# Tippe or Tippy Top



## Wildwood

I finally turned a tippy top that works. Several years ago learned about them from another message board. Well never had a tippy top flip over like in the video until yesterday.

Had three line drawings that cannot post, not sure why but tired of trying. What brought me success is using millimeters vice inches shown in one of my line drawings also a line drawing from original patent written in German. That patent drawing made me understand cannot have a fat bottom.

Left my stem long and made shorter with my belt/disk sander until got top to flip. While not perfect it works!


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## Wildwood

As you can see my ¼" dowel stem not perfectly straight. Next one will be straight and have some finish.


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## wormil

I've been wanting to try one of these. Is this the line drawing?


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## Wildwood




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## Wildwood

The second picture also found in one of those German patent documents is the one that help me the most. I have made several shown in your pictures also from German patent and they never tipped.

I copied 1st picture several years ago, and thought drilling and adding a dowel too much work. So made many like ones shown in you post they got close to tipping. So cleaning out a folder last week found drawing and started to make them again, third one was a charm.

Folks have bought wood balls from hobby stores and found that easier making them that way. Couple of articles at woodturning-on-line. http://www.woodturned.co.uk/html/tippy_tops.html


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## Jim Jakosh

I made one before and it tried to flip but never did. I just turned one tonight and it spins but does not flip. I made it 3" in diameter and turned with my sphere jig to make sure the ball was perfect. the pin is 5/8".
I know the center of mass has to be below the center of the ball and mine passed the test where you put it anywhere on it side and it should flip the the pin is vertical. I think I might need more material out of the center but can't do it now that it is off the lathe. I may try to cut off the spindle a little and then bore 4 holes in it to remove mass if that does not work. I use like the way yours works using the wooden ball.

Cheers, Jim

ps. I just reworked the two tops I made and the small one now flips. I cut the spindle down and made the end convex and it flip as it spins slower. The length that it sticks out is .192 x its diameter.

I tried that on the 3" one and even cut out a lot of material with 8 - 3/4" holes all around the stem and it still will not flip The key must be to get the center of mass as low as you can.

Jim


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## Hockey

I've been interested in making tops. Thanks for posting this thread, Wildwood. Tried to watch your video; but, my computer said it was blocked in my country.


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## Mahdeew

Mine says the same thing:
This video contains content from Warner Chappell, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds.


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## Tim457

Here's a video that works on how to make one and one explaining how they work.









I remember having a plastic version of one of these when I was a kid and it flipped over a lot quicker than the one in this video. I've been wanting another, even considering buying one.


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## Jim Jakosh

I just found out some real valuable information in the following video. The one big thing that makes them work is the bottom curve has to be flatter than the sides- not a perfect sphere like I made. The hollowing is better if you take some off the inside of the sides- not a straight hole and the stem should be about 1/2" long and flat to concave on the end- not pointed or convex.

cheers, Jim


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## Wildwood

Found cannot view video linked in my post for same reason, but did enjoy Rick Turns video. For those folks that think turning tippe top is for the simple minded check out the Physics 210 article. Who knew!

http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2007/ph210/pan1/

Turning different style tops more for fun of turning and amusement it brings for those that play with them. Hope after watching Rick Turns video you will give it a shot. Think have turned many different style top seen on Google Images but none as challenging as a tippe top.

https://www.google.com/search?site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=642&q=tippy+tops&oq=tippy+tops&gs_l=img.3...110.2600.0.3190.9.8.0.1.1.0.425.1151.0j6j4-1.7.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..1.7.1140...0.s8bdJhmJ970#tbm=isch&q=wood+turned+tippy+tops&imgrc=_&spf=509

Just pick a style top you like and go for it!


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