The most satisfying fidget toys use a real mechanical keyboard switch. Press it and you get the same crisp click as a gaming keyboard, thousands of times over. Here's how to make one: a little 3D printed case holds the switch, and a printed cap sits on top as the part you press.
What you need
- A 3D printer. Any printer that prints PLA will do.
- One MX-style keyboard switch per clicker. These are the standard switches in mechanical keyboards. Cherry, Gateron, Kailh and Outemu all make them, and they're sold in packs of 10 or more for not much.
- Filament. PLA is fine. A second colour is nice for faces and details, but not essential.
Which switch to buy
Switches come in three feels, usually shown by the colour of the stem:
| Type | Feel | Usual stem colour | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clicky | A bump and a loud click | Blue | The most satisfying clicker, but not for quiet offices |
| Tactile | A bump, no click | Brown | Quieter fidgeting |
| Linear | Smooth, no bump | Red | The quietest, least clicky |
For a fidget clicker, most people want clicky (blue) switches. Make sure they're MX-style, with the cross-shaped stem: "low profile" and "Alps" switches won't fit.
Pick a design
These are all made in the browser: choose the options and colours, then download the file. No CAD needed.
- Animal Clicker: a cat, bear, panda, bunny, mouse, frog or pig peeping out of a flowerpot. Press its head to click. Make up to four at once, each in its own colour.
- Dumpling Clicker: a pleated bao bun with a smiley face in a bamboo steamer, with a lid.
- Ice Cream Clicker: a soft-serve twist, a piped swirl or stacked rings in a waffle cone, on a keyring.
- Keyboard Fidget Keychain: a name spelled on real clicky keys, one switch per letter, with a keyring loop.
There are seasonal ones too: a Christmas Clicker with Santa, a reindeer or a snowman, a Halloween Clicker peeping out of a cauldron, and Valentine’s and Easter clickers.
Printing it
The Animal, Dumpling and Ice Cream clickers are two parts each: the case that holds the switch, and the cap you press. (The Keyboard Fidget Keychain has a tray and a keycap per letter; the designer shows how each prints.)
- The case (the pot, steamer or cone) prints standing up with no supports. The switch clips into it from above.
- The cap (the animal's head, bun or ice cream) prints standing on its bottom edge. Turn on supports on the build plate only, for the hollow inside and the stem that pushes onto the switch.
- Take the supports out gently from inside the cap, especially around the stem. A pair of tweezers helps.
For faces in a second colour, the designs are made for multi-colour printers. On a single-colour printer you can print them in one colour, and they still look good.
Putting it together
- Push the switch down into the case until it clips in.
- Press the cap onto the top of the switch's stem.
- Click away.
If the cap is too tight or too loose
Every printer prints a little differently, so the hole in the cap that grips the switch might come out slightly tight or loose. Each design has a fit setting ("Head fit on the switch", for example). Bigger numbers are looser. The default is 0.15 mm:
- Too tight (won't go on, or the cap sticks down): raise it by 0.05 mm and print the cap again.
- Too loose (the cap falls off): lower it by 0.05 mm.
Only the cap needs reprinting. The case stays the same.
Make it a gift
Clickers make great stocking fillers and party bag gifts. Make a set in each person's favourite colours, or use the Keyboard Fidget Keychain to spell their name on keys.
Give one in a clicker gift box with a window to peep through and their name on the lid, and keep a collection on a tiered clicker stand.
Browse all the toys and fidgets to find more.