The maker behind this figure-eight mechanical puzzle has hit a familiar crossroads: shipping physical items burned them out, and now they are weighing a switch to selling the files themselves. Alongside that decision come open questions about what to charge, how to price licensing for 3D printing businesses, and where to source the small hardware the design needs.
The toy itself is a handheld puzzle with a dark grey figure-eight housing, printed in plastic, holding two rotating circular hubs in light blue. Strings of beads in red, green, white and dark grey travel along the perimeter tracks, and turning the central wheels swaps the beads between positions.
What stands out is the hardware planning. The build calls for screws, heat set inserts, magnets and possibly small springs, plus precision 6mm balls in POM or PP. There is a standard version meant for ball bearings and an alternate version sized for airsoft BBs or undersized balls, which seems like a smart way to widen the parts options. The magnets go in mid-print, with the print halted partway through, and putting one puzzle together takes roughly four minutes.
Pricing is the sticking point. The files are listed at $8 CAD, about $5.70 USD, while the finished puzzles previously sold for $30 and $40 USD. The maker has said the gap between what buyers perceived the work as worth and the effort involved forced a price increase on the physical versions. Since enthusiasts sometimes spend $80 or more on quality mechanical puzzles, my own view is the file price looks low, but the licensing question for print businesses is still unanswered.