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YOU CAN BUILD A DYSON-STYLE FAN WITH NO BLADES

A 3D-printed desk fan with an empty ring: air rushes out of a thin slot around the ring, and paper streamers in front of it start to flutter.

by Elite Worm

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

HomeWorkshop

Built withArduino3D printing

difficulty
●●●○○
time
a weekend
license
CC BY 4.0 (Thingiverse files); the GitHub code has no licence file
repo
repo FINISHED8 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is Elite Worm's take on the Dyson Air Multiplier idea: a brushless drone motor hidden in the printed body pushes air into a 3D-printed ring, and the air leaves through a thin slot. In the build video, paper streamers flutter in front of the ring. The parts list on Thingiverse is detailed down to screw counts and the potentiometer shaft diameter, the wiring is described pin by pin, and the Digispark code is a single short file. What is missing is a written assembly guide: the build video shows how it was made, but it has no narration. If you have wired an ESC to a microcontroller before, that is enough; if this is your first brushless motor project, expect to spend extra time on the order of assembly. The parts list names only the motor brand (Turnigy), not the model, so check your motor's dimensions against the printed mount before you order or print. For comparison, a Dyson AM07 lists at 399.99 dollars on dyson.com.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —Seven STL files on Thingiverse under CC BY 4.0; the Digispark code is a single .ino file on GitHub.
  • —Detailed parts list in the Thingiverse description (quantities, screw sizes, potentiometer range and shaft), but the motor has no model number.
  • —Wiring is described pin by pin on Thingiverse; there is no written assembly guide.
  • —Build video on the maker's YouTube channel, without narration.
  • —The printable files are CC BY 4.0, so commercial use is allowed with credit; the GitHub code has no licence file.
  • —The maker says the drone motor makes it noisier than a fan built with a PC fan.

Parts to buy

9 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • 1100KV brushless motorFind
  • 20 A ESCFind
  • Digispark ATtiny85Find
  • 6 mm shaft potentiometer (1 to 100 kOhm)Find
  • 12 mm 12 V socketFind
  • 12 V 2 to 3 A supplyFind
  • 4 adhesive bumpersFind
  • WireFind
  • Silicone or glueFind

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Can I build this?

PrintSeven parts (A_Outer, A_Inner, B to F); no material or print settings are given.
Buy1100KV brushless motor, 20 A ESC, Digispark ATtiny85, 6 mm shaft potentiometer (1 to 100 kOhm), 12 mm 12 V socket, 12 V 2 to 3 A supply, 4 adhesive bumpers, 12 M2 x 6 mm and 4 M3 x 6 mm screws, wire, silicone or glue
Tools3D printer, soldering iron, small screwdrivers, Arduino IDE with Digispark support
SkillsIntermediate: wiring an ESC, flashing an ATtiny85 and joining printed parts cleanly
TimeA weekend if you have soldered an ESC before; longer if this is your first brushless motor build.
Cost$$ — the motor, ESC, Digispark and power supply make up most of it; a Dyson AM07 lists at 399.99 dollars.
SafetyRuns on a 12 V DC supply, no mains wiring. Keep fingers away from the motor while it spins, and handle the ESC and supply with normal electronics care.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

How to Make a BLADELESS FAN5:43

Elite Worm's own build video for this fan. No narration; it shows the build and paper streamers fluttering in front of the ring.

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Download the seven STL files from Thingiverse (Two of the parts are joined with silicone or another glue, as the maker notes.)
  2. 2.Download the Digispark code from GitHub (Flash it to the Digispark ATtiny85 with the Arduino IDE.)
  3. 3.Gather the electronics from the parts list (1100KV brushless motor, 20 A ESC, Digispark ATtiny85, 6 mm shaft potentiometer (1 to 100 kOhm), 12 mm 12 V socket, 12 V 2 to 3 A supply, M2 and M3 screws, small gauge wire.)
  4. 4.Wire it as described on Thingiverse (Digispark and ESC both powered from 12 V in parallel, potentiometer wiper to P2, ESC signal to P0; swap two motor phases if the direction is wrong.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The parts list names only "1100KV brushless motor or similar, I used a Turnigy" with no model number, so check your motor's size against the printed mount before you print.
  • There is no written assembly guide. Watch the build video first, then dry-fit the printed parts before you glue anything with silicone.
  • The potentiometer needs a 6 mm shaft (1 to 100 kOhm; the maker used a 100 kOhm Alpha). A different shaft size will not fit the knob.
  • A drone motor is noisier than a fan motor. The maker chose it for power and says so in the video description.
  • You need the Arduino IDE with Digispark board support to flash the ATtiny85; if you have never done that, set aside time for the setup.
  • Power comes from a 12 V DC supply rated 2 to 3 A that feeds both the Digispark and the ESC. A weaker supply is not on the parts list.

Is it really bladeless?

Only on the outside, just like a Dyson. The ring has no moving parts; the air is pushed by a brushless motor hidden inside the printed body and leaves the ring through a thin slot.

How loud is it?

The maker writes in the video description that he chose a 1100KV drone motor instead of a PC fan because it is much more powerful, knowing it would be noisier. Expect more noise than a quiet desk fan.

Can I use a different motor?

The parts list says "1100KV brushless motor or similar" and names only the brand (Turnigy), not a model. Any replacement has to fit the printed mount and work with your ESC, so check its dimensions before you print.

What does the Digispark do?

It reads the potentiometer and sends a servo-style pulse (1.0 to 1.5 ms) to the ESC, so the knob sets the motor speed. In the published code the knob covers the lower half of a standard ESC throttle range.

Do I need supports for printing?

The Thingiverse page gives no print settings, so there is no official answer. Check each of the seven parts in your slicer before printing.

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The maker chose a 1100KV drone motor knowing it would be noisier than a PC fan, because it was much more powerful. If you were building this, would you keep the drone motor or hunt for something quieter?

CompareeTEAM4d ago

What the Thingiverse page and the GitHub repo give you: seven STL files, a parts list down to screw counts and the potentiometer shaft diameter, pin-by-pin wiring notes and a short Digispark program. What they do not give you: a written assembly guide or a motor model number. The build video has no narration, so watch it before you start. The maker is upfront that the drone motor makes it noisier than a PC fan would.

Elite Worm

Elite Worm read up on how the Dyson "bladeless" fan works and decided to design one from scratch and print it. He had a bunch of 1100KV brushless motors from an old drone lying around, so instead of a PC fan he went for something much more powerful, even though it would be noisier. He published the files and a build video in August 2020; the video has passed 90,000 views.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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