Watch Your Eyes - a folding fan

A folding fan composed of twelve interlocking blades, printed flat and assembled using a central pin and cap system. 

This is my entry for the Create a Breeze! contest.

Parts to print:

• 10 × middle fan blade
• 1 × bottom fan blade
• 1 × top fan blade
• 1 × central pin
• 1 × locking cap

PLA works great for this model – the stiffer, the better.
I used Fiberlogy Easy PLA for the black parts and Bambu Gilded Rose PLA Silk for the orange color. 

All parts are already in the orientation ready to print. No supports needed.

The design supports two-color printing using filament change. If printing with 0.2 mm layer height, add color changes on layers #5 and #7.

The central pin

After a report of the central pin being too short for one user, I have uploaded multiple versions with altered lengths. The standard pin for 12 blades is now in 4 lengths. For the 12 blades version start with the standard pin and if it is too short, try the +0,5, +1,0 or +1,5 mm ones. For 13,14,15 or 16 blades version you can use the pins with corresponding name. If any further length adjustments are needed, you can scale the pin in slicer

Note: for proper movement of the blades and the limiters to work, the top layer should be smooth. 

Print settings:

• Nozzle size: 0.4 mm (other sizes may work too)
• Layer height: 0.2 mm
• Top infill pattern: Monotonic lines
• Solid layers: 5 top / 4 bottom
• Seam position: Back

Assembly:

1. The bottom blade goes first, on the bottom. The top blade goes as the last one, on top.  Stack all twelve blades and align them with the central pin. 
2. In case of pin being too tight or loose, you may adjust it by scaling in the slicer.
3. The cap should be glued to the pin to keep it secure. Press it firmly to leave no clearance between the blades. Use small amount of glue to prevent it from leaking onto the blade. Super Glue or other cyanoacrylic should be fine. 
4. The fan can be opened and closed smoothly thanks to integrated pins and slots that limit the movement range of each blade.

Update 27/06/2025

I have added upon request a blunted version of the blades. 

Update 16/07/2025

Added longer versions of central pin.

Update 25/07/2025

Added a STEP file for edition.

⚠ Safety Warning:

This is not a toy – keep away from small children.
The fan contains small parts that may pose a choking hazard, and the blade tips can be sharp. Adult supervision is recommended if used as a prop or costume accessory.