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[MarkusB]

Hello everyone,

maybe I start with a short introduction since I am new here. After Youtube decided to show me some amazing top spinning videos I got totally intrigued by them and shortly after picked up the Yoyofactory short circuit and elec-trick. I am having a lot of fun with them and already got some tricks down. At some point I would like to apply for the Spintastics trick patches and got a Trompo Grande for that. Maybe I need to revise that goal but I was hoping to do all the tricks with that top eventually, à la Chris Neff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL74JEP934U

and hope to use this post and your help (and wisdom  ) to get there.

So here is my first actual question:
I am quite confident doing the wire walker with the short circuit, but the Trompo Grande just does not want to do it. It seems like the string that came with the top is too stiff to have the top walk the string. I was wondering if it will wear in eventually or if I need to get a different one. Is that a common problem?

Best,
Markus

[Larry D.]

Welcome MarkusB,

I hate to ask the obvious but,.....
Is your Trompo Grande a FIXED TIP model (not the BEARING Model).
Bearing tops are not used for Wirewalkers.

[MarkusB]

Hi Larry D.,

no worries rooting out the obvious first. I am using a model with a fixed tip.

When I attempt the wirewalker I can manage to get the top move a bit, maybe 1-2" before it stops and gets stuck. I tried different amounts of tension but I had no luck with that.

[ta0]

I suspect your Trompo Grande does not have the original Spintastics tip with a thick neck but the diabolo tip with a thin neck.
The original tip wire-walks fast. But the diabolo tip walks quite slowly and with a stiff string it might not walk at all.

Welcome to the forum and the hobby!

[MarkusB]

ta0, you make a good point. I had not thought about the tip at all when I tried to troubleshoot. I do have a diabolo tip with a neck that is even narrower than on the short circuit and I can understand now why it is problematic for the wirewalker
a) small radius bends string more, adding friction where it is not wanted
b) there is less friction between tip and rope because of small cricumference
c) small radius makes it less efficient to transform the tip/string friction into the "walking"

Is there any advantage of a diabolo tip in your experience? I am still far away from regeneration tricks but it seems to me that this tip would not be favorable here for the same reasons.

[ta0]

Mystery solved! 

The low friction of the diabolo tip is an advantage for non-wire-walking tricks compared to the standard Spintastics fixed tip. Of course, a bearing tip would be even better in that regard. But, long term, playing with fixed tip advances your skill faster.

[ta0]

I'm thinking that now that Spintastics has closed, we may need to stop requiring a Spintastics top for this patch. I don't know if Dale still has actual embroidered patches to give out. But we can still keep the design for the virtual patches and the Spintastics name.

[Texture]

Welcome to the forum, I agree that diabolo tips make slow wirewalkers. Either you have to do a very hard boomerang, or you'll have to kind of lift the string on the side that you start the top. Diabolo tips are also better for regeneration tricks.

[Mermouy]

Welcome aboard!
In case you didn't catch them all: Here are all (I know about) patches video application you can filter them on top of the portfolio...

[the Earl of Whirl]

It is great to welcome MarkusB to our forum.  It is exciting to hear of your progress.  It is also exciting to see Larry D. give you a hearty welcome.  I have missed him!!!

There seems to be something special about the name Markus and spin tops.

[MarkusB]

Thanks for all the welcoming messages.

I am getting more familiar throwing the trompo grande and with more spin and lifting the arm I am able to force to top over to the other side. It is not pretty but it is something I can build on.

Is there a way to make the string softer? I still think the stiffness is a major problem for me. I tried to pull it over the edge of my table a couple of times but I am not sure if that really helps or just damages the string.

now that Spintastics has closed

I was surprised to hear that. The website says they joined with Yoyoplay. Does anyone know what that means and whether there will be more spin tops (maybe under a different name)?

[ta0]

You can get regular cotton string from many places (e.g. Home Depot) and it will be softer. It will probably help you wire walking with that tip, but generally the firmer string from Spintastics is better for top playing.

Yoyoplay acquired the yo-yo and diabolo lines from Spintastics, but not the spintop line. Just a few months ago Dale and Val sold their remaining stock of tops to YoyoSam and closed the business. I think Val still does the Science of Spin program but Dale is fully retired.

[Texture]

From what I have heard some spintastics tops are still being made - but they are sold through yoyosam. You can also get them on yoyosam amazon, yoyosam eBay, and yoyoplay still has some. I also believe spintastics yoyos (aka SCIENCE of SPIN yoyos) are still made and sold on scienceofspin.com, and some on yoyosam.com. It just plain sucks that you can't get Quicksiver Hybrid tops anywhere now, though.... 

[the Earl of Whirl]

Hmmm.  I did not know they sold their remaining stock of tops to YoYoSam!!!  That is great.