Flexi Starfish – Print-in-Place Hex Fidget

🌟 Meet the Flexi Starfish!

This soft-looking starfish is anything but stiff. Its whole body is covered in hexagon tiles, each one linked to its neighbours with tiny rings hidden inside. No assembly, no glue, no supports: print it, pop it off the plate and start flexing.

Why you'll love it

• 🔗 Fully flexible: every arm bends and curls in any direction

• 😌 Satisfying fidget: the tiles click and slide nicely in your hand

• 🖨 One print, zero assembly: print-in-place ring links

• 🚫 No supports: flat bottom, easy first layer

• 🎁 Great gift: kids, desk toy or table decoration

Specs

• Size: 120 × 112 × 15 mm

• Around 80 hex tiles

• Rings: Ø 5.1 mm, 0.29 mm clearance

Print settings (included in the 3MF)

• Printer: Bambu Lab P2S, 0.4 mm nozzle (works on any well-tuned printer)

• Profile: 0.20 mm Standard

• Filament: PLA. Matte or basic PLA moves the smoothest

• Walls: 2 · Infill: 15% grid · Supports: none · Brim: auto

After printing

1. Let the plate cool down completely before you take the print off.

2. Gently bend each row of tiles once, in both directions, to free all the rings.

3. If a tile feels stuck, twist it a little instead of pulling it.

Tips

• Calibrate your flow and avoid elephant's foot. The rings sit close to the bed, so a squished first layer can fuse them.

• Silk and PETG can stick more. PLA gives the best movement.

• Prints look great in bright or glow-in-the-dark colours ✨

Made with FlexyMaker

I designed this starfish with FlexyMaker, my own tool for turning simple shapes into print-in-place flexi models. More flexi animals are on the way, so follow me to catch the next one!

If you print it, please post a Make with a photo. I'd love to see your colours! 💛