DIY Spinning Top Toy - That Also Writes! (Version 1)

Hello once again, fellow crafters! In this Instructable, I present you a working model of a spinning top toy that is launched with a string. Similar to Beyblades, this project aims to reuse materials at home to create a mechanism that releases a homemade spinning top, hopefully at the same rate of speed as the original toy. I made this project to further deepen my understanding of design fundamentals, particularly in popular toys.

Supplies:

1. 1 Empty Soda Plastic Bottle
2. 2 Bottle Caps
3. 1 Large Wooden Stick
4. 1 String
5. 1 Empty Pen Tube (Or you may use one that still works, so that you can still write with it!)
6. 1 Strip of Paper

Tools:

1. Box Cutter or Xacto Knife
2. Whiteboard Marker
3. Hotglue Gun
4. Glue Sticks
5. Tape (Optional)

Using a whiteboard marker, mark the top of the soda plastic bottle. Preferably, mark the faint line that separates the portion with the bottle cap from the soda bottle's body. This step is crucial, as this will serve as the base where the spinning top will stand before launching it to the ground.

After marking the area from Step 1, proceed to cut out the top portion with the bottle cap using a sharp box cutter or Xacto knife.

Using two bottle caps (you may also use the one originally from the soda bottle we cut from earlier), drill holes at the center. These holes must be large enough to go through and fit a large wooden stick. The two bottle caps must be sandwiched through the wooden stick as seen in the photo above. Use hotglue to secure these bottle caps, and tape the two bottle caps in place.

Going back to the top portion, cut slits that are parallel (in front of each other) from one another. Make sure these slits are aligned, since they will serve as a base for the spinning top to rest on before launch.

Using an empty pen tube, cut off the end with the writing tip to create a pointy edge for spinning top to rotate on. Once cut, wrap the pen tube around paper to secure it in place as seen in the photo above. If you're adventurous, use a working pen tube and do the same process in Step 5 to make your spinning top write as an extra feature! Once done, glue the piece at the bottom of the spinning top while also cutting the large wooden stick (about 4 cm) off the top of the spinning top.

Using a piece of string (about 10 cm, not too long or short), tie a loop on one end. This will make it easier for us to grip on the string before releasing the toy.

Hold the string (the end without the loop) on the bottle cap, then wrap the string around the pen tube end until about 3 cm is left (the end with the loop). Refer to the photo for what the final outcome should look like. Feed the remaining 3 cm of string (the end with the loop) through the open end of the base (top portion of the soda bottle we cut from earlier). Then, place the spinning top on top of the slits before launch.

To release, hold on to the loop and pull the string until the spinning top is released. The faster you pull, the better the results and spin.

There you have it! You've got a spinning top toy launcher at home! As soon as I finished this project, I knew I had to immediately make a better version of it. That's why, here are some of my final remarks and suggestions, as I've always included after every Instructable project.

A few suggestions for the next version:

1. Use cardboard or foam board to create a more stable base for the spinning top.
2. Use references of the original toy design for more accuracy.
3. Create a better spinning top toy overall.
4. Fix the ends of the spinning top toy to generate more spin.

Stay tuned for the next design version, and thank you so much for viewing this project! Happy holidays and keep building :)