Papercraft Gyroscope

Although spring keeps trying to break through the winter doldrums you might be looking for just one more weekend activity before the outdoor season begins. Grab the kids and give this paper gyroscope a try.

It’s not an electronic sensor made of paper, but the modern equivalent of a spinning top. The frame remains stationary while the center assembly spins at high speed, keeping the whole thing balanced on one narrow point. [Dombeef] put together a printable template which you can use to make your own parts. He got a hold of the heavy paper that’s used to hold X-ray film, but you can just trace out multiple copies of the parts and make a beefy section by laminating them together with glue. Combine the inner and outer parts using a paper clip as the axis and you’re ready to go. Pull hard on a bit of floss wound around the axis to get the center frame spinning, then sit back and see how long it will remain standing.

5 thoughts on “Papercraft Gyroscope

  1. I made this, and it works, unfortuantly my dog sat on it, she is a bit over weight, and broke it.
    There was a prototype made of the X-ray paper and it worked, you just have to add wire to the edges so when it spins it lasts longer and balances. It can only balance on it’s side, but it is a prototype, the new one is being worked on and it will be able to spin like a top

  2. Hell just a nice model to stick up next to the robots and vehicles. a different type of papercraft would be nice, if it works Ill consider it icing on the cake. Oh and he word you’re looking for is card stock, or pressed cardboard.

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