Metal tangle toys

BonanzaJay

Does anyone know if you can get tangle toys that are metal?

I've seen metal infinity toys but the tangle toys all seem to be metallic looking plastic.

Amity

I can only find them sold out on this site

https://www.tanglecreations.com/collections/museum-collection/stainless-steel

verity

I suggest making them. If you could find hollow metal hoops such as  steel O rings you will find on amazon, you can cut into quarters with a hack saw (file the ends smooth and deburr the inside, smooth with wet and dry). Then you could cannibalize the ends of a plastic one to  insert inside the metal tubes to provide the stap fit. 

You will have to sand the plastic down or pack it. suggest fitting with a slight taper and tap it in for a  friction fit. You could use epoxy. You would need to rough up inside of the metal tube.

Lots of toys use chemically resistant plastics to make them child safe. Melting could work but might change the tolerances

There are metal poppers that could be used but you have to consider how they will be fixed to the tube. Most people aren't doing spot welding but it is possible. You could solder but you need the right solder / flux. Really mechically you want a solid insert thst goes in a little way to be strong.

Basically it is a shape that lend itself to moulding. Metal casting usually doesn't have that tolerance, and isn't enlastic enough for a snap fit. 

So really the construction of such a part is more expensive. Where as injection moulded plastic is cheap and fast at quantity. 

verity

Crimp fit is possible but difficult to do symmetrically. A centre punch could work. Alternatively you could drill a small hole and use a srew.

BonanzaJay

Wow, Verity! Are you a welder or something? I'd have no idea where to start with all that. Generally limit myself to papercrafts! Thanks so much though, I will have a look! :)

verity

BonanzaJay said:

Wow, Verity! Are you a welder or something? I'd have no idea where to start with all that. Generally limit myself to papercrafts! Thanks so much though, I will have a look! :)

Not at all but I have foundation of engineering, I did Industrial Design Engineering for a few years but after the work placement I dropped out.

So I know this would be a more  difficult part to manufacture cheaply  in comparison to a plastic moulded part. Not impossible though.

I think real question is what part/design you would use for the axis of rotation and snap fix and how thsi would be fixed to the curved bit, ensuring thsi is all aligned.

verity

If you take snap fasner

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap_fastener

these are relatively complex objects. They are sprung to overcome the limitations of the material. A plastic equivalent is far less complex. it can be made of two parts. Also this would be a one step process rather than 2-3 step.

A pen lid that snaps together is simpler.

It its difficult to make all metal pen, with snap fit lid, you you need a good choice of materials to get the right expansion, durability and elasticity so you can get it on and off easily.

This is kind of why I think reusing the plastic snap fit of the tangle toy and just using a metal casing might be easier. As it is not simple cylinder but is curved, you will have enough work aligning everything so it rotates nicely.