July 6, 2026
Description
After many revisions, I present the Cyclonic Battle Top. This design has many attributes that set it apart, including a geared launcher that gives you a mechanical advantage to achieve impressive speeds. The design is very modular, with interchangeable blades and replaceable tip. There are 7 blades to choose from and I also included a 3MF and STEP file of the blade core so you can create your own. The blades are very firmly secured by a locking piece designed for durability and high concentricity. All parts print without support.
If you would like to create a top compatible with my launcher, just create a square feature on top of your design with dimensions of approximately 7.7 x 7.7 x 11 mm, and add small chamfers or fillets to the corners.
Edit 6/27: Two taller variants of the launcher output gear/socket (+25mm and +50mm). My top cannot be launched mid air like many other designs as the launcher does not restrain the top, so these parts will let the pull cord clear any high side walls of a battle arena. Let me know if an even taller one would be useful.
Tips:
This top is not small. By choosing infill percent you can optimize for either fast initial spin or durability and total stored energy. Printing the blade at 100% infill is reccomended
For extreme durability, try experimenting with TPU for the "Aligner & Blade Mount" as this may protect the blade and body of the top during impact shocks.
Adaptive layer heights will give you a cleaner look on the sloping surfaces.
For max performance, oil the gears in the launcher, and clean up seams on all pivot surfaces.
Do not use support structure. No features require it and it may interfere with assembly.
The c-clip may be difficult to snap on. Remove a tiny bit of material off the end if needed or use pliers. Consider printing 1 or 2 extra if you plan on swapping blades.
License:
Creative Commons — Attribution