DIY Magnetic Fidget Slider

Magnetic sliders are very niche, hence the few who do make them, price them too high, as they are not mass produced and have to be CNC machined individually. This is my take on a DIY version. No intention of mass producing or selling it, all credit goes to the original designer.

No special tools or exotic materials are necessary. All I had was a knockoff Dremel from amazon and a few attachment bits that came with it. I'm a student attending ANU (Acharya Nagarjuna University) for B.Com (computers) Degree, in AP, India

Materials needed

30Wx50L mm, 10mm thick Wood (or metal, if you have the tools)

5mm diameter magnets (2.5mm thick)

Rotary tool (I used a knockoff Dremel from Amazon)

5mm drill bit

2x smooth plastic pieces (Preferably PTFE but any smooth plastic works)

Printed pattern (download pdf below)

Wood glue

2part epoxy based glue

I made a pattern in Fusion 360 to get accurate measurements. Attached is the export file, play with it as needed to fit your customization. Or you could also just use my PDF pattern to make a 30mm x 50mm slider.

Cut and stick the pattern to the pieces of wood

Sand down both the sides to the correct size (using the pattern as a guide)

Since I didn't have a perfectly 5mm hole drill bit, I ended up with a 4.7mm hole, which was the perfect size to press-fit the magnets and not use any glue. If you have made a 5mm hole, I recommend using a drop 2-part epoxy in the hole of each of the magnets to make sure they stay in place.

PS: I ended up drilling all the way through using a smaller 3mm bit on a whim. I recommend you not do that, and only drill a hole as deep as your magnets are thick. In my case, I would use a 5mm drill bit to put a 2.5mm deep hole, as my magnets are 5mmx2.5mm

I went for this "erosion of a stone" look, but what pattern or design goes here really is up to you. Go wild, make it personal, make it one of a kind.

In my case, I just grabbed a thick marker, wrapped sandpaper around it, and sanded down in a "+" pattern. Then smoothed over everything to get that "eroded pebble" kind of look.

To make the slider feel more smooth and fluid, stick some plastic plate(s) to the faces. (the commercial ones use Teflon, I didn't have access to those, but if you could find one, use it by all means) Alternatively, you can look for any old PTFE containers for the material.

I just cut a piece of plastic from a protein powder jar. Usually, protein powder jars and beauty product containers are the best plastic to use as they have a PTFE coating on the inside surfaces.

Rough up both the plastic (non-coated side) and the wood face. Use some 2-part epoxy to stick the plastic to the piece.

PS: I used a relatively thick piece of plastic, so I only ended up using 1 piece, as the more distance the magnets had between them, the weaker they became, making the pieces fall apart too easily. If you could find super thin, smooth plastic of PTFE (or coated in PTFE), it would be the best option.

As mentioned I drilled holes all the way through as I didn't pay attention the first time. So, this step is just for me, but you can use it too if you happen to like the design. (The holes helped with the removal of magnets at one point, so I'd like to think of it as a feature and not a bug)

Mix the leftover sawdust with some wood glue (I used fevicol, a normal white glue brand) Add the glue slowly and mix in a small container until the mixture is about the viscosity of cookie batter.

Use a small stick or a small pin to tightly pack as much as the mix as you can in the holes.

Let dry for 24hrs.

Sand down the excess (using the same, marker and sandpaper combo from step 3) till smooth to touch.

I didn't have any finishing oils on hand, so I used coconut oil. However, you can apply any number of finishes like varnish, paint, tung oil, etc. Since it's going to be handled quite often, a few coats of spray lacquer would be the best option to make it last a long time.

If any woodworkers or wooden jewelry makers out there have any suggestions for finishes, please do let me know. I don't really know how well the pieces would age with the coconut oil and the oils from my fingertips that get deposited on them over time.

Recommendations :

• I recommend finding 2 super thin and slippery plastic pieces (or PTFE) as 1 piece is just not enough surface to have a good sliding "feel".
• If you want to make it out of metal, make sure it's non-ferrous. Aluminum or Brass would be ideal.

I plan on doing a ver.2 out of metal, but I don't have access to materials or the machinery (I only have the one off-brand Dremel) so, it might take a while.

[Below is a video of the slider in action. Sorry, I don't know any fancy tricks, but the sound is great! Listen for yourself]

I came across an old Cable TV RF splitter box, which I converted into a travel container. Neither practical nor good-looking. However, it FEELS great! Which goes well with the whole theme of fidgeting.

I used the rf box, a broken knife blade for the lid, and a door hinge that I cut in half, to make this box. The inside is lined with some felt pads that I recycled from an old eyeglasses box, and the ribbon from a gift packing for added flair