The Pinwheel Card

Well I wasn't planning on a kit card creation but I saw a pinwheel at the dollar store and thought…hey, that looks like it could be something! This kit card results in a working pinwheel, with a decorated handle and a base/stand. The bottom side of the print will be the front of the object so a fancy plate can also jazz it up. This project also has working parts built into the frame as an attempt to minimize the wasted filament from the “card”. A simple pair of scissors will clip the card parts so you do not require clippers for it.

*see pictures for places to cut and assembly*

I have only tried it in PLA and PETG and both work well. The actual pin wheel is 0.2mm thick and the layer height for the profile is set at 0.1mm. This is best for accurate printing of the threads and to give the pinwheel 2 layers for strength. There are manual supports for one small connector piece but they remove easily. The pieces that will connect the handle and stand may vary in fit but are likely to be on the looser side of the spectrum. The bottom stand piece has been the harder one to narrow down a nice snug fit so please add some glue if it's a bit loose. Obviously the stand is small so it is best on a hard surface and it won't stand up to a solid breeze on it's own.

To make the pinwheel spin, blow on it's front or place it face first to a fan. I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I had no idea that a pinwheel spun from air at the front, not the side… It was a definitely a “I was this many years old when I learned this..” moment when I was trying to figure out how to get it to spin by putting it near a fan.