Tops for the class

[John K Jordan]

I always make finger tops for the kids in my kindergarten SS class at Christmas time. The little party is tomorrow and I was behind this year so I finished up tonight.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=373983&d=1513474917
(sorry about the annoying shadows in the photo, I got in a rush)

This year I used dogwood, cherry, padauk, purpleheart, mahogany, ebony, holly, maple, olive, and yellowheart. I hold a long enough piece of wood in the chuck to make at least two in a row, sometimes three.

Someone asked me how many of these I've made over the years. Yikes, I had no idea, 500, 800? I used to make them in batches of 50.

JKJ

[Roy Petersen]

Nice work, John. The acorn ones are adorable. :)

[Mel Fulks]

Wonderful things, been studying them for some minutes. Good work for good works.

[John K Jordan]

Wonderful things, been studying them for some minutes. Good work for good works.

Mel,

Thanks! If you are interested in design variations, here are some more from years past:

374015 374016 374017 374018

One thing that may be of interest to top makers is a method I came up with to burn thin lines in the steep slope of the top using a fine wire, normally impossible. There are other ways to make lines on a slope but for me this makes the cleaner and thiner lines:
374019
If anyone is interested in this, I can look for some instructions I wrote up once.


Nice work, John. The acorn ones are adorable. :)

Roy, the acorn tops are always among the first chosen! For some reason most kids can spin them easier too. (these are also easier to spin upside down, something I always challenge the kids to learn.) One time I accidentally got some spiral tool chatter while turning the "cap" of one which I've not been able to duplicate since!

JKJ

[Frederick Skelly]

Charming toys John. I know those little ones will enjoy them!
Merry Christmas!
Fred

[Roy Petersen]

One thing that may be of interest to top makers is a method I came up with to burn thin lines in the steep slope of the top using a fine wire, normally impossible. There are other ways to make lines on a slope but for me this makes the cleaner and thiner linesAs a guess, I'd use an awl, one with a relatively blunt end rather than super pointy. Should heat up quickly without damaging the awl.

One time I accidentally got some spiral tool chatter while turning the "cap" of one which I've not been able to duplicate since!
I have a tool here that can do that fairly easily. Normal tool handle, at the end is a collar and a screw threaded into it. Extending out from that is a semi-rigid bit of flat metal, reversible to a round profile or notched.
Looks a lot like this one (bonus "how to" page): http://www.rockler.com/skill-builders/shaping-and-joining/using-a-chatter-tool
You're probably familiar with it already, but maybe it's of use to someone.

[John K Jordan]

As a guess, I'd use an awl, one with a relatively blunt end rather than super pointy. Should heat up quickly without damaging the awl.


I've got some sharp awls, I'll try that.

But the problem I found with everything but a wire is the line was not clean and crisp (and usually bigger than I wanted for tiny turnings). After some discussion one gentleman on another forum even insisted his way with sharpened formica was better and quicker so I mailed him a finished dogwood top with lines burned into it. He wrote back and said he tried but could not get anywhere close to the look of what I sent.

JKJ

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I have only made a few rather coarse and heavy tops. While they do spin over a two minutes once started, they were amongst the first things I made when I got back into turning. They were often full of tool marks, 3 to 4 inches in diameter and as tall. Despite, their large primitive and rustic quality, they were donated to be part of a hands on display at a local one room school house museum. I offered to replace them with better smaller, more refined tops, but I was told the small ones would just be pocketed for home. The large ones are too big for that and the kids will play with them but don't try to take them.

[Dan Forman]

I'd like to learn you burning technique. I love the ebony top!

Dan

[Richard Dooling]

I've also had little luck with anything other than wire. That leaves out flats and shallow inclines. So how do you accomplish this John?


I've got some sharp awls, I'll try that.

But the problem I found with everything but a wire is the line was not clean and crisp (and usually bigger than I wanted for tiny turnings). After some discussion one gentleman on another forum even insisted his way with sharpened formica was better and quicker so I mailed him a finished dogwood top with lines burned into it. He wrote back and said he tried but could not get anywhere close to the look of what I sent.

JKJ

[John K Jordan]

I'd like to learn you burning technique. I love the ebony top!


I've also had little luck with anything other than wire. That leaves out flats and shallow inclines. So how do you accomplish this John?

Thanks! I'm posting my notes in a new thread in case someone not reading this thread is interested.

JKJ

[Mikey Green]

John, you've made me curious. You said the acorn tops are easier to spin for the children. Do they spin as long as the shorter, wider tops, too?

[John K Jordan]

John, you've made me curious. You said the acorn tops are easier to spin for the children. Do they spin as long as the shorter, wider tops, too?

Well, sounds like an excuse for an experiment! I've never checked but intuition suggests the wider might go longer IF you can get them up to the same speed. I think one reason the kids can spin the acorns better is some have not yet developed the strength and coordination to spin some of the wider tops. Good question!

I shape the top of the handle as I feel like it at the time but I did notice something the other way. When I spin them upside-down a couple of acorn tops I made with a flat on the end of the handle instead of a point would kind of "jump" to a stable inverted spin. The wide tops with the points often won't stand completely vertical but the handle will move in a circle. Perhaps that also has something to do with the speed, a bit harder to spin as fast inverted.

Some years ago I ran across a turning club that had an annual top making and spinning, complete with timed tests and top wars! We tried it at our club once but it didn't generate much interest. Maybe some people felt disconnected since they focused on big bowls and never made small things.

JKJ

[Scott Grossman]

Those tops look happy. Doesn't look like they are a chore for someone that does them every year, hundreds of times!

[John K Jordan]

Those tops look happy. Doesn't look like they are a chore for someone that does them every year, hundreds of times!

I consider them fun to make instead of a chore. They do take me quite a bit of time, though, since I never get in a rush (and I'm a slow turner anyway), and since I'm obsessed with perfect surfaces with minimal sanding. Part of the fun is picking through tubs of blanks and picking out candidates. When I cut and dry wood as well as buy exotics I keep the tops in mind. Another part of the fun is trying to think up new designs and variations.

BTW, turning several in a row from one piece wastes less wood than turning each from one blank. Lathe speed is maximum (over 3000 rpm). The only tools are skew, spindle gouge, and parting tool.

JKJ

[Dave Fritz]

Outstanding tops and a wonderful project, good for you. I've made them for my grand kids and this Christmas my grandson, age 5, was in the basement with me feeding the wood stove when he found a piece I had put in my scrap pile. It was the tenon left after I removed an ice cream scoop. It had a point on the end and immediately Jordy picked it out and said, a top. Darned if he didn't put it in with his toys and took it home. Powerful stuff really, something so simple. You never know how many hearts and minds you've touched. Good for you and please excuse a sentimental old grandpa.