When I was kid, there was a toy that just fascinated me. The problem was I could never figure out how to play with it and make it work. I must've had 4 or 5 different versions and it was always the same. I would read the directions, try, fail, re-read the directions, try, fail until eventually I'd give up and forget about it. I did forget about it for almost 60 years. Today, for the first time ever, I made this amazing toy work after making my first version of it. I'm talking about a throw top, try as I might as a child I just couldn't make one work. Recently, I stumbled on to a video and the guy said something, it clicked and I thought, can it be that simple? It was, As a child I was reading the directions for a right handed person and never considered that it would be backwards for a lefty. Sure enough, the first time I started to use this one today it would've been backwards again. I know that might be hard to believe but I've never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. Here is my very crude first throw top, didn't even really sand it, just wanted to see if I could make it work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a fellow lefty, I can sympathize.  Just remember that if the left side of the brain really controls the right side of the body, then only left handed people are truly in their right minds!    

 

Nice job on the top.  I have never attempted to make or operate one of these but always thought they were interesting.   Now I am wondering...

Cool! I'm so spastic that I'd probably blind someone with it.

Not a lefty but I never could get one of those to work. Glad you had success

8 hours ago, Bundoman said:

As a fellow lefty, I can sympathize.

 

Ditto.        Everyone is born right handed.  Only the GIFTED overcome that.

8 hours ago, Steve Krumanaker said:

Recently, I stumbled on to a video and the guy said something, it clicked and I thought, can it be that simple? It was

 

That sure worked well.  I'd like to see that video if you have a link.

Edited March 25, 20224 yr by HandyDan

8 hours ago, HandyDan said:

 

That sure worked well.  I'd like to see that video if you have a link.

 

Dan, I stumbled on to one video and after that I watched a few more to see how others were making them. I think this is video. I didn't realize until I watched it again just now, the guy is a leftie, I'm sure that didn't hurt anything.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 25, 20224 yr by Steve Krumanaker

17 hours ago, Bundoman said:

Just remember that if the left side of the brain really controls the right side of the body, then only left handed people are truly in their right minds! 

 

 So that means us Ambidextrous people are only in our right minds half of the time? 

I made quite a few and found the wood needs to have the same grain all the way through it.  I made some with tight grain on to wide grain and they were unbalanced and hopped as they spun.  Would have made good fighting tops like the more recent Beyblades.

17 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

I made quite a few and found the wood needs to have the same grain all the way through it.

Or balance it with tiny lead plugs?

Can someone give ma a "tip" on where to obtain the tips for making tops?  Wow!  must be Friday...

I have a Unimat hobby lathe and turned mine from 1/4" brass rod.  The brass rod by itself would work I just made them fancy.  

 

 

Edited March 25, 20224 yr by HandyDan

3 hours ago, HandyDan said:

I made quite a few and found the wood needs to have the same grain all the way through it.  I made some with tight grain on to wide grain and they were unbalanced and hopped as they spun.  Would have made good fighting tops like the more recent Beyblades.

 

This is the first string top I've made but I experienced the same thing with two piece tops. I like to use the left overs in the chuck for the body on those and it's often a piece of spalted wood. While it looks neat, spalted is not the best because it's often dense in one area and porous or punky in another. It really affects the balance on a top.

1 hour ago, HandyDan said:

I have a Unimat hobby lathe and turned mine from 1/4" brass rod.  The brass rod by itself would work I just made them fancy.  

 

 

 

Really nice Dan!

I have a confession, I am ambidextrous. I am equally bad with either hand! Those tops are really cool, and I could see how someone might devote a lot of time to making them, kinda like the pen turners. 

9 minutes ago, Artie said:

I have a confession, I am ambidextrous. I am equally bad with either hand!

 

 Guess you never worked on an assembly line. 

9 hours ago, Bundoman said:

Can someone give ma a "tip" on where to obtain the tips for making tops?  Wow!  must be Friday...

Here is one place top tips

On 3/25/2022 at 7:37 AM, Larry Buskirk said:

 

 So that means us Ambidextrous people are only in our right minds half of the time? 

If that!

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!