Ship's-Wheel Earring — Free-Spinning, Print-in-Place

A tiny ship's wheel (helm) that really spins. It prints as a single

print-in-place job — the eight-handled wheel comes off the bed already

captured on a fixed axle, riding between a bearing foot below and a retainer

cap above, so it turns freely the moment you pop it loose. No assembly, no

jump-ring joint to the wheel, no supports.

The trick is orientation: the axle stands vertical (+Z) so the wheel prints

flat on the bed and every wheel-to-frame face is a clean horizontal gap

(0.45 mm). That sidesteps the bore-ceiling sag that plagues horizontal

print-in-place hinges — no teardrop bore needed. When worn, the charm hangs

in true helm side-profile with the bail on top.

• Free-spinning wheel, printed in ONE piece, zero supports

• - Vertical-axle flat print → clean horizontal clearances all round

• - Integral bail (Ø2.8 hole) takes a jump ring

• - Symmetric — print twice for a matched pair

• - Fully parametric .scad: spoke count, paddle/handle count + tilt, wheel

•   thickness, clearance gap, and bail length are all overridable

Print:

• Flat on the bed as-oriented, no supports, 0.12–0.2 mm layers, 3 walls

• - PLA or PETG; a brim helps the small footprint grip

• - After printing, give the wheel a gentle twist to free it on the axle

• - Add a jump ring + ear hook (hang from the metal ring, not the ear wire)

Files:

• waterwheel_earring.stl— ready to slice (wheel captive on frame)

• - waterwheel_earring.scad— parametric source

Printed in copper/brown PLA (photo).