In this video I make a gyroscope spinning top. Because of it's strange shape and the forces created from the gyroscopic effect, this top has the ability to spin off centre really crazy. I made it out mahogany and an old ball bearing.
I begun by turning the main spindle on the lathe. This was mostly roughing gouge and skew chisel work.
I made a jam chuck to clean up it’s edges. I also epoxied a wood saving so it could fit snuggly on the bearing.
I then turned the disc using a bowl gouge and a parting tool.
I then epoxied all the parts together and finished the top with mineral oil.
You can experiment with different spindle and disc sizes. You can also make it more classic top by moving the disc towards the table top.
My little gyroscope was ready and it’s really fun to watch it spin. But that was it, see you soon with a new project video.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
In this video I make a bicycle rack out of 15 plywood. This way I can hang my bicycle on the wall and out of the way.
I begun by making a few cuts on the table saw. Then I glued and nailed a few pieces together, so I can work with thicker stock.
I made the tenons on the table saw and I cleaned them up with a sharp chisel.
To make the mortises I issued a forstner bit to remove most of the material. Then I used a gouge to remove some more material. And finally I used a chisel to easily clean things up. You could just use the chisel but the gouge makes things muck easier.
I cut the pieces on the bandsaw and then I sanded them. I also used a round over bit on my router to ease up all the edges.
Finally I glued and screwed the pieces together.
I glued three plywood pieces to make a dowel on the lathe. You can just use a ready made dowel.
I used a guide block to glue and screw the dowel in place. The dowel acts as support but you can also use it to hang your helmet or other cycling accessories.
Finally I finished the piece with few coats of water based varnish.
I then hang it on the wall with four wall plugs.
And it works really nicely. But that was it, see you soon with a new project video.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
In this video I carve a drawing I had in my mind on a piece of basswood. Before carving I turned the disc on the lathe. It's diameter is about 24cm.
I begun by preparing my blank for the lathe. I cut the basic circle on the band saw. 24mm is the maximum diameter my little lathe can handle.
I turned my piece true between centres and I created the tenon for my chuck.
I kept it on the chuck so I could easier clamp it on my vise.
I removed most of the material with my trim router. Basically it’s a three level carving.
I then used my traditional wood carving tools to carve my design.
I then cleaned the tenon on the back and finished the piece with mineral oil.
And that was it. I am really happy with the way it came out. But that was it. See you soon with a new project video.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
In this video I make a whistling spinning top out of basswood and brass. In order for this to work you need the top to spin really fast. So an acceleration handle mechanism is essential.
In mr David Reed Smith's site I found really useful info on how to make it, in this link: https://tinyurl.com/2fxwkm59
I first drilled the blank that would be the body of my top. This way I will have a centre point on all sides.
I then mounted it between centres and turned it true. I also made tenons for my chuck on each side.
I then cut the cap off.
NextI hollowed the interior of the air chamber. I then divided it in half and drilled two 6mm holes.
Then I made the cap and glued the cap and the chamber together.
While the glue dried I worked on the acceleration handle.
While my blank was still square I drilled all the holes needed.For the main hole I used a hole saw. I then removed as much material as I could on the bandsaw. Finally I turned the handle between centres on the lathe.
Next I made the tip of the top out of a piece of brass. I used my machinist’s lathe for the job. If you can’t work with brass you can use resin, wood or whatever material you can turn on the wood lathe. I epoxied the tip in place.
I then started making the thin finial. This was mostly skew work.
At this point I could still use the tenons to clean some material off.
I used a jam chuck so I could shape the bottom of the top.
To make the top sing I had to sharpen the vertical sides of the holes. I did that using a small diamond file. I sharpened at around 45 degrees. Sharpen both sides so the top can whistle when it spins clockwise and anticlockwise.
I finished the top with mineral oil.
In order to whistle the top must spin really fast. So don’t be afraid to use some power when you pull the string. I am really really happy with the way it came out. But that was it. See you soon with a new project video.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
