Clock Wheel Tops. A splendid spinner can be made of the little balance-wheel of a broken clock ([Fig. 119]). This little wheel is so accurately made that it will spin very steadily from a minute and one-half to two minutes. As the ends of this wheel's axle are pointed, the top will stand in one spot as long as it spins.
The toothed wheel shown in [Fig. 120], or any of the other forms of wheels from a clockwork will make good spinners, yet, unless you file their pivot ends to points, they will not spin in one spot but will glide and hop over the table in spirals. The friction thus produced decreases the length of time that they will spin, but makes them none the less interesting as tops. Great fun may be had spinning these wheel tops around the balance-wheel top, while the latter is spinning. [Figure 129] shows how to hold a clock wheel between the thumb and first finger, for spinning. Start it with a snapping movement of the fingers.
Fig. 125.—A Shoe-polish Can Top.
A Rug-Tack Top. A rug tack or large upholstering tack is another good spinner. While the clockwork wheels are spun by twirling them by means of the upper end of the pivots, the tack top is spun by holding the spinning point between the thumb and first finger, as shown in [Fig. 122], then giving it a quick twirl and dropping it upon a table. The tack top is an eccentric spinner. First it hops about in a very lively fashion; then, when you think it is about ready to topple over, it regains its balance and for some seconds spins quite as steadily as the clockwork balance-wheel top. The tack top can be spun upon its head as well as upon its point.
A Spool Top. The top in [Fig. 123] is made from a half of a spool and a short piece of lead-pencil. Saw a spool into halves, and then taper one half from its beveled end to the center. Sharpen the piece of pencil to a point, and push it through the spool until its point projects just a trifle. Spin the spool top in the same way as the clock wheel tops.
A Spinning Top Race-track. By drawing a track upon a piece of cardboard, as shown in [Fig. 129], with an opening on the inside, great fun may be had by starting any one of the small tops just described, with the exception of the balance-wheel top, in the center of the space inside of the track, and tilting the cardboard so as to cause the top to spin through the opening on to the track, and around the track. There is a trick in keeping the top from running off the track that can be acquired only with practice.
A Shoe-polish Can Top ([Fig. 125]). This is a sure-enough good looking top, and it spins as well as it looks. It is made of a pencil, a cone-shaped piece cut from a spool, similar to the top shown in [Fig. 123], and an empty shoe-polish can.