3D Printed Spirograph

Welcome to this exciting Instructables on creating your very own 3D-printed Spirograph! If you've ever been mesmerized by the intricate, looping patterns of a Spirograph and wondered how you could make your own, you're in the right place. This project combines the magic of 3D printing with the classic art of Spirograph drawing to create one of these fascinating geometric tools.

What is a Spirograph?

A Spirograph is a mechanical device that uses a set of gears to draw beautiful, looping curves known as hypotrochoids and epitrochoids. These patterns are not only visually captivating but also a fun way to explore mathematical relationships and artistic design.

Software:

1. Tinkercad
2. 3D Printing Slicer

Materials:

1. 3D Printing Filament

Tools:

1. 3D Printer
2. Pen

I started off by designing the outer gear in Tinkercad. To create it, I made a hollow circle by cutting out the center of a circle. I then placed several triangles on the inside of the hollow circle to create the teeth of the outer gear. To speed up the process, I used Tinkercad's built in duplicate and repeat button. To do this, I selected the triangle I wanted, and clicked the duplicate and repeat button. This duplicated the triangle, so I placed the second triangle in the place I wanted it. Tinkercad then remembered what I did, so now whenever I clicked the duplicate and repeat button, it would automatically place the next triangle in the correct place.

An issue that I ran into was how I was going to hold the Spirograph in place while I was using it. Even just slightly moving the outer gear could mess up the entire design. That is why I decided to flatten a tube shape and place it around the outer gear so that I would have a comfortable place to hold the Spirograph steady.

I started by using a gear shape that I found in Tinkercad's shape library. I then flattened it and placed it in the middle of the outer gear. I then took a cylindrical hole and cut out a slight amount from the center of the gear shape. I then cut small cone shape holes into the gear. You may be wondering Why a cone shaped hole and not a cylindrical hole? This is because the tip of a pencil is a cone shape, so this ensures the pencil can comfortably fit into the hole. I suggest that you use a pen with a Spirograph, but this adjustment gives you the option to either use a pen or a pencil.

I then took the file below, and uploaded it into my 3D printer's slicing software. I then uploaded the sliced version of the file to my 3D printer. The print took my printer 1 hour 39 minutes, though print times may vary depending on the speed and quality settings your printer is set to.

Take the small gear with the holes in it and place it against the inside edge of the outer gear. Make sure the grooves of both gears interlock. After that, place the pen or pencil into one of the holes (the design depends on which hole you put the pen or pencil into) Then rotate the smaller gear along the inside edge of the larger, outer gear.

Congratulations! You've successfully created your very own 3D-printed spirograph. You now have a beautifully engineered tool that's not only a marvel of geometry but also a testament to the power of 3D printing.