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[Jeremy McCreary]

Small Rascal-inspired LEGO underhand tops suitable for use in throwing games adapted from some traditional top games...





"Underhand" here refers to the Rascal-like launch method. I'm working on some simple tricks.

Details on blog page.

[ta0]

I am sorry for the missing "Stupid naked Znapper tricks" post. I just corrected the problem and merged it with this one.

Those are simple but very lively tops. The fun must be to spin a lot of them together.

PS: You said before that you had mostly given up on building a throw top using Legos. But I don't see why you could not make a simple one with a bunch of wheels of different sizes and a common axle (I am assuming there are enough wheel sizes available).

[Jeremy McCreary]

I am sorry for the missing "Stupid naked Znapper tricks" post. I just corrected the problem and merged it with this one.

No worries, please. I should have mentioned that it was good riddance, as the original post was way too wordy.

Since no one else has replied, I've replaced the original with a short explanatory blurb and reposted the much shorter 2nd version with its new video. Hope you don't mind.

[Larry D.]

I love those Znappers!  They sure are lively!   
They move quite similar to spinning Acorn crowns.
Could be a nice addition for a program. 

[Jeremy McCreary]

PS: You said before that you had mostly given up on building a throw top using Legos. But I don't see why you could not make a simple one with a bunch of wheels of different sizes and a common axle (I am assuming there are enough wheel sizes available).

Agree, a LEGO top made from a stack of wheels is probably the best bet for string launch and string tricks. Since I doubt that any LEGO top would hold up to being thrown onto hard ground, it would probably take someone who was already good at boomeranging to develop this possibility. Unfortunately, that's not me.

Below is a 33 g example I made a while back. The stepped profile was the best I could do with available wheels. Guessing that the string and the steps wouldn't get along well, but you'd know better than I if this is even worth a try.



At a release speed of ~6,500 RPM with the electric spinner next to it, this top stays up ~30 sec on a good surface if undisturbed. If I scoop it up in my hand right away, it spins on my palm for 3-4 sec before falling. However, someone with your skill might be able to get more out it.

Happy to supply the BrickLink part numbers if you're interested in testing something like this. The completed top would probably be well under $10 with shipping. (The spinner would cost a lot more, as the motor and battery alone are around $50 each!)

[ta0]

PS: You said before that you had mostly given up on building a throw top using Legos. But I don't see why you could not make a simple one with a bunch of wheels of different sizes and a common axle (I am assuming there are enough wheel sizes available).

Below is a 33 g example I made a while back. The stepped profile was the best I could do with available wheels. Guessing that the string and the steps wouldn't get along well, but you'd know better than I if this is even worth a try.

Mm, that top doesn't look very string friendly.  It would definitely be a challenge to wrap.
I searched for LEGO cones and found a few that looked promising for the lower section (e.g. 88128).
It may be possible to wrap over gears if there are no wheels available.
I can live with small steps in the body. 
With so many parts there has to be a way!

[Jeremy McCreary]

With so many parts there has to be a way!

Absolutely! One quickly learns never to say never in the LEGO biz, and having many eyes on the problem always helps. Also, many things become possible when you're willing to resort to glue.

Mm, that top doesn't look very string friendly.  It would definitely be a challenge to wrap.
I searched for LEGO cones and found a few that looked promising for the lower section (e.g. 88128).
It may be possible to wrap over gears if there are no wheels available.
I can live with small steps in the body. 

Yes, you could build out to 32 mm in diameter using cones with central axle holes and end up with a reasonably smooth profile. Problem is, cones are much weaker than wheels, and there ends up being a huge stress rise between the uppermost cone and the wheel above it.

Hmmm, couldn't get a hit on that part number. Typo?

[ta0]

Hmmm, couldn't get a hit on that part number. Typo?

I saw it in Brick Owl: http://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-cone-4-x-4-x-2-with-decoration-with-axle-hole-88128

I assure you that if you hook up with Jon Gates in Denver he will be able to spin any lego top you throw at him. Or you can wait until I visit I have very good friends in the south (Centennial.)

[Jeremy McCreary]

Hmmm, couldn't get a hit on that part number. Typo?

I saw it in Brick Owl: http://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-cone-4-x-4-x-2-with-decoration-with-axle-hole-88128

Ah, that's the one I thought you might be looking at. Like most AFOLs (adult fans of LEGO), I generally stick to BrickLink part numbers. The 4x4x2 (truncated) cone is 32 mm in diameter at its base, half that at the top, and 19.2 mm high.

I assure you that if you hook up with Jon Gates in Denver he will be able to spin any lego top you throw at him. Or you can wait until I visit I have very good friends in the south (Centennial.)

Excellent! Please let me know when you come our way. We're surrounded by Centennial on 2 sides.

[Kirk]

Wow! Jeremy with a top in his hand!  Pretty soon he'll be learning to correct.
Nice long spin times and fun action on your tops.   

I love the underhand spin.  Almost every finger top I have can be spun underhand or overhand.  A fun trick is to spin underhand and have the top land in your palm. A much harder one is to land on the back of you hand.  It is also possible (with a small point) to do an arm walker.

[Jeremy McCreary]

Wow! Jeremy with a top in his hand!  Pretty soon he'll be learning to correct.
Nice long spin times and fun action on your tops.   

Thanks, Kirk! Well, I'll never run with the big dogs around here, but at least I don't feel quite so left out now.   

I love the underhand spin.  Almost every finger top I have can be spun underhand or overhand.  A fun trick is to spin underhand and have the top land in your palm. A much harder one is to land on the back of you hand.  It is also possible (with a small point) to do an arm walker.

Me, too! I've had a little luck with the palm catch, but none with the back hand so far. I do have smaller points. They don't travel as well as the tips used in the videos, but I'll add arm walkers to the to-do list.

That said, I'll probably have to stick to overhand spins for the majority of my LEGO finger tops, as most of them are much larger than the ones in the video and not as impact-resistant -- at least not the tips. It seems that I can underhand only so much mass and axial moment of inertia, but practice may help. Most of the tops from 7:35 on are cases in point.

[jim in paris]

Hello Jeremy
ohlala ! what a display !

you should show that to John Goodwin,chief financial officer at Lego's!
in an article of the FT(dated sept 7th) he was complaining about the drop in sales on the us market compared to europe and asia
there is a cool photo of lego men which i had somehow kept for a future use with students...


jim
ps about Dalton tops : are you going to "danish" it ?   (i mean to "lego" it )

[Jeremy McCreary]

Hello Jeremy
ohlala ! what a display !

Thanks, jim!

ps about Dalton tops : are you going to "danish" it ?   (i mean to "lego" it )

I love that! Alas, Dalton's designs are too intricate for the "Danish treatment", but I've had good success with air-assisted LEGO tops in the past. The best performer below is based on the large version of the wheel used to make the tops in the videos at the top of the page. In both cases, the spokes function nicely as turbine blades.



I've had these babies up to over 8,000 RPM with a blow dryer. The whine at that speed is awesome. These are also excellent finger tops with spin times pushing 100 sec by hand.

you should show that to John Goodwin,chief financial officer at Lego's!
in an article of the FT(dated sept 7th) he was complaining about the drop in sales on the us market compared to europe and asia
there is a cool photo of lego men which i had somehow kept for a future use with students...

Well, I'm certainly doing my part to keep up US sales!

To my knowledge, LEGO has never offered a retail set for the express purpose of making tops that can actually fall over. However, they have made at least 1 educational set like that for sale to schools.

They've also made recent sets with "Ninjago spinners" -- metal-weighted bases meant to spin on the ground in a game very loosely based on Beyblade and Beigoma. These spinners don't really fall over when used as intended, but I've made some nice tops out of them...







These are some of my longest-spinning tops -- up to 150 sec.