Challenge
The use of wood instills a sense of timelessness and value in products. Use this material to design a spinning top that portrays these qualities.
Solution
Playing with the properties of wood, create a top that could only be made with this material.
How I Helped
Researcher
Sketch Artist
Concept Development
Prototyping
Construction
Wooden Spinning Top
ProcesS
How can a product be timeless and valuable?
To enhance a typical spinning top shape and design, I looked at combining types of wood or carving shapes into the wood to create unique aspects of the product.
Exploring this idea further, I realized that I could laminate different types of wood together to create the same shapes that I was considering carving into body of the top.
Exploring Spinning Top Shapes and Features
Understanding the Lamination Technique and the Future Shape
Foam Top Prototype
Prototypes of the shape of the top were made using blue foam before I began assembling the laminated wood.
The first time I laminated the wood, the bottom shifted and glued the strips together unevenly. As I waited for a second set of wood pieces to laminate together, I used the first piece as a practice on the lathe.
Wood Lamination and Lather Turning
From Prototype to Current Design of Spinning Top
After practicing to better understanding the shape and size I needed, I created the current version with the second block of laminated wood.
