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[JMauk]

Demos of the giant top were stopped in March after discovering some widening of the rails on the ramp. Trevor Hill arrived from Australia early this month to do the repair and maintenance work and repaint the top a deeper blue and red. Today we did the first demo since March as repainting was finished Tuesday. Great success, going a nice purple on the spin.
Below is a link to the video. Trevor and Kathy Hill pull the lever for releasing the weight. We presented them with T-shirts stating "I spun the biggest top in the world!"
Also provided them with 6 of our DVD's as they headed home to Australia this evening.
Great to have Trevor to call on when needed, the handiest of handymen.
Looking forward to some of you making the trek over here some time!
Joe

https://youtu.be/L1HULVOB-xc

[ta0]

Looks very good! I see you don't load bumblebee with extra sand bags.

I'm planning to experiment with blending/averaging video frames to avoid the strobe effect and get color mixing when recording tops. It is a common problem in this community that we need to solve.

Looking forward to some of you making the trek over here some time!

I have in my bucket list a visit to your place. I want to be in the team that pulls the rope to raise bumblebee! It reminds me the ancient Egyptians building the pyramids. I think it will happen in the next three years. 

[jim in paris]

hello Joe,

that's fantastic to see  bumblebee back on the tracks :
 very smooth ride it seems!
and so many people into it as usual

Bravo!

jim

[butterfingers]

Way too cool!!! Good to see it spin - the video makes it look like it is barely spinning - interesting optical effect.

[JNeff]

Wow, It looks like a great time. What a fantastic excuse for a party.

[the Earl of Whirl]

Very impressive!!!

I like the new colors.

[JMauk]

Giant Top Out of Business for Now

Today, August 26, 2017, we did a demo of the giant top for three groups here at Rizal Re-Creation Center.  Another exciting chapter of the giant top saga as the top disk blew apart soon after reaching maximum rpms.  It looks like faulty or expired glue a main cause.  Also appears that some rods Trevor inserted for balance have been holding this piece in place for some time. Those who got videos are going to send them to me but, in the meantime, here are some pics of the aftermath.  Will be contacting Trevor Hill in Oz for a visit to repair and rehabilitate.  Maybe good time for Jorge to give me design input!  We can really do a re-working of this now.  After all, it is 5 1/2 years old.  (And I will be 65 on Monday!)
Joe

[ta0]

Wow! Centrifugal force in action!  Good that it was just foam!

[jim in paris]

OUCH ! What a Crack !
it seems that a supernatural force has touched the universal toy !

wishing you a prompt recovery and lots of work ahead ::--

keep it spinning , Joe :-)

jim

[the Earl of Whirl]

Sorry about that!!!  I can't believe the top is over five years old and you are ready for 65,  You have probably been humming that Beatles song (about being 64) all year long!

Once more we are reminded about the old proverb that "nothing lasts forever" but it sure surprised me when I opened this message.  I never thought about this possibility!  Best wishes on your repair work.  I am sitting here wondering about the life of the giant top.  How many spins do you think it went through before this damage......20-30?.......40-50?.......or do you think you have had a hundred spins???

[JMauk]

Thanks, Friends, and Mike, yes I downloaded the Beatles classic and have been playing it all along this past year.
As to spins, I think about 50 spins total would be about right, not counting all the testing beforehand.
Joe

[Kirk]

Wow! I can't stop looking at it.  I'm so glad that no one got hurt.  I'll be glad to do some calculations to figure stress and to size some reinforcing bands or cable rings.  Let me know if I can help.

[cecil]

Time for a lot of SUPER GLUE.

[Watts' Tops]

vidio is available on Face Book.  Go to Joe Muck's page.  Quite dramatic.
]

[JMauk]

I'll be glad to do some calculations to figure stress and to size some reinforcing bands or cable rings.  Let me know if I can help.

Right now we are thinking of inserting a steel hub with spokes like a motorcycle wheel at the point where the red dots are.  The spokes would attach to the central shaft and the outer perimeter would either be steel plate or circles of steel plate attached to the hub that would take the place of the painted red dots.  What type of weight do you think such a structure could bear on the perimeter and how much rpm? (before shooting the steel circles into the crowd?)  We are thinking the perimeter weight will create really long spin, overcoming the existing top internal weight and the external wind resistance we have witnessed.

Everyone welcome to weigh in on this.   Thanks, Kirk.

[Kirk]

Joe, Ta0,
Do you have a good estimate of the RPM?
What is the maximum diameter?
I will run calculations of stress in spokes vs. bands

[ta0]

Joe, Ta0,
Do you have a good estimate of the RPM?
What is the maximum diameter?
I will run calculations of stress in spokes vs. bands

After much tweaking, with bumblebee fully loaded with sand bags, Joe broke the 200 RPM barrier. But his typical run tops at around 180 RPMs.

The radius is 1.815 m. More info on the dimensions here.

[the Earl of Whirl]

Sandbags and 200 mph!  Sounds good.