Big Cardboard Tops part Due

[Spinningray]

You may remember that I made some big cardboard tops for an art gallery in New York last year. I was contacted again this year to make some more. They told me that some art show in Venice Italy wanted to have big tops with building on them for the show this year. I had never heard of the show. It is called La Biennale and only happens every other year. It opens June 2.

The big top is 39" in diameter, weights 100 lbs and is 1 meter tall. It will hold the Bacardi building from last year. The top had to be made shorter due to a ceiling height where it will be shown.

The red top is 30" in diameter, weights 65 lbs and is also 1 meter tall. It will hold the Russian Embassy building.

The small (24") top is from last year. I was making repairs to improve strength. Each top has steel pipe through the center with a pipe coupling embedded in the wood tip section. The pipe and coupling is tightened and the cardboard rings are put in compression. The pipe also provides the support for the plywood crown. The support pipe fits into a base pipe that is one pipe size larger. The pipe fits perfectly inside each other. This allows the tops to spin on the base pipe. Plate steel bases are being made for the tops as no drilling is allowed in the museum floor. The tallest one should be close to 11 feet with the building mounted.

The artist sent me an 8-1/2 x 11 pdf and I used that to create these tops.

I will be sure to update the photos when they get to Venice and the buildings are placed on top.

I was glad to hear I would get a break before making my raffle top (no it will not be cardboard). These things are incredibly labor intensive. It was so nice to finish and crate them up. They are still sitting in my garage. They should ship out soon.

[Watts' Tops]

Alan,  I am totally impressed.  It is time for another tour of your shop to see you make one of these monster tops.  Maybe a video compressed of the process?  I marvel at your talent.

[poptop]

wow!

[Trevor]

Wow Alan! They sure look more like giant tops turned from giant redwood trees!
Do you have a giant lathe to make these tops?? 

I was glad to hear I would get a break before making my raffle top (no it will not be cardboard).

Haha, but hey, why not, it'd be fun to have such a fine cardboard top made by the master!

[Spinningray]

Thanks.

Do you have a giant lathe to make these tops?? 

I support the top between two saw horses. All shaping and sanding is done by hand. The work must be done in my garage since they are too big to fit through the basement door.

I just need to scale the size down a bit to make it able to throw. I do have some extra cardboard.

[SpinQueen]

Yeah, and you still need to make that paper-mache/chicken wire top that you talked about at Nats. years back....  Get to it 

[ta0]

Fabulous!!!

It would almost be worth to do a field trip from Flatland so as to get pictured with the tops!

And Maurizio is not that far from Venice . . .

[Neff]

Lucrative, I hope that endeavor was.  You deserve Lucraty 
Great job, Let's make one that will boomerang...

[Larry D.]

WOW!  Alan they are truly spinning works of art.    So beautiful!
It mush have been tremendously labor intensive. 
How many hours went into their creation? 

Do they come with buttons and strings? 

As Walter said:

Maybe a video compressed of the process?  I marvel at your talent.

Yes a video of their creation would be spectacular to see.

[lincolnrick]

Super Awesome Work Alan! The coloring of the tops is incredible.  Were the color patterns part of the design, or were you given artistic license?  How was the coloring achieved?

[Eric]

Well done Alan!.................Amazing and beautiful  !!!!!

[Spinningray]

The color schemes were provided by the artist. The shape of the big top was not provided by the artist. I just had to create a shape that would fit the space constraints. I had to improvise a little bit with the paint scheme. I started from lightest to darkest colors alternating between the two tops. The tops were supported between two saw horses and free to spin. I was able to hold my hand/brush steady and turn the top to get very straight lines. Had to paint it twice. The paint is lead free.

The ball tip for the big one is from a stainless steel fence post cap. The little blue top has a door knob for a ball. The tip for the red top was quite a challenge to find. Was looking for weeks with no luck anywhere. Happened through a home decor area of a department store and found hollow stainless steel balls of the perfect size. It even has a mirror finish.

I have been working on these tops for the last month or so. There were a few long nights. A few lessons learned from last year helped a lot this year.

No buttons and strings for these. Maybe for some smaller cardboard throwing tops.

[poptop]

No buttons and strings for these.

How about an electric motor and pullys?

Giant Wi-z-z-z-er guts?

Maybee a rip cord type setup?

These tops want to spin! (even if slowly...)

[Spinningray]

Here is the announcement for the show.

[Dick Stohr]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Again, these are terrific.

Our cruise overnights in Venice on 18 June 2011.  Please give details of location so I can try to see these tops up close and personal.