Wooden Spinning Tops For All Ages
Who can resist Colorful Spinning Tops? Wooden tops appeal to all ages probably because at some point in our childhood we had one or we wanted one. I make wood tops between big projects when I need a relaxing rest. Not that making a top is totally stress free. Not every top works and some work much better than others. I am certain it has to do with the physics and the shape. Perhaps the diameter of the body is too wide or the handle is too long or too short. Maybe the wood is crappy and unbalanced.
My process is to turn many tops at one time. Then I test their ability to spin. Now the fun part is decorating them. There are so many options and I use this time decorating to experiment with techniques that I will use on future projects. I use pyrography to brand marks into the wood. I paint with acrylics, stains, leather dye or milk paint to name a few. All of the tops are unique one of a kind pieces. I usually gift them to kids who visit our home or my office. I have made them for a club and we raised money for a children’s hospital.
Gift Ideas
If you are looking for a special gift for a child take a look in my webstore under Toys and Cool Stuff or my Etsy Store. Here is another grouping of colorful spinning tops.
Studio
I design all my products in my studio in Montvale, New jersey USA. My primary tool is the wood lathe. This tool helps me form the shape. Once I am satisfied with the shape the part goes to the workbench where secondary decorative operation take place. I use pyrography, caving, staining, painting and airbrushing to add character to each piece.