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  • toy

  • toys

  • gear

  • kids

  • kid

  • child

  • magnet

  • fridge

  • interactive

  • toddler

Hardware Per Gear:

- 1x  Bearing (3mmID*10mmOD*4mmH)
- 1x  M3 Nut (standard nuts work, but i suggest using low-profile ones)
- 1x  M3*8 Hex Socket Head screw
- 3x 10mm magnets (5mm height max). 6x magnets are needed for 1 large gear

Features: 

- No plastic-on-plastic rubbing
- TPU feet - no sliding
- Designs are modular and customizable
- Zero backlash
- Extremely durable (cannot be broken by me, and will certainly withstand a child)
- Press-fit design with no glue - broken parts can simply be re-printed

Why?:

- Interactive, and tactile gears allow for learning of rotation, direction, teeth count. I suggest printing a Small, Medium and Large gear, and attach an arrow on them; Connect the gears in a line, and demonstrate how size (teeth count) affects how quickly the gears spin. How many times do you need to turn each gear to make all of the arrows face the same direction again?

- Have your child place a certain number of gears in a row and have them guess which direction a gear will spin when one is turned.

- Teach your child that an odd number of gears attached in a circle will always cause the mechanism to jam; why? 

Printing Tips:

- The softer the TPU, the better it will stick to the fridge (or metal surface)
- Glue M3 nut on the hex socket screw (or use threadlocker)
- Use a smooth PEI plate
- Print all parts with ABS and join with a chemical that dissolves the plastic slightly. Otherwise, ordinary CA glue might not be strong enough, causing the topper to become a choking hazard.
- Before gluing, scratch the balls out of your surface with a knife to increase surface area


 

Bill of materials

  • Name
    Quantity
    Notes
  • 1
    Bearing
    1
    3mmID 10mmOD 4mmH
  • 2
    M3 nut
    1
    thin nut suggested (regular work too)
  • 3
    M3*8 hex socket machine screw
    1
  • 4
    Magnet
    3
    10mmD 5mmH. Large gear needs 6

Originality of the Model

The author declares that this work is their personally original model

This model is licensed under the following terms:

Credit must be given to the creator

Models(16)

  • model file image
    MediumGear_TPU Feet.stlDesigner

    74.89 KB

    2025-07-14

  • model file image
    LargeGear_large-blank.stlDesigner

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  • model file image
    SmallGear_Dual Color Swirl.stlDesigner

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  • model file image
    SmallGear_small-base.stlDesigner

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  • model file image
    SmallGear_small-blank.stlDesigner

    273.42 KB

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  • model file image
    SmallGear_TPU Feet.stlDesigner

    74.89 KB

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  • model file image
    MediumGear_medium-base.stlDesigner

    638.17 KB

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  • model file image
    LargeGear_dimple.stlDesigner

    2.27 MB

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  • model file image
    LargeGear_large-base.stlDesigner

    976.25 KB

    2025-07-14

  • model file image
    LargeGear_TPU Feet.stlDesigner

    56.33 KB

    2025-07-14

  • model file image
    Topper_arrow.stlDesigner

    1.35 MB

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  • model file image
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  • model file image
    Topper_Spiral Medium.stlDesigner

    495.10 KB

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  • model file image
    Topper_Spiral Small.stlDesigner

    490.61 KB

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  • model file image
    Topper_star.stlDesigner

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