Magnetic Nail Polish Glass Bead Effect Tool

Magnetic Nail Polish Bead Effect Tool is designed to create the "glass bead" effect with magnetic nail polish. I wanted a tool that didn't require winding a tiny crank, this makes it easier to use while your other hand might have wet nails.  I also wanted something that required minimal outsourced parts, and does not involve the potential danger of screwing strong magnets to an electric motor or power tool.

I borrowed @RyGuyDesign's Vortex Spiral Fidget (V2) for the spinning mechanism so I could use a simple up-down motion while the finger being magnetized holds down the base.

Outsourced Parts Required:

• 6 - Magnets of dimension 10x3x30mm (3 on each side).
  • Magnets used in my build: https://a.co/d/5eTmshe 
  • For those sourcing magnets elsewhere, the magnets are magnetized through the thickness (N/S are on the largest faces, not the ends or the sides)
• 1 - M3x12 bolt
• 2-4 (optional) - Washers placed on either side of the plastic parts to make operation smoother

Printed Parts:

• Vortex Spiral Fidget Part A - Outside part of the spinning mechanism
• Vortex Spiral Fidget Part B - Inside part of the spinning mechanism
• Magnet Holder - holds the magnets a set width apart and is spun with the spinning mechanism
• Base Housing - Suspends the whole system above the nail

Assembly

1. Screw the bolt fully into the magnet holder first
2. Put the magnet holder inside the base housing and push the bolt through the hole in the base housing
3. Screw the Vortex Spiral Fidget Part B as far as you can without the gap being too snug for the parts to spin.
   • You may need a hex key/screw driver to hold the bolt while screwing in the Vortex Spiral Fidget so the bolt does not back out.

Instructions

1. Paint your nail with magnetic nail polish.
2. Center your nail on the “X” in the Base Housing.
3. Lift the outer Vortex Spiral Fidget Part A straight up, and push down.  Repeat until nail polish is reasonably set.
4. Paint and repeat as needed.

NB: Some people have noted that the noise the fidget makes is kind of annoying, particularly with PLA. This is an unfortunate side effect of the layer lines and material type. You have a few options for a quieter experience:

• Print this out of PETG instead. This is an inherently quieter material than PLA and will dampen the noise a bit
• Print at smaller layer heights (i.e. 0.16 vs 0.2). This will however, lengthen the print time
• Print out of ABS/ASA and use acetone vapor smoothing technique. This is by far the quietest option and will give the model a nice, smooth finish. However, printing ABS/ASA has additional requirements such as a printer with an enclosure (most ideally a heated chamber), as well as filtration as styrene fumes are very nasty for your health.
  • Grab a glass jar that is big enough to place one fidget piece (A or B) at a time in
  • Put in a piece of paper towel so that it covers a majority of the jar wall without overlap. Usually a half towel or smaller is enough, it doesn't have to be perfect.
  • put in enough acetone to wet the paper towel so it sticks to the jar wall, but not so much that it pools at the bottom. You should only need a teaspoon or so of acetone. If it's easier, pour in a small amount, swirl, then pour out the excess.
  • Using a bit of metal wire or string, hang the part in the jar so it doesn't touch the bottom. You can even punch a hole through the middle of the jar lid and use some tape to hold onto the wire/string
  • Close the jar so that the entire thing is airtight (or mostly airtight). Leave it for 30 minutes and then remove the part from the jar. Let it air dry and harden as it'll be likely soft at this point. 
  • Repeat with other piece
• Similarly, you can print out of Polymaker Polysmooth and use alcohol vapor smoothing technique for a more health friendly setup compared to ABS/ASA acetone smoothing. 
• Print using a resin printer

For those who want a different option entirely, check out my new simplified model: https://www.printables.com/model/1467189-magnetic-nail-polish-glass-bead-effect-tool-v2/

Modifications were made to the Velvet Effect Magnet Holder to make the magnets sit closer for a tighter bead, a hole was added to accommodate a bolt.

I added a hole through the middle of the Spiral Fidget Part B so the magnet holder can be bolted to it.