(Part 2) Top products from r/FidgetSpinners

I think it was u/purplepiratecrab that asked to know how the tumbling was going. Well, I think I’ve had good results with my first couple of test piece. One is an Axiom Tetra Bead-blasted Stainless Steel.

The spinner has good weight and balance, but I never cared for the bead-blasted finish. It was too rough and all the points and corners were far too “hot” for my taste. As it was my first foray into tumbling I threw all manner of media at it - Grits, SS Shot, Ceramic, Dish Soap, Baking Soda, and Polishes. There is plenty of advise online for tumbling stones, but surprisingly little instruction on metal (jewelry) tumbling. But I consumed what I could find.

I am using a Harbor Freight Chicago single-drum tumbler. I had gathered that the rubberized drum that comes with the tumbler was not ideal for metals like Stainless Steel (turns them black). So, following after a YouTube video, I assembled my own PVC drum. You do need to add baffles inside the drum. Otherwise, everything simply clumps at the bottom and nothing actually tumbles.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/08Yoc5CX4Il2v081JWrErA94A

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0NUNMe7gag16MZl6OG4FaAgzA

I ordered 1 lbs of Stainless Steel shot and 1 lbs of Small Ceramic Media from Amazon. Harbor Freight has Grit / Polish packs as well. Add water and a drop of Dawn dish soap and you’re ready to go.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017WQV6UM/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_HZNpDbEB0T5MA

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DY7PSBT/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_cYNpDbC80MBHD

https://www.amazon.com/Thumlers-Tumbler-Polisher-Accessories-Prepolish/dp/B000BUW610

While rock tumbling can takes weeks, metal tumbling over hours or days can get good results. If you simply want to knock off “hot” spots, 6 hours with some SS shot works great. I did that with a Brass Spinetic Micro-X which had super “hot” corners on it. Quite comfortable after that.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0EthP9bf8BLlK-E1OPfdYFYoA

The last round with the Tetra involved 7 hours with Ceramic Media, 6 hours with Shot and Pre-Polish, overnight with Shot and Polish, and then 6 hours with Shot and Baking Soda. Even without the rubberized drum you are going to get a lot of black dust in the polishing stage so the soda really cleans that off of SS and cleans your Shot at the same time (otherwise you’re left with gray dull shot at the end).

The results are very satisfactory for a piece with a lot of edges like the Tetra. The photos above don’t really do it justice, but what I ended up with was something very close to UQH’s Fine Stone-Washed effect - smooth slightly soapy feel. Much better than the rough, hot finish it had before. I then sanded and polished the flats on both sides for a nice contrast. The Vortex Buttons from UQHs really makes this a unique piece - far more fondalable than it had been originally.

You do need a bit of patience and willingness to experiment with various combinations to appreciate the varying results. I want to try adding plastic media for cushioning. And If you want truly mirror polished pieces then further sanding and a polishing wheel would be necessary. Definitely more experimentation and learning is in my future. Hope this has been informative. Cheers!

I have had a lot of success using 'Professional! Super Premium Polishing Paste'. I'm in the UK and ordered mine from:
http://sportingcutlery.co.uk/b234
You can use it by hand with a cloth or with a buffing wheel on a Dremel. It is best of you can remove the bearing before you use it as it will find its way in. However, I have had no issues using it with a bonded bearing. I wash the whole spinner with dish soap and use a brush to clean the bearing out. I then flush with water and use Jizer by Swarfega to ensure the bearing spins properly and is water free. https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/h7b/Deb-SJZ500ML-Swarfega-Jizer-500ml/B003TEMZ70/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491408162&sr=8-1&keywords=swarfega+jizer
A can of compressed air then cleans the remainder out.
You will be left with a very clean and gleaming spinner. Further 'polishing' can be done with Renaissance Pre-Lim surface cleaner https://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatalog/Renaissance_Pre-Lim_Surface_Cleaner.html should you think you want to. Being a fountain pen fanatic, I then protect the finish with some Renaissance Micro-Crystaline Wax Polish. You can use this on loads of stuff and a little goes a very long way! https://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatalog/Renaissance_wax.html
Hope the above proves useful.

Very good and helpful video, thank you!


Regarding the Loctite that you're using, you might want to check out Loctite 641 (bearing retaining compound). At first I was skeptical about using anything other than 242 (blue, which you use here), but when I heard about how fast 641 cures and how easy it is to clean, I was won over.

​

242 is very runny, and can get everywhere. As you mention here, it also incapacitates your spinner for a good day or so, otherwise you'll have trouble with the Loctite not holding properly. I can't recommend it enough, having used it over blue for the last 6 months or so. If you do try it, let me know what you think!

​

https://smile.amazon.com/Loctite-442-28802-Retaining-Compound-Controlled/dp/B000NZZZ7A

Here is a picture of some fairly small spinners that I like and that are currently available:

https://imgur.com/FxA0QvR

The upper left (dual dragon) and lower right (mini medic) spinners are available from this trusted seller:

https://spinetic-spinners.com/product-category/non-spinetic-clearance-sale/

The upper right and lower left are available from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/WeFidget-ELECTROPLATED-Discrete-Finishes-Replaceable/dp/B072KML9BN/

https://www.amazon.com/FREEFOG-Stainless-Spinner-Desktop-Rotating/dp/B07R4WTSS4/

The last one (lower left) is a little more bulky than the others, but I really enjoy it.

If you decide that you enjoy spinners, please consider visiting this sub-reddit again and joining the conversations!

I got this ceramic bearing to see how much better they were compared to the bearings I already had and the difference is enormous.

I'm a total noobie so this was really fun to throw together, a quick hour 3D print and I put it in one of my smaller spin bases and it spins really nice. I didn't clean the bearing or anything, just stuck it right in. I ordered another one, I'll put more thought into it and pick a different color maybe (might have to do another glow in the dark!)

Its not as quiet as the metal bearings, but the extra spin time is worth it. I definitely recommend if you're looking for some longer spin times.

Good question. Can't think of anything around the house.

Best I could come up with

Oval Rubber Coin Purse Change Holder With Chain By Nabob ( 3 Value Pack,Red ) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9LILES/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2M0rzbVKJ5BPF

Classic Leather Squeeze Coin Purse change Holder For Men By Nabobb https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K11IFW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wN0rzbZD2KAS7

That's an honorable thing you're doing but a spinner might not work if he doesn't have much dexterity. I'd suggest trying an inexpensive plastic one to see if it works for him and because he might drop it.

I have always liked magnets as really simple fidgets. I've used these for years. I know it's silly to buy 6 but you want the larger size (2.5") and this is what I could find on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Pairs-Large-Rattle-Singing-Magnets/dp/B0046XOF5S/ref=pd_sbs_21_26

The magnets might be better for someone with large hands and limited dexterity.

The same thing happened to one of my 3d printed PLA spinners. All you have to do is grab some superglue gel - like this kind, let it dry and stick your bearings in it and you are good to go.

Like this stuff?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XNWD1U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TjY6AbABB0NSJ

I wouldn't recommend that exact product, but you can buy something like it at hardware stores.

The weaved black would complement the aesthetic imo

Just got this case in the mail today (thanks to /u/dillthepill & /u/ohitsjustpete for recommending it). The elastic straps keep the spinners secure.

and for a EDC pouch I'm trying out this leather coin pouch.

http://www.mixglo.com/

Most people recomend applying NOA61 adhesive with a syringe which requires a UV light emitter (like the thing they use at nail salons to dry nails) to dry. I'm going to just try clear silicone adhesive as that requires less equipment. I'll let you know how that goes.

https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-80050-Silicone-Adhesive-Sealant/dp/B0002UEPVI/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1503161622&sr=1-3&keywords=Silicone+sealant

polished the insides of the bearings with a fine grit, arm and hammer baking soda toothpaste. smeared it all into the bearing and manually spun the beast for 15 minutes while I nervously watched the latest episode of Homeland. Then paused the show, washed it out with really hot water and dish detergent, and added another dose into the bearings. Spun it slowly and consistently for another 15 minutes. More Homeland. Washed it out thoroughly and then dropped it into a small chinese soup plastic container 1/4 filled with 99% isopropyl alcohol for a half hour while the show finished. Took it out and blasted it for 2-3 minutes with a high powered air compressor (http://amzn.com/B001J4ZOAW) and followed up with a hair dryer for a few minutes to make sure everything was dry and evaporated.

table spin came to 3 minutes 52 seconds (I rounded up)

maybe something like this will work.
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Racing-Ceramic-Bearing-12x21mm/dp/B000X4MP6A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487997268&sr=8-2&keywords=21+mm+ceramic+bearing

No fancy names here lol. 96A118

https://www.amazon.com/Bulova-Mens-96A118-Aperture-Watch/dp/B004I57NIA

I can't believe how much the price has come down, I paid twice that 4 years ago. It's an incredible watch at that price point

kataderple is right, thats what I did. Here is what I used for a hammer
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BHGC6M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also used this anvil
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ES5T9C/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

First time doing it and I just randomly hammered away sometimes hitting harder but mostly just using the required amount of force to make the dimples.

I vote this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ENXG12/