Another Ripcord Drilling Method

[Top-Az]

After getting a few Ripcords and reading the posts on the forum, I decided to modify a couple of them as others have done. Not having a lathe, I looked for another way. I used an inexpensive table-top drill press that I borrowed from a friend. Friends with a cheap drill press are more common than friends with a lathe. I first used alcohol to clean any residue from the string groove. Then I folded a piece of sandpaper and roughed up the inner surface of the string groove. I wrapped 1/4" making tape around the raised portion of the crown and filled the groove with slow-setting epoxy. The next day I clamped a scrap of plywood to the table of the drill press and drilled a 1 3/8" hole in it using a hole saw. The crown of the Ripcord cap is a very snug fit in the hole in the plywood. Make sure the cap is pressed all the way down into the hole. Replace the bit with a 1" hole saw and drill through the cap. Use the slowest speed of the drill press and drill slowly. Pop the cap out of the hole and Touch up with some 220 grit sandpaper. The hole in the cap is perfectly centered.

[Top-Az]

Finished.

[Watts' Tops]

Neat-I love your method.-But I must ask, does it make the top work better? Spin longer?

[Top-Az]

Neat-I love your method.-But I must ask, does it make the top work better? Spin longer?

I wish I could answer that question. I have four Ripcords. Two modified and two not. I'm just beginning top spinning and have gotten to the stage of successful boomerang landings. I know from reading other posts that there are people who like this modification. More practice will tell if I like it better. So far, the Ripcord suits me better than my Gladiators but that may change. I did this modification to give myself another option. I'm still practicing with both versions.

[johnm]

Great approach! The self aligning jig is really clever, super simple, and very effective. The diet RC mods are really displaying the variety of approaches to getting something done and the general ingenuity of the top spinning community. Thanks for sharing and keep the ideas coming.

[Neff]

Wonderful method of centering! The hole in the cap makes a tremendous difference though you may not be able to tell the difference yet. This reduces center weight and more importantly cap weight which lowers the center of gravity. Among other things, this relieves the necessity for a longer string, makes it spin longer, and makes you a really, really cool guy

Neat-I love your method.-But I must ask, does it make the top work better? Spin longer?

Yes. Yes it does.