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[Larry D.]

I attended a meeting of the Long Island Wood Turners Association today.
I recently discovered them; made contact and asked if they would like to see handmade spin tops
from here in the US as well as from other countries. 
They asked me to come in and do a “show & tell” session in their meeting today.

It was a blast! 
The members loved it!  (About 45 people attend today’s meeting)
Tons of questions from them and request for me to do demos during both of their breaks and again after the meeting ended. 
Everyone wanted to feel a top spinning in their hand.   
(I brought 2 of Maurizio’s Giulias with me for the demos.)

Many of the members mentioned that they were really inspired by seeing the tops and that they intend to make some.
(Perhaps a new member or 2 from the Association will join the Forum  ).

I brought the following tops with me:
A Philippines indigenous top,
A top from Pondicherry India,
A Colombian Don Antonio top,
A 5” Watts’ top
Alan’s Birdseye Maple and Cocobolo tops (Sancho)
Jim’s Olive wood and his She Oak a.k.a. Australian Pine top,
John M’s Drop top
Jerry’s Finger spinners

They also had a workshop covering -  Stone inlays in woodturnings.   It was very interesting.

Here are a few photos:

[the Earl of Whirl]

Looks wonderful to me,
Mr. Larry D!

Good work!!!

[ta0]

Great!

I did not know (remember) that johnm had made drop tops. 

What is the object close to the tops, the one someone is holding on the first photo?  It kind of looks like a top 

[Larry D.]

What is the object close to the tops, the one someone is holding on the first photo?

Every month the Club has a "challenge". 
The challenge concept is used to keep member interests up.
The object in his hands is an Ornamental (any type of hanging object) which was the challenge presented at the last month's meeting. 
He mentioned that his piece was an "inside out" made of Red Cedar.  Perhaps some of our woodturning members can enlighten us to the
specifics of "inside out" turning.  You can see part of another entry hanging in the 3rd photo on the right side towards the bottom.

[yollector]

Wow !!!!!
Beautiful !!!!
I Should have never moved from Long Island.
      Richy From Chico 

[johnm]

Great effort Larry!  Your avenues for spreading the joy of tops are endless.

After meeting with this group are you bitten by the turning bug--its venom is quite potent?  Did they coax you into trying a bit of turning (perhaps for the inlay demo they didn't need a lathe at the meeting so maybe no opportunity), because after seeing your string button work I know you have a great eye for beauty in wood?

I did not know (remember) that johnm had made drop tops. 

"did not know" is the correct phrase as somethings are kept secret to have surprises for visitors to UC.

Drop(ping) tops (inspired by the one from Grand Illusions, link = dropping top ) are fun to make and practice turning techniques and shapes since basically the entire shape of the top can be arbitrary and as fancy or plane as you like as there is no region where the string has to wind or will snag during play.  I also like the drop top as an intermediate step between finger spinners and peg tops because it introduces the string without the complications of how to hold and throw a peg top.  It is less of an 'intimidating' step to the throw top if a person is comfortable with the string from the drop top's simple action.  Plus the big scoop is pretty easy with a large flattish top so the sensation in the hand is achievable. (Button whirligigs are also nice for introducing string to spin something and fun to make on the lathe.)

I have not done any "inside out turning" but it seems difficult to select a bad video on youtube after a search with that phrase.  Basically four very square pieces of wood are temporarily secured together to form a single work piece and well centered in the lathe for the first turning event during which a simple or complex pattern is turned.  Then the assembly is taken apart and each of the four individual pieces is rotated 180 degrees.  They are then permanently reassembled such that what had been the outside for the first turning is now inside for the work piece to be turned a second time.  The second turning then opens up holes allowing the inside contour to be revealed.  It is quite a clever technique with very interesting and surprising results.

[Marty]

Hi Everyone,
I am one of the wood-turners that met LarryD today. I was thrilled to see the tops and especially seeing how they are thrown.
I am definitely going to try my hand at making a few of these but I don't think I will ever master the spinning part as it seems to require much patience to achieve.
I am enjoying browsing through your forum and hope to find some basic design and proportion ideas to make these tops.
Thanks
marty

[Dick Stohr]

Welcome Marty, glad you are here.  I am a member of Capitol Area Woodturners in Northern Virginia and also AAW.  This is a very friendly place to get answers to any questions, so enjoy!
Larry, glad you made the contact with the woodturners in your area.  They should be a great source of info, training and ideas.  That has been my experience with our club.

[the Earl of Whirl]

Yes, welcome Marty.  Great to have you with us.  Hope you enjoy your time here and get the ideas you are looking for.

[jim in paris]

thanks for the report Larry !
there are some very beautiful pieces on the tables
the plates are stunning

i'm sure that a "spinning top challenge" will follow your visit at the club

please,keep us informed of the future creations: Marty : you're first on the turning track  ::--))
once bitten , twice smitten

jim

[Jerry]

Inside out turning is a fun and exciting way to turn with more than one piece of wood that make one piece when done. First, the setup is normally done with three or four pcs. they are held together with packing tape then mounted between centers turned to the desired profile taken off the lathe rotated 60 and 120 degrees for three pieces 90 degrees for four pieces  then put back together with packing tape turned then put back to original position then glued to keep it all together.

Jerry