Hello George: I have made hundreds of tops for my children's school. Great for hot dog day as prizes. I make mine out of broom handles that are being thrown out. The brooms are usually maple so the grain is consistant. I have a bit of a point on the bottom with a chunky main part and then a thin tall handle for gripping. Tops are good for the kindergarden age group, as it teaches them dexterity with their fingers. All the best from Petawawa, Ontario, Canada.
Thanks for the information. If you can tell me more about how you make these broom handle tops. Most broom handles I see are only 1" in diameter. This seems too small for a top.
The small diameter makes it easier for small children to spin it. Also I find putting bees wax on the top makes it easier to grip. Try a few small ones and you will see. Small hands need small tops.@@gfotinakes316
Brilliant! I think you're right about having the majority of the mass near the bottom - when it wobbles the mass won't move as far if it's closer to the bottom. I think you might find the tops spin longer if you get more mass at the outside and less at the centre as this will increase the angular momentum of the top. Also you might be able to spin it up to a faster speed if you make the shaft at the top thinner as you'll be able to get more rotations for a given speed of your fingers. Enjoyed the video :)
Long time woodturner but new to top making. I’ve quickly learned when making the blank a 2”x2”x3” works well. Once trued up then measure 7/8 from the edge to help create a consistent top bottom and as discussed keep the mass low to the handle should be about 1.25”. Thinner the handle the smoother it spins is my experience. Great 👍 video.
I was thinking of a key in a keyway. Put 2 shallow grooves opposite each other in the shaft of the large spinning top. Put 2 wedges opposite each other in your drive chuck. The wedges engage the slots for the drill to spin the top and disengage as you pull the drill off the top.
Hello Peter in Slovakia! I live in Southern California about 8 miles from the beautiful Pacific Ocean. It is so good to hear your comment. I hope you enjoy wood turning. I am a 3rd generation Greek-American (all 4 of my grandparents were born in Greece). This means we share many cultural similarities. Have a wonderful 2024.
Hey George, this is a well planned and presented video! This will be good for those of us who teach kids to turn tops so we can explain why certain shapes spin better. Good job.
Nice, interesting and calming video... I'll definitely be making some. I think hazel wood may be good (very common in UK). I have some nice Yew off-cuts too (I make bows ...archery bows,)
Hey Del, I watched a couple of your videos. I liked the mini cross bow you made. What part of the U.K. do you live in? Have a great 2022 from California and stay safe!
I think that uniform grain density has to do more with the stability than anything else, with uniform density be equal having more mass at the outer edges will give you a longer spin time. you have a lot of invested in this project I am sure you enlighten more than a few with this video.
I make some tops. I have found that tops over about 2 inch diameter need a two handed spin, as in palms together, then with a motion like you use when rubbing your hands together to warm them up/front to back, use that to propel the top. Takes little kids a few tries to master it. With the finger tops, never could get over 60 seconds of spin, even with rosewood. With 3 inch diameter hard/sugar maple tops, I could go 3 or so minutes. More mass= longer spin time. Also, sharp tips rather than rounded ones make for longer spin times. For a tray to spin them on, I would use a ceramic type one or maybe if you can concave some laminate/formica, then that works. A top with a sharp point will drill a hole into wood if it sits in one space. This video came up on the AAW forums.
Thank you for all the cool information. I have not made a top in several years, but I pull my collection out when we have a lot of children over and they like finding out why one spins better than another. By the way, what state are you in? I like to put a pin in my map for all of my replies. Take care!
@@gfotinakes316 Oregon. I tend to the unusual tops, Gasing types from Malaysia, and Tub Luj from Cambodia I think. With the Gasing types, I can get over 5 minutes of spin time. Posted a link on the AAW site.
Thanks, George. You're a kindred spirit. I recently acquired an old lathe and have been turning small tops (mostly from oak), getting mixed results myself. I'm wondering if you've happened upon any further insights this past year. I think that your soft mystery wood may be spruce.
I think you are right about the spruce. It was strange that this fairly light softwood seemed to outdo the exotic hardwoods that were heavy and so hard my knives were almost jumping off of the wood. One factor that seemed to increase spin time was clear even grained spruce where the density seems to be consistent. I tried some olivewood with incredible dark swirling patterns (irregular density) and the tops wobbled like crazy. Good luck and let me see some of your work if you are ever able to send a picture.
I don't have many left, I give them away about as fast as I make them. I love to see people's faces light up and I understand that their children and grandchildren are enjoying them as well. I have a few and will be making more. I can't find a way to contact you privately, my email address is available in the "ABOUT" section of my TH-cam "channel." Sadly, it's about the only thing there. Peace
I've turned lots of tops lately. I'm finding that it's not so much about the wood you use, as the shape and relationship of the base to the handle. I made some out of Basswood, Hard Maple, Mahogany, and a hard dense wood that I couldn't identify. Having a great time turning them and also playing with them. LOL. I love the dishes! I'm going to turn some. ETA: I have an idea for spinning that huge top. Put the handle between your palms and then quickly move them in opposite directions to spin it.
You sound like you are having a great time. It is fun to just set them out and ask a group of kids to tell you which spins the longest and why. Have a great summer!
Hello, I want to design a spinning with aluminum that produced by 3D printer so it could have complicated shape, I will appreciate if I know your suggestions about complicated shape of spinning, thanks
I wish I could help you. I am not a scientist. I just used anecdotal observations to come up with the few conclusions I give in the video. I am sure if you check around online, you can get some good information and then use the old trial and error method. Good luck!
That wood with the red in it is female box elder.It is light weight. What is your proces s for holding the tops to do the top end and the bottom 45 degrees?
I pute the wood in a bowl chuck on the drive side and have a live center on the other side until I come near the end. (I think, I have not made any in a long time.) By the way, what state are you in? I like to put a pin in my map for all of my replies. Take care!
@@gfotinakes316 Hi George, I am in Michigan. I made 42 tops to give away .Te 2' or bigger ones worked real good right away with a 3/8" handle, but the small ones had a hard time starting. I watched your video and figured it was the handle- too long and too big a round . So I chucked them in a collet by the very end of the handle and turned the handle down to a smaller and tapered diameter and cut them off. They all work now...Thanks for this video!!!!!!!!!............Cheers, Jim
@@jimjakosh2506 Well, you will have 42 happy people! If you still have them at Thanksgiving time, just pour them out on a table and ask people to test them and tell you why they think some spin longer than others do. I taught science for 40 years so I still enjoy challenging folks to hypothesize
@@gfotinakes316 That would be a good experiment! all the kids I gave them to tried them out on the hard floor and they worked real well. Now I'm building a big one for competition for long running time. I'll have a video on it soon. If it launches at 2500 rpm, it will run 9 minutes if it does not float and hit things. My table needs a little leveling in one direction and it seems to run better on a laminate surface than sheet of corian with I had leveled perfectly............cheers, Jim
I've been trying to figure out metrics for good wooden spinning tops. But can only find data for those metal ones that's all the rage nowadays. Do you remember how long your top performing spinners spin for?
I was able to get around 2 minutes on my best tops. I just kept trying different variables. It seemed like the best was a sharp point, a good low mass, and NOT a tall "mast" in the center. Mine were all hand spun with the snap of fingers. I think a string thrown top must start with a much higher rpm. Sorry I can't help you more. By the way, what state are you in? I like to put a pin in my map for all of my replies. Take care!
@@gfotinakes316 You helped me plenty! 2 minutes is a good goal. I already increased from 20-30s to around 1 min on my second top. 2 minutes feels tough but doable. Hope you got a world map because I'm from Sundsvall, Sweden. :)
Thanks for the tip! It sounds like fun. I have stayed away from using any plastics for fear of dust inhalation. I really have a poor vacuum system. Take care.
I had a dramatic failure in my attempts to corral my tops! I set them spinning into a large salad bowl. The bowl had a cross section that was close to a semicircle. The top touched the side, did perhaps three laps (each faster and higher up the side), and launched into the air. What is "failure?" If you are hoping to keep your top in your cubicle, DON'T DO THIS. If you are trying to keep kids interested, this will keep them busy for an hour at least.
Realizing this is 5 years old, I’ll still comment. It seems to me you aren’t taking into account the physical release of the top. It has to be correct and it has to be consistent. I’ve made tops that with the same one, they can work perfect or not very good……all depending on the release. That’s not to say that there are definitely some physics involved in the design
You are right. There is no way a person can manually spin and release a top exactly the same each time. This makes my comparison "weak" science. I tried to make a spinning cap that I could put on my portable electric drill motor but I could not get a consistant release. Oh well, it was a lot of fun. Have a nice holiday season.
Why use wood? It is intrinsically inhomogeneously dense causing imbalance, so even if the shape is perfectly rotationally symmetric, the top will still wobble.
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Hello George: I have made hundreds of tops for my children's school. Great for hot dog day as prizes. I make mine out of broom handles that are being thrown out. The brooms are usually maple so the grain is consistant. I have a bit of a point on the bottom with a chunky main part and then a thin tall handle for gripping. Tops are good for the kindergarden age group, as it teaches them dexterity with their fingers. All the best from Petawawa, Ontario, Canada.
Thanks for the information. If you can tell me more about how you make these broom handle tops. Most broom handles I see are only 1" in diameter. This seems too small for a top.
The small diameter makes it easier for small children to spin it. Also I find putting bees wax on the top makes it easier to grip. Try a few small ones and you will see. Small hands need small tops.@@gfotinakes316
Brilliant! I think you're right about having the majority of the mass near the bottom - when it wobbles the mass won't move as far if it's closer to the bottom. I think you might find the tops spin longer if you get more mass at the outside and less at the centre as this will increase the angular momentum of the top. Also you might be able to spin it up to a faster speed if you make the shaft at the top thinner as you'll be able to get more rotations for a given speed of your fingers. Enjoyed the video :)
Thanks! It's great to have a resident physics buff as a subscriber to can add some academic suggestions to my observations. Have a great holiday.
Long time woodturner but new to top making. I’ve quickly learned when making the blank a 2”x2”x3” works well. Once trued up then measure 7/8 from the edge to help create a consistent top bottom and as discussed keep the mass low to the handle should be about 1.25”. Thinner the handle the smoother it spins is my experience. Great 👍 video.
Great tips! Have a great Christmas. By the way, what state are you in? I like to put a pin in my map for all of my replies. Take care!
@@gfotinakes316 hello George, from the beautiful state of Oregon where we have plenty of trees for woodturning 😉🌲
The top and the dish is a great idea for gifts. Thank you.
I was thinking of a key in a keyway.
Put 2 shallow grooves opposite each other in the shaft of the large spinning top.
Put 2 wedges opposite each other in your drive chuck.
The wedges engage the slots for the drill to spin the top and disengage as you pull the drill off the top.
That sounds like a good idea, maybe I will give that a try! Thanks for your clever idea.
Hallo George, thank you too much for your video. Its super. I am new in woodturning and it helps me very much. Thanks. I am from Slovakia.
Hello Peter in Slovakia! I live in Southern California about 8 miles from the beautiful Pacific Ocean. It is so good to hear your comment. I hope you enjoy wood turning. I am a 3rd generation Greek-American (all 4 of my grandparents were born in Greece). This means we share many cultural similarities. Have a wonderful 2024.
Thank you very much for your answer. When I make something nice I will write you. Have a nice day. @@gfotinakes316
Hey George, this is a well planned and presented video! This will be good for those of us who teach kids to turn tops so we can explain why certain shapes spin better. Good job.
Thanks for the complement. I taught science for 40 years and now I get to teach through TH-cam. Enjoy your children!
Nice tops, nice shine on the terrazzo too!
Thank you and thank you. The terrazzo always stays that shiny
Nice, interesting and calming video... I'll definitely be making some. I think hazel wood may be good (very common in UK). I have some nice Yew off-cuts too (I make bows ...archery bows,)
Hey Del, I watched a couple of your videos. I liked the mini cross bow you made. What part of the U.K. do you live in? Have a great 2022 from California and stay safe!
I think that uniform grain density has to do more with the stability than anything else, with uniform density be equal having more mass at the outer edges will give you a longer spin time. you have a lot of invested in this project I am sure you enlighten more than a few with this video.
I make some tops. I have found that tops over about 2 inch diameter need a two handed spin, as in palms together, then with a motion like you use when rubbing your hands together to warm them up/front to back, use that to propel the top. Takes little kids a few tries to master it. With the finger tops, never could get over 60 seconds of spin, even with rosewood. With 3 inch diameter hard/sugar maple tops, I could go 3 or so minutes. More mass= longer spin time. Also, sharp tips rather than rounded ones make for longer spin times. For a tray to spin them on, I would use a ceramic type one or maybe if you can concave some laminate/formica, then that works. A top with a sharp point will drill a hole into wood if it sits in one space. This video came up on the AAW forums.
Thank you for all the cool information. I have not made a top in several years, but I pull my collection out when we have a lot of children over and they like finding out why one spins better than another. By the way, what state are you in? I like to put a pin in my map for all of my replies. Take care!
@@gfotinakes316 Oregon. I tend to the unusual tops, Gasing types from Malaysia, and Tub Luj from Cambodia I think. With the Gasing types, I can get over 5 minutes of spin time. Posted a link on the AAW site.
Thanks, George. You're a kindred spirit. I recently acquired an old lathe and have been turning small tops (mostly from oak), getting mixed results myself. I'm wondering if you've happened upon any further insights this past year. I think that your soft mystery wood may be spruce.
I think you are right about the spruce. It was strange that this fairly light softwood seemed to outdo the exotic hardwoods that were heavy and so hard my knives were almost jumping off of the wood. One factor that seemed to increase spin time was clear even grained spruce where the density seems to be consistent. I tried some olivewood with incredible dark swirling patterns (irregular density) and the tops wobbled like crazy. Good luck and let me see some of your work if you are ever able to send a picture.
I don't have many left, I give them away about as fast as I make them. I love to see people's faces light up and I understand that their children and grandchildren are enjoying them as well. I have a few and will be making more. I can't find a way to contact you privately, my email address is available in the "ABOUT" section of my TH-cam "channel." Sadly, it's about the only thing there. Peace
I've turned lots of tops lately. I'm finding that it's not so much about the wood you use, as the shape and relationship of the base to the handle. I made some out of Basswood, Hard Maple, Mahogany, and a hard dense wood that I couldn't identify. Having a great time turning them and also playing with them. LOL. I love the dishes! I'm going to turn some.
ETA: I have an idea for spinning that huge top. Put the handle between your palms and then quickly move them in opposite directions to spin it.
You sound like you are having a great time. It is fun to just set them out and ask a group of kids to tell you which spins the longest and why. Have a great summer!
@@gfotinakes316 Thank you. I hope you have a great summer also.
Nice top tips.🙂🙂
Thank you 😊 They were fun to make. I pull out all my tops after the Thanksgiving meal and let the kids play.
Hello, I want to design a spinning with aluminum that produced by 3D printer so it could have complicated shape, I will appreciate if I know your suggestions about complicated shape of spinning, thanks
I wish I could help you. I am not a scientist. I just used anecdotal observations to come up with the few conclusions I give in the video. I am sure if you check around online, you can get some good information and then use the old trial and error method. Good luck!
Ive experimented also from time to time I find them smaller the diameter they work best with a narrow top handle
Thank you for your input. These are fun to make.
That wood with the red in it is female box elder.It is light weight. What is your proces s for holding the tops to do the top end and the bottom 45 degrees?
I pute the wood in a bowl chuck on the drive side and have a live center on the other side until I come near the end. (I think, I have not made any in a long time.) By the way, what state are you in? I like to put a pin in my map for all of my replies. Take care!
@@gfotinakes316 Hi George, I am in Michigan. I made 42 tops to give away .Te 2' or bigger ones worked real good right away with a 3/8" handle, but the small ones had a hard time starting. I watched your video and figured it was the handle- too long and too big a round . So I chucked them in a collet by the very end of the handle and turned the handle down to a smaller and tapered diameter and cut them off. They all work now...Thanks for this video!!!!!!!!!............Cheers, Jim
@@jimjakosh2506 Well, you will have 42 happy people! If you still have them at Thanksgiving time, just pour them out on a table and ask people to test them and tell you why they think some spin longer than others do. I taught science for 40 years so I still enjoy challenging folks to hypothesize
@@gfotinakes316 That would be a good experiment! all the kids I gave them to tried them out on the hard floor and they worked real well. Now I'm building a big one for competition for long running time. I'll have a video on it soon. If it launches at 2500 rpm, it will run 9 minutes if it does not float and hit things. My table needs a little leveling in one direction and it seems to run better on a laminate surface than sheet of corian with I had leveled perfectly............cheers, Jim
Very well done video. , we are doing a demo at the Musem of Science and History, this will be very helpful. thanks
How exciting! Have a great time.
I've been trying to figure out metrics for good wooden spinning tops. But can only find data for those metal ones that's all the rage nowadays. Do you remember how long your top performing spinners spin for?
I was able to get around 2 minutes on my best tops. I just kept trying different variables. It seemed like the best was a sharp point, a good low mass, and NOT a tall "mast" in the center. Mine were all hand spun with the snap of fingers. I think a string thrown top must start with a much higher rpm. Sorry I can't help you more. By the way, what state are you in? I like to put a pin in my map for all of my replies. Take care!
@@gfotinakes316 You helped me plenty! 2 minutes is a good goal. I already increased from 20-30s to around 1 min on my second top. 2 minutes feels tough but doable.
Hope you got a world map because I'm from Sundsvall, Sweden. :)
Some clever scientists among the people who comment. The tops will get better and better . Thank you.
You are right about that! I just used the old trial and error method with very little physics background to rely on. Have a wonderful holiday.
Carve a couple out of epoxy. You can add color you could even make an epoxy tray for it to run in. You're asured the density then.
Thanks for the tip! It sounds like fun. I have stayed away from using any plastics for fear of dust inhalation. I really have a poor vacuum system. Take care.
I had a dramatic failure in my attempts to corral my tops! I set them spinning into a large salad bowl. The bowl had a cross section that was close to a semicircle. The top touched the side, did perhaps three laps (each faster and higher up the side), and launched into the air.
What is "failure?" If you are hoping to keep your top in your cubicle, DON'T DO THIS. If you are trying to keep kids interested, this will keep them busy for an hour at least.
They are mesmerizing to watch!
wortheffort makes a good top
Thanks for leaving the complement!
angular momentum
yes
Realizing this is 5 years old, I’ll still comment. It seems to me you aren’t taking into account the physical release of the top. It has to be correct and it has to be consistent. I’ve made tops that with the same one, they can work perfect or not very good……all depending on the release. That’s not to say that there are definitely some physics involved in the design
You are right. There is no way a person can manually spin and release a top exactly the same each time. This makes my comparison "weak" science. I tried to make a spinning cap that I could put on my portable electric drill motor but I could not get a consistant release. Oh well, it was a lot of fun. Have a nice holiday season.
Why use wood? It is intrinsically inhomogeneously dense causing imbalance, so even if the shape is perfectly rotationally symmetric, the top will still wobble.
I use wood because I only have a wood lathe, I bet it would work great to turn a top out of metal or plastic.