Flippe Tops

thingiverse

This is a revolutionary new kind of tippe top that inverts and flips over repeatedly. On the outside, it appears as a perfect sphere, but inside lies a ball bearing that moves freely up and down within a cylindrical channel. The uneven weight distribution caused by this ball bearing gives the top its extraordinary behavior. When you spin the top, the ball bearing starts at its lowest point. As it spins, the top's desire to invert, so its center of gravity is above the center of rotation, takes hold. However, when this happens, the ball bearing drops down, and the cycle begins anew. It's surprisingly easy to achieve 5-8 flips as the top slows down, as shown in the videos. Because it's a sphere, it can be tricky to determine when the top actually flips over. To make this more apparent, I recommend printing it in two contrasting colors. The top comes in three different sizes, and I suggest starting with the smallest one first. For the small size top, you'll need to purchase a 3/8" diameter ball bearing - just ask your local hardware store if they sell single ball bearings. Check out these videos for a closer look: https://youtu.be/aO6ZofZ5dos and https://youtu.be/3E_Ffhsj5mI