Quad Toggle Fidget Toy

The Quad Toggle is a “toggle” fidget with a mechanical twist… Pressing any key will release any/all other keys. Pressing the key down far enough will lock it down into place. Try pressing different combinations to lock down one, two, three, or all four keys, then press again to pop them back up. Good noisy fun for the key-pressing fidgeter.

I was inspired by old cassette tape players, where pressing one play control button would release another. This first led me to design my “Triple Toggle” fidget. I learned a lot with that design, and further refined the mechanism to develop this new, more compact “2x2” version.

As described, this fidget is noisy. While it may be fun for you, please be mindful of those around you :-)

Notes for Printing & Assembly:

Orientation: Print orientation plays a big part in this design for optimal strength, lower friction, and appearance. Everything in the 3MF profiles has the correct orientation, but the individual STL files are not in their proper orientation. Most notably, the keys are printed on their side. This ensures the layer lines don't go in the same direction of the layer lines of the frame, and thus they don't make scratching noises as they slide along each other. This makes the top surfaces smoother, and the features on the side much stronger to handle the impact they make against the frame when popping back up.

Assembly: Assembly is simple and requires no additional hardware or glue. To assemble, simply follow the video demonstration on this post. Most of the parts can only go together one way. I will call attention to the key springs though. Pay attention to how they are oriented in the video. You'll want the “curve” on the end of the spring running in the same direction that the cover slides on. This will make it easier to slide the cover on and off. Once assembled, if the keys stick a little when fully pressed, give the key a few more presses and the springs will tend to settle into their proper position. If you need to disassemble, use a screwdriver to pry open the bottom cover by twisting it in the slot (as demonstrated in the video).

Support: No auto-generated supports are required. The keys have a small designed support that can be broken off after printing. There will be some bridging on a few parts, but it's all hidden away in the final assembly and shouldn't affect normal operation.

Material: The main “solid” (non-spring) parts are designed to be printed in PLA. I haven't tested other materials, but other users have printed my Triple Toggle fidget in all PETG and have reported issues with excess friction; PLA seems to slide easier. For the springs (leaf spring and key springs), I recommend using PETG. PETG is naturally more “springy” and the parts will maintain their original shape better and spring back up to their full size. PLA is more likely to deform and lose its ability to fully “spring back”. I've also noticed PLA is stiffer, and the springs are not as easy to compress/bend as they are with PETG.

Alternative Springs: If you have any trouble printing the springs, I've include a 3MF & STL that has all the springs on runners to provide a single object to print with better bed adhesion. Simply cut the springs loose after printing.