The Never-Flip Warm Snowball: a Candle-Powered Gyroscopic Hand Warmer

Have you ever played outside on a snowy day, only to have your fingers freeze from making snowballs? That’s exactly what I noticed during recess duty—kids having fun but suffering from cold hands because they weren’t wearing gloves. That’s when a wild idea struck me: What if we could make a snowball that keeps your hands warm instead of freezing them? ❄️🔥

Through the design cycle, I refined this idea into creating a spherical hand warmer/toy powered by a candle that never flips over!

🔧 Why This Project is Special

- Innovative Gyroscopic Mechanism: The hand warmer stays upright no matter how it rolls.

- Educational & Fun: A great STEM project to learn about gyroscopes and design principles.

- Easy to Make: Uses common materials like candles and 3D printing.

- Dual Purpose: It can be a safe candle holder for kids or a functional warmer in cold weather.

👉 Want to jump straight to the build? Skip ahead to Step 3: Plan & Create a Solution to start making your warm snowball right away!

1. White Candle
2. Source: Dollarama (or any local store)
3. White 3D Printing Filament
4. 3D Printer
5. If you live in Toronto, they are available in Toronto Public Library
6. Glue Gun
7. Source: Dollarama (or any local store)
8. Your Creativity!

Safety Precautions

1. Never leave the burning candle unattended.
2. Be aware of the spilling wax.
3. Keep the ball away from flammable materials
4. Keep fingers away from the hot glue gun nozzle to avoid burns.

Initially, I wanted to create a warm snowball that mimicked the texture of snow. However, I soon realized that realistic snow texture was difficult to achieve with warming elements. So, I refined the idea into making a gyroscopic hand warmer shaped like a sphere.

In order to ensure the candle is always keeping upright while rolling the sphere, I planned to make the warm snowball with gyroscope.

A gyroscope is a device with a spinning wheel that maintains its orientation no matter how it moves. This is used in:

✅ Smartphones – Detecting screen orientation 📲

✅ Airplanes – Keeping them stable ✈️

✅ Robots – Helping them move smoothly 🤖

🎮 Why Use a Gyroscope for This Project?

1. Ensures the candle stays upright inside the sphere.
2. Prevents spillage or uneven melting of the wax.
3. Makes the warmer interactive like a toy!

Image Reference: Wikipedia

🌐 Overall Structure

The Never-Flip Candle Warmer consists of:

1. A gyroscopic core that holds the candle.

2. A 3D-printed outer shell that mimics a snowball.

🔧 Shell Design Considerations

1. Should resemble a real snowball.
2. Must allow airflow for the candle.

1. Design the Gyroscope in Fusion 360/ TinkerCAD OR search for gyroscope 3D models.

a. In theory, the gyroscope should always remain in its orientation. However, in reality, the friction of the hinge could hinder the movement of the bowl. Therefore, I designed the bowl with a thicker layer at the bottom to provide more weight and overcome the friction.

b. The hinge is designed to be printed in place for 3D printing

c. The base of the Gyroscope is design flatted to facilitate 3D Printing

2. Design the Shell in Fusion 360.

- Ensure it has space for the gyroscope to move freely.

3. 3D Print the Components.

4. Prepare the Candle

- Cut the bottom slightly and melt it for a snug fit in the bowl.

5. Assemble the Warmer

- Attach the shell to the gyroscope using a glue gun.

🔹 Prototype 1: First Attempt

❌ Issue: The bowl was too big, causing the candle to get stuck.

🔹 Prototype 2: Refinement

❌ Issue: The hinge was too small, making it unable to hold the gyroscope.

🔹 Prototype 3: Final Version

✅ Solution: Adjusted the bowl size & hinge strength to ensure smooth rotation and stable heating.

Would you make one for yourself? Let me know in the comments! 🚀