I make turning tops as well

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jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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Here is one I made a few years ago. Have many in various states of complete. Need to get back to those. I combine my scrollsawing art and turning art to make them.


spintopprototype1.jpg
spintopbottom.jpg
 
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sorcerertd said:
That's really cool. Did you glue the scrolled pattern on and then turn it to the current shape?
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Yes this was a 3 piece top glued as a blank. I scrolled the design in the first oak layer and then stacked. Then turned to shape and then turned the handle and the nib on the bottom and glued those in. Spins quite well. I have many blanks made just waiting to be finished but like everything in my shop, things are on hold.
 
alanemorrison said:
I like that a lot, John. I would never have thought of something like that.
Very effective.

Alan
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It does leave open many possible designs when doing things like this. Back a few years ago when I started getting into them I found a person on the net who made tops and they were some of the best I ever seen and he was selling in the thousands of dollars. Evidently there are collectors for this stuff too. I know I have his site somewhere. I am sure I bookmarked it. I like to be different in the things I make and these seemed different. I have a bunch of blanks made that I stored somewhere. My shop and storage area is in a mess so not sure where they are but if I ever find them I will take a photo and post within this thread.
 
jttheclockman said:
It does leave open many possible designs when doing things like this. Back a few years ago when I started getting into them I found a person on the net who made tops and they were some of the best I ever seen and he was selling in the thousands of dollars. Evidently there are collectors for this stuff too. I know I have his site somewhere. I am sure I bookmarked it. I like to be different in the things I make and these seemed different. I have a bunch of blanks made that I stored somewhere. My shop and storage area is in a mess so not sure where they are but if I ever find them I will take a photo and post within this thread.
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I know just what you mean re workshop a challenge ( can't use the word mess as SWMBO might see the site ) .

One guy who demonstrated to us puts a brass pin into the tip of his then finish turns it to leave a metal tip which makes it spin better ( he says ). Seemed a neat idea to me .

Nice work JT !
 
howsitwork said:
I know just what you mean re workshop a challenge ( can't use the word mess as SWMBO might see the site ) .

One guy who demonstrated to us puts a brass pin into the tip of his then finish turns it to leave a metal tip which makes it spin better ( he says ). Seemed a neat idea to me .

Nice work JT !
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I bought a bunch of those also back then and they too are somewhere in the shop. I did not get to try them. The tip on that one is Gabon ebony and it is quite a hard wood so it spins real well.
 
Nice little tops there John... I made a few of those way back when I first started turning.... lately I've turned some throw tops... still working on getting them to throw and spin properly, but they're fun to turn....
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You may remember these from grade school.... was a favorite recess past time (along with Marbles ) ( and Jacks for girls)
We sometimes played battle tops and keeps for the marbles, and even a few time Mumbly-Peg where we twirled a 2 bladed knife to see if we could stick the blade... but schools frowned on this game... I still carried my Pocket knife all through school.
 
I had a few tops like that when I was a kid also. They were a little harder to control but if balanced right they can spin for quite some time. Nice work.
 
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