Top Notch Tippe Top

thingiverse

A tippe top is a truly one-of-a-kind kind of top that never fails to mesmerize. When spun at high speed, it will gradually topple over and then spring back up, spinning majestically on its handle! This captivating motion has captivated great thinkers throughout history with its sheer elegance. I have carefully designed this model to print easily and invert reliably on its handle, the result of many iterative design improvements. When designing a successful tippe top, several key factors must be considered. The most critical is that the center of gravity must be positioned lower than the center of curvature of the base (and not too far apart). Other practical considerations I found important when designing this model for 3D printing included slightly flattening the bottom to encourage the top to tip over faster and optimizing the handle design. By chamfering the handle to match the tangent of the top's body, I found that it increases friction (thereby increasing torque) and makes the top pop up more easily at lower speeds. I have uploaded four different ways to print this model, each resulting in the exact same top but with varying assembly or scaling options. This allows you to choose the version that works best for your specific needs. All versions require some supports, which should come off easily (and in the case of the split version, they make removal from the print bed simpler if you don't have a removable bed). An overview video showcasing how I created this design and demonstrates its performance can be found here: https://youtu.be/AQgBUaosH0Y Printing Options and Tips ======================== Four different ways to print the top (A-D) are available. Choose the one that suits your needs best, as all versions produce the same top. Option A - Threaded Handle ------------------------- This option consists of two parts: a base, which is the entire spherical body, and the handle. After printing, the handle is screwed into the base. The benefits include a cleaner appearance with no visible joints, but the disadvantages are that (1) the handle may be weaker when assembled and (2) the handle can be challenging to print due to its height and small contact area with the build plate. How to Print: - Use an infill of 90% and a 0.2mm layer height - Print both parts upside down (the .stl files are already correctly oriented) - Include a small brim around the handle to support it during printing (1 layer high and 6 outlines worked well for me) - Add supports under the center of the base, customizing them so they don't touch the rim - Assemble by gluing the two parts together Scaling options: This version can be scaled larger until the tolerances become too loose. Option B - Split Base (Standard Size) ------------------------- This option is a standard version of the tippe top. The model can probably be scaled smaller, but scaling it larger may result in loose tolerances. How to Print: - Use an infill of 90% and a 0.2mm layer height - Print the bottom part upside down and include supports around the outer edges - Print the top part right-side up and no supports are needed - Assemble by gluing the two parts together Scaling options: If you want to scale this larger, use Option C as the tolerances can become too loose. Option C - Split Base (Larger Size) ------------------------- This option is a larger version of Option B. The model is scaled up but retains the same tolerances. All advantages and disadvantages, as well as printing methods, are the same as Option B. Option D - Full Model -------------------- This option consists of the entire top as one part. It can be printed with supports in one piece or used as a starting point for modifications. However, I found that printing this model upside down required too many supports that were difficult to remove around the handle (and sometimes caused it to break). Post-processing: ================ The top should work right off the build plate after removing supports. To improve its performance, you can sand the bottom until it's smooth and slightly sand the top of the handle. More Information: ================ For further reading, please visit: http://www.fysikbasen.dk/English.php?id=79&page=Vis https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jam/2012/268537/ https://youtu.be/Kwihc4kbNVA https://m4ttbit.gitlab.io/2017/09/26/tippe-top-design.html