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help with 'drawing' spinning tops, please!

Greetings and Salutations everyone!

I became very frustrated (and cursed some things that I shouldn't have) last night by wasting two hours trying to shape a working design for some spinning tops that have a special pen that is inserted into the center so that it draws the spin pattern on a surface.

I bought the ink pens from Craft Supply

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I followed the instructions that came with them (so I though) to the T, but they just won't spin correctly or at all. I couldn't find a link on Craft Supply's website to the instructions. After making six different designs that all failed, I gave up. It seems that the part of the pen cartidge that sticks out of the bottom of the top is too long, thus making it topheavy. But, I drilled the hole depth according to instructions, and I could be wrong on this assumption. The two different sized holes were drilled in the center, so I ruled out it being off-center.

I've made regular wood tops before, and haven't had any problems with the operation of them. Has anyone used these cartridges before and had sucess with them, or did I just waste money on a silly gimick?

As ususal, thanks for your time.

Reply to
Brent
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Well, I calmed down enough to give it another go. I was right - the "pen" part was sticking out of the bottom too far. I found that if I drilled the larger hole to a depth of 1" rather than the 3/4" as per the instructions, it worked just fine.

They still don't spin as good as 'regular' tops, but the fun factor certainly is there.

Reply to
Brent

I have found that a lot of kits have bad instructions, and some are wrong..

I messed up my first cigar pen from Rockler because the middle bushing is a stepped, 2 sized one and the instructions showed it turned backwards... I proudly assembled the damn thing and found that the bottom blank was too big for the trim assembly and the upper blank was smaller than the damn band...

Mac

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Reply to
mac davis

Which probably means these companies haven't even tested out their own instructions. Jeez - that's dumb. I would be plenty angry (as I'm sure you were) if I spent all that money just to throw it away because of following instructions.

Reply to
Brent

Brent, but when all else fails, ignore the instructions. OT, but I bet auto engine designers have never removed the spark plugs and I know some of the recipes in the local paper have never been eaten and probably never been cooked.

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

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Reply to
Arch

Oh, great - thanks a lot - now you've got me thinking of changing those %^&$&(# 'n spark plugs (Of which you are 100% correct!).

I'm sure that most manuals have been translated from one language to another, especially on mass-produced items. I especially like the Chinese or Taiwanese-to-English ones that Harbor Freight is abound with.

Thanks for the laugh.

Reply to
Brent

Hi Arch

I thought it was, if all else fails , read the instruction manual.

Then they get me confused.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Reply to
l.vanderloo

Some time ago, I heard someone say (perhaps in jest, perhaps seriously- I can't recall) that the people who write the manuals are the ones who can most easily be taken from the production line to do it because they are incompetent.

Whether it was a joke or not, it certainly rings true- especially when I think of my mercifully infrequent and short-lived periods of factory work.

Reply to
Prometheus

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