THE TOY TOP

Tops like this folk-toy version have been around for hundreds of years…maybe longer. And even though you may think that it takes a great deal of technological work to make a top spin for a long time, it still comes down to one primary point – SYMMETRY. It has to be as perfectly balanced as possible. If it isn’t it’s spinning will be short-lived.

The Top
There are a couple of ways to make the Top body for this project. First, you could cut out the round body with a Bandsaw or scroll saw, bore a hole down the middle for a 1/2” or smaller diameter dowel…glue the dowel onto position…and then spin the whole thing in your drill chuck and use sandpaper to make it smooth and symmetrical so it spins true and long.
The other way is to turn the whole thing (shaft and all) on the Lathe, then sand it smooth and true.
The actual shape of the body probably makes little difference. Just remember, it must be symmetrical…both visually and weight-wise. As a result, using a segmented turning for the body, consisting of different density woods, will make it extremely difficult for you to achieve a true, balanced spin.

The Yoke
The yokes start out as 1-1/4” square pieces of stock. You could either cut them out individually on your Scroll Saw…pad saw a stack of them all at once on the Bandsaw…or make a master fixture to cut them out with a Shopsmith Overarm Pin Router. Be sure the Top shaft hole in the Yoke is loose around the actual shaft (but not too loose).

Let the fun begin !
Add a good, heavy coat or three of well-buffed paste wax to the Top shaft, insert your string and yank hard. The child supplies the fascination while this simple toy turns in its intriguing orbit!

Spindle Detail , Yoke Detail

Suggested retail price: $8 to $15, depending on wood and finish