WWA Info Exchange

well I sold sixty five wooden tops last week and have orders for one hundred more. My hobby is becoming to much like a job.

That's great, Donald. Hope those sales continue to spin. Have we seen pics? If so, I must have missed them.

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Jess
my gallery
more photos

What Jess said.

Duan

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Duan Packard
Kerrville, Texas

dum vivimus, vivamus

Great! I guess not everyone plays games on their smartphone after all.

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I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

I had some pictures a few years back. Right now the camera is down. I make most of my tops out of furniture trimmings so they are a mixture of Walnut, cherry, ash, or the best spinning of all Ipe. The dense ipe really spins and spins and spins. I just need to find some one putting in a ipe deck so I can get more trimings.

Would love to see some pictures. Sounds like something I could do down here to make a few bucks for supporting my wood working hobby.

May be I can help there, here's a couple tops I made for Christmas presents a couple years ago, did your's look anything like these?


See "tops 2"


See "tops1"

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I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting more and more difficult for me to find any (elders that is!)

Al

Greyshadow -

We, our woodturner's club, turn a lot of simple spin tops at a couple children's festivals each year and I've always been meaning to make a bunch of handles ahead of time and turn the tops while the kids stand in line waiting for one. But I've never understood, does the top just drop out of the handle after you pull the string? Thinking I could mass produce the handle parts. I know if I start handing out this type I'll have the only kid lineup at the fair!

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Nullum Gratuitum Prandium

Cheers - Dennis

Mine are just about the same. Only I have an open end on the handle.To operate you just set the top on a surface pull the string and lift the handle.It is so simple a cave kid could do it !

Dennis, What Donald said. In the second picture you can see there are two holes.
I start with 3/4 thick piece of wood, rough cut to shape on the bandsaw, then chuck it in the lathe to turn down the handle close to shape. It is a bit tricky on the wider part.
I then drill the larger hole for the string with a large forstner bit, then drill the smaller hole in the side to fit the shaft of the top. This hole goes through the first part of the opening, but only half way through the other side. Then sand the daylights out of it, and I put a small amount of wax in the small holes. I also drill a very small hole in the shaft of the top to insert the string for winding.

The shaft of the top needs to be lose enough to turn freely, but not so loose as to wobble too much.

I usually tie a small piece of the cut-off from the shaft at one end of the string to make it easier for small hands to pull the srting.

Then like Donald said, hold it slightly above a smooth surface, pull the string and lift the handle.

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I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting more and more difficult for me to find any (elders that is!)

Al