I was inspired by a 3D printed articulated butterfly to design a spinning top that has articulated arms.  The butterfly can be found here:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2810756

I wanted the spinning top to be easy to print, so it prints in two pieces (the main body/arms and the handle).  The main body is printed upside down to minimize support.

I also made an interesting comparison of how much it would cost to 3D print vs CNC machine the top, as a kind of “what if” we didn’t have 3d printing.  This comparison really highlights how amazing 3D printing is for the home designer. The video can be seen here if you are interested:

https://youtu.be/GG7DlSw-DoM

Please note that the best way to show your appreciation and keep up to date on my latest 3D printing projects is to head over to my YouTube channel and subscribe!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeQR9E-MPwBqEpuaIJiE4CQ

STL quantities to print:

Main Body and Arms, Articulated Top {QTY 1x}

Handle, Articulated Top {QTY 1x}

Printing and Assembly:

Print the main body upside down (with arms pointing towards the ceiling) to minimize support.  The handle prints upright, so you will have to remove a little support from the overhanging section on the bottom (of the handle).

Once the main body prints, be sure to “break loose” each arm and ensure that all the arms pivot and move smoothly.  It helps to flush out any support material that is between the arms and the main body.

Once support material is removed from the handle and main body, then handle can be pressed into the top of the main body.  You can use a little super glue or epoxy to fix the handle in place, if you like.

Note that when I scaled up the top by 2x, the handle was loose when pressed into the top.  You need to use super glue or epoxy in this case.