still, I thought I'd share them here in case they inspire someone.
u/GH015 — 3 months ago
Old project
A few years ago I experimented with making keycaps out of sculpting plaster with botanical bas-relief designs.
They felt incredibly nice to the touch, plaster has a unique tactile quality. Unfortunately, even after treating them with a hydrophobic sealer made for plaster, they still weren't durable enough for long-term use. Maybe an oleophobic coating would have worked better.
The walls were extremely thin, and finishing them by hand was quite challenging, so not all of the keycaps survived. Still, I thought I'd share them here in case they inspire someone.
u/GH015 — 3 months ago
▲ 28 r/FidgetSpinners
First steps into spinner design - my first working prototype
Thanks everyone for all the advice! I finished my first prototype.
The main goals were:
to see how non-round buttons would feel in hand and look (bad),
to try adding lead weights inside (I stuffed it with a few fishing sinkers),
and to see how well I could balance it by adding tiny amounts of modeling clay.
Overall, it spins surprisingly well! I don't notice any imbalance, and the last few revolutions are nice and smooth. However, I've hit a limit with the bearing's radial play. It makes fine balancing much more difficult, and it also causes the buttons to occasionally rub against the body. I also bought several R188 bearings from a local store, but they turned out to be pretty terrible.
Some of you recommended bearings from reputable manufacturers, but unfortunately ordering from those stores isn't really an option for me since I can't pay with PayPal or use direct international shipping. I searched AliExpress but couldn't find anything that inspired much confidence. If anyone has links to good bearings on AliExpress, I'd be VERY grateful!
I already have a sheet of lead on the way for the core to add more weight, along with a few other materials for the outer shell. Hopefully the next prototype will feel much more substantial.
It's definitely oversized and pretty ugly, but I wanted to get something spinning before obsessing over the design. Finding a shape that actually looks good turned out to be much harder than I expected
u/GH015 — 3 months ago
▲ 3 r/FidgetSpinners
Getting into custom spinners and looking for advice
I've recently become really interested in making my own fidget spinner. At this stage I'm mostly interested in experimenting with shapes and mechanisms rather than building a finished product.
My plan is to start with sculpting and 3D printing to quickly prototype different ideas. If one of the designs turns out well, I'd consider making a proper version from more durable materials.
A few questions:
Has anyone here made custom spinners or similar fidgets? I'd love to hear about your experience or see photos of your projects.
One thing I'm struggling to figure out is the threaded connection for the center. I'm not talking about a complete middle part, but just the threaded hardware that joins the two spinner caps together through the bearing. Are there ready-made parts available? For early prototypes, would a simple bolt and nut be a reasonable solution?
Am I right that most compact spinners use R188 bearings?
Any recommendations for bearings? I live in a small town, so my options are mostly AliExpress or local industrial bearing suppliers. Unfortunately, getting packages from the US or Europe isn't really an option for me.
I'd really appreciate any advice, resources, or lessons learned along the way. Thanks!
u/GH015 — 3 months ago
BAM! Episode 2 - 15 minutes of the juiciest descents, golden hour, and another postcard from Karelia. Hope you enjoy it 🤙
Third attempt to make reddit show my video
u/GH015 — 4 months ago
