Frugal spin tops

Being the ultimate 'frugal' (cheap) type guy that doesn't ever like to throw anything away, I've found a way to use that little piece of wood that's left in your chuck jaws that was once the tenon on whatever it was you were turning. Just drill a 3/8" hole in the center of it, stick a 3/8" dowel in there, and turn a top out of it. I'm so cheap I even turned my own 3/8" dowels. I use a piece of dowel about 4" long (these are turned from applewood scraps and an ebony scrap) and hold it in a jacobs chuck to turn it.

top is top view, middle is bottom view, bottom is spinning tops.

BTW, Apple makes a great dowel for tops, hard and dense it makes a great point.

Photo Details

cfuller

Registered: November 2004
Location: North Ogden, Utah
Posts: 961

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Date: Sun August 20, 2006
Views: 1,221
Keywords: frugal spin tops

Comments

big red

cool, now i know what i can do with my box of scraps

#1 Mon August 21, 2006 1:12am

Rick Prevett

Oh yeah Curt, very nice. Box'o leftovers, here I come! And the homemade dowels allow for some pretty good design opportunities.

#2 Mon August 21, 2006 11:50pm

Gil

Curt, that is a cool way to make tops!
You are not the only one to save those tenon scraps. I save mine, and use them as waste wood to glue on small stuff, like hollowform collars, etc.

#3 Tue August 22, 2006 7:07pm