Freestyle Project #6: Air Hockey Striker 5/21/25

Designing an air hockey striker in Fusion 360 began with a 2D sketch of two concentric circles a 60 mm diameter base and a 40 mm diameter thumb circle plus a vertical line to define grip height. I revolved that sketch 360° into the basic mallet shape, then added a 3 mm fillet to the top edge and a 2 mm fillet to the bottom to capture the authentic bevel of a real striker.

Next, I focused on the grip. I sketched a small cylinder offset 5 mm from center, extruded it 3 mm into the body, and used the Combine tool in “Cut” mode to create a thumb recess. Patterning this feature in a three-position circular array meant that if I ever tweak the dimensions, every grip updates parametrically.

To bring color and realism, I opened the Appearance panel and applied a matte plastic material to the body, then assigned a low-friction PE/UHMW plastic to the striking face. I embossed “JAYDEN CREATIONS” around the circumference with the Emboss tool, giving those letters a glossy finish that contrasts nicely against the matte body. Fine-tuning roughness and reflectivity settings made the surfaces pop under Fusion’s lighting.

With the model dressed and ready, I inserted the striker into a simple air hockey table setup. Using Joints, I constrained its motion to the XY plane, then ran a Motion Study: keyframing a 150 mm push over 0.5 seconds and a swift return. Watching the playback in real time helped me catch collision or clearance issues before I even thought about rendering.

This project underscored the power of parametric relationships for maintaining consistency across features, the importance of grouping operations into clear components for easy edits, and the value of early motion tests to uncover any joint alignment hiccups before they derail your animations.

Next up is physical prototyping: exporting high-resolution STL files for 3D printing, testing a sheet of low-friction vinyl tape for the striking face, and experimenting with interior weight inserts to fine-tune the feel. Beyond that, I’m already dreaming of translucent or LED-embedded versions that take a simple paddle and transform it into a true design showpiece.