Fidget Elevator: a mechanical curio bizarrely without compliant parts

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Name: Fidget Elevator: a mechanical curio bizarrely without compliant parts Video: https://youtu.be/ji-E1huV4Js Printing Instructions: https://koolfingers.com/3d-prints/printing-elevators/ Ask anyone playing with a Fidget Elevator for the first time, and they will most definitely tell you that there must be springs or otherwise compliant mechanisms inside. How else would the thing make loud clicks and shuddering contacts? Soon they'll swear by additional magics under the hood. How else would the four control pegs take turns stealing and dragging something up and down the elevator shaft? But there are no springs or compliant parts in a Fidget Elevator. In fact, there are no moving printed parts inside it. The only moving printed parts are the four pegs visible from outside. There is just one pet marble inside an elevator. Some very smart people say you can't make magical fidgets simpler than these. We came up with these, and hold pending patents on the concept of fidget walkers - think "walking a pet magnet with another magnet over a largely uneven surface". A Fidget Elevator is in essence four CocoSnap clickers bound together by two end pieces. These clickers compete for the attention of the one pet marble imprisoned inside. Only one clicker can engage and walk the pet. If, however, a clicker's control peg is parked at either ends of the elevator, then some other clicker may kidnap the pet marble and walk away with it. You can also print individual CocoSnap clickers: https://koolfingers.com/3d-prints/printing-clickers/. You can print these elevators for personal use. Feel free to build on them as well for non-commercial uses. They go under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 as detailed at https://koolfingers.com/3d-prints/. More on licensing later. This package contains STL parts for a complete elevator, including end pieces, struts, control pegs, and walker-surface inserts for four CocoSnap experiences: toggle switch, washboard, bumps and rails. In time, more walker-surface inserts may become available. There is an STL of the full plate showing what you need to print out. There are also 3MF files for slicer apps we have used ourselves, which you may find useful. Basic CocoSnap clickers are available on Amazon for those who can't print, or can't be bothered to get the right magnets. At this time the elevator isn't available commercially. If you are interested in making them commercially, contact us. MAGNETS REQUIRED FOR AN ELEVATOR Each elevator unit requires a total of 12 disc magnets and 1 ball magnet. Four disc magnets are each inserted into a control peg. Four disc magnets are pushed into four holes in each of the two end pieces, to keep all unengaged control pegs parked at one of the two ends of an elevator. The single ball magnet is imprisoned, but otherwise free to wander around inside the elevator. The disc magnet needs to be of specific dimensions to fit well. Any magnet that fits the elevator body can be used as the pet magnet. The shape, the size and the magnetic strength of the pet magnet affect tactile and acoustic feedback. DISC MAGNET: a 6mm x 3mm N35 neodymium disc magnet. Most disc magnets found online actually measure 6mm x 2.67mm - these are usable too. Many disc magnets are sold without explicit specs their for strength. Most of these are N35. PET MAGNET: we recommend a 1/4" (6.3mm) N52 neodymium ball magnet as the pet magnet. For most PLA prints, this produces a deep bass sound and a satisfactory haptic experience. But they are hard to come by, and are much more expensive than smaller and weaker ball magnets. The most common ball magnets are 5mm N35 magnets (the original Buckyballs) - these are fine and quite usable. But you will likely not find exact 5mm magnets. Many magnets sold under the "5mm-diameter" label are actually 3/6" (4.76mm) ball magnets - they are even weaker. But if that's all you've got, then use them. You can also substitute ball magnets with disc magnets, and even cube magnets, for different types of fidget walker feedback. The CocoSnap clickers on our Amazon store are furnished with the 6mmx3mm N35 neodymium disc magnet and the 1/4" N52 neodymium ball magnet we recommend. You can purchase these clickers at: https://www.amazon.com/koolfingers Warning: swallowed small magnets can stick together across intestines causing serious infections and death. Seek immediate medical attention if magnets are swallowed or inhaled. SUGGESTED PRINT SETTINGS: Always go to our Kool Fingers website for the most up-to-date printing instructions. And remember that there are readme files next to 3MF files for common slicer apps. These elevator models have been designed with very specific fit tolerance, to make these pieces fit tightly but not too much that you can't snap them together. Here are some general considerations: * Print with PLA. But they also work with PETG, ABS, etc. * They work best printed with 04mm nozzles * Use a 0.15mm layer print profile * Specifically, use a 0.2mm first layer height * and the a 0.15mm height for all subsequent layers * Top shell layers: 7 * Top shell thickness: 0.7 mm * Bottom shell layers: 0.5 * Bottom shell thickness: 0.5 mm * Detect thin walls: ON * Sparse infill density: 10% * Sparse infill pattern: Rectilinear For a Fidget Elevator, many factors influence how difficult it is to snap parts together. Over-extruding makes it hard or impossible to push disc magnets into holder holes. Struts may refuse to be pushed into end pieces when over-extruded. Try not to use infill over 10%. Stick to the basic Rectilinear infill pattern. This is because you want the end pieces to be slightly pliable when you snap things into it.

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