Introduction: Music Box: Music Not Included

Why we chose this design:

We chose to make this item, a spinning plate, because it seemed like a design that would not require high levels of skill and it met all the requirements set forth. There were three of us designing this and none of us had any prior Fusion 360 experience, meaning that we were not able to design any crazy complex items. The design is also a great way of teaching people who are also new to the program some basic things.

Step 1: The Materials

Autodesk 360 Fusion

Access to 3D printer (or 3D printing service)

Super Glue (any brand)

Small hands or tweezers (for assembly)

A computer

About 1 hour to design

Step 2: The Box

For the first part you need to create a box with dimensions of 175 by 175 by 175 millimeters.

Next we need to make the box hollow. Use the hollow tool under modify. Select the top of the box and leave an inside thickness of 7.5 mm.

Now we need to create a hole for the handle. Using the cylinder tool, create a hole with a diameter of 16mm and a length of 7.5 mm. Place the hole on the center of the front side.

Now we need to create an indent in the bottom of the box. This is to hold a post in place. Once again, use the cylinder tool. I would recommend changing the view to the top view for this step. Create a cylinder with a diameter of 16 mm in the center of box with a height of -5 mm.

Step 3: The Gears

Make a new design by clicking on the file button in the top left. Now we need to create a gear. We will be using this two times in our design. To create a gear click on “Scripts and Add-Ins” under “Add-Ins”. Next click on the “Add-Ins” header and scroll down to “SpurGear”. Choose the 2nd one and click “Run”. Click “Ok” on the tab that pops up.

Now we can create gears. Create a spur gear under the “Create” tab. Set the “Standard” to metric. Set the Module to 7, Number of Teeth to 12, Backlash to 3 mm, Root Fillet Radius to 3 mm, hole diameter to 17mm, and leave the rest the same. Click “OK” and the gear should pop up.

Step 4: The Horizontal Post

The third piece of this project is very simple. It connects the gear to the handle. Simply create a cylinder with a diameter of 14.5 mm and a length of 97.5 mm.

Step 5: The Vertical Post

This step is almost identical to the previous step. Once again, create a cylinder with a diameter of 14.5 mm but this time with a length of 180 mm.

Now that you have the rod you will need to make a ledge for the gear to rest on. To do this you will make a cylinder with a diameter of 40mm and height of 10mm. Now you will position this new cylinder on the 180mm long rod. It should be 39mm off the bottom of the rod. This is what the inside gear will rest on. It should look like this.

Step 6: The Plate

Now we need to create the top plate. Create a cylinder with a diameter of 175mm and a height of 10 mm. I would recommend placing the center point on the center of the graph.

Now in the center of the cylinder, create another cylinder with a diameter of 20mm and a height of 10 mm.

Finally, create a cylinder in the center of the smaller cylinder with a diameter of 16mm and a height of -10 mm.

Step 7: The Handle

The final piece of the design is the handle. The handle is essential if you want to be able to use the device and you might need to change some things to suit your hands. The first thing you need to do it make a box. This can be done in a similar way to the box you made earlier just with different dimensions. In this case, the dimensions we will be using are 70mmx40mmx40mm. If you have large hands you may want to make the length a little longer. Maybe 80mm or 90mm but always leave the 40mmx40mm.

Next we have to make a hole for the rod that is connected to the gear. This hole is going to be centered in one of the end sides. Once you have located the center of the face, you will create a circle on this face. The circle should have a diameter of 16mm.

Now we will add depth to the circle. To do this you will click the extrude button at the top left and will then select the circle. Once you have done this you will see a blue arrow pointing either away from the box or into the box. You will then want to drag the arrow so that is is going into the box then you will make it 10mm deep. It should end up looking like this.

Now to add somewhere to hold on to. First you will create a box, on the end that does not have the hole, that is 40mm wide by 25mm deep. This box will then be extruded upward 60mm.

Then you will make your final box. You will not be creating a box on the side of the box you just made. This box will be 60mmx40mmx40mm and will be made using the same method you just used to create the previous box. You might have to move the design around a little to get the box in the right spot but if you move the entire creation first and then make the box you will be able to get it in the right spot. It should look like this.The last important step is to rotate the object. This is so that a printer is able to print the handle successfully. It doesn’t matter which directions to rotate it so long as it ends up on its side. Like this.

Now you can choose to make the corners smooth if you want (this will make the printing much more difficult and might require some other adjustments). To do this you will use the fillet tool on the edges along the box except on the edges around the hole. If you choose to fillet everything it should look like this. I would recommend you don’t fillet anymore than 10mm. The handle is now complete.

Step 8: Printing It

Now that you have all the parts of the music box minus the music, you can print them. If you own a 3D printer then you shouldn’t have any problem but if you don’t there are a few options. Our group was unable to print the item because we did not budget our time well enough. Your library or school might have a 3D printer but if they don’t here is a website you can use.

www.3dhubs.com

Step 9: Assembly

Now that you have all the pieces you will need to get your super glue and small hands or a pair of tweezers. The first part will be to take the horizontal post and put it through the hole in the side of the box and glue the gear on to the pole so that it is in the center and glue the handle onto the shaft on the outside of the box. Then you will take the vertical post and use super glue to attach the end that has the ledge closest to it to the indentation in the bottom of the box. Then you will want to slide one of the gears onto the pole. Now you will want to glue the other gear onto the rod in the side of the box. Make sure you glue it onto the side that is inside the box. Make sure the gears are aligned properly. After the gears are on you should glue to plate onto the other end of the pole. Finally you should insert the handle onto the pole extending from the side of the box. Use the glue to secure it. Now the box is finished. It should look like this (minus the missing two walls. They’re just gone so you can see everything.)

Step 10: Use

You can put anything light-weight onto the spinner and crank the gear and watch it spin.

Step 11: Future Additions

Some future modifications could be made. The gears might jam which could indicate a more optimal configuration. Another option would be to motorize the spinner by using a motor to turn the gears. There is also room to make the design more stable. The addition of more support beams on the gear and spinning plate could make the design more sturdy.

Design Now: In Motion Contest

Participated in the
Design Now: In Motion Contest