published Friday, July 10th, 2026 at 10:37 am by
Alan Stratton
For this project I wanted to replicate a project from an AAW video. However, after turning a Captured Pedestal Spin Top as demonstrated at AAW, I could not show the video. In my opinion, the key process was too difficult and fiddly. I prefer processes that anyone can follow to replicate. The original involved an acorn nut and a small bolt that had to be inserted into a small cavity. This part was difficult to handle even after checking with a buddy who had also turned one as demonstrated.
My design requires no special hardware. Instead, the key components are separated into individual components that are easily turned and replicated if necessary. If a mistake is made while learning, the key components can be discarded and again made quickly and easily.
My spin top is mostly ash and about 3 inches in diameter and 4 inches tall, finished with shellac. The video has a diagram of the key components.
In this video, I use a collet chuck for dowels and finials. However, a collet chuck is NOT a requirement since any chuck that can hold a small cylinder will suffice. A collet chuck uses collets each of which is sized for a very limited size range. If the wood being turned is too large for the collet, the collet cannot be forced – a larger collet is required. However, also, if the wood being turned is too small for the collet, the collet may not be able to clamp securely. In other words, each collet has a limited range of wood sizes it can hold. My original collet set has collets for .25, .375, .5, .625, and .75 inch. These are ER-32 collets which specifies their overall shape. I have supplemented the original collets with an additional set from Amazon incrementing by thirty-seconds. Now, it will hold any wood in its range.
Since I was not pleased with the original design as demonstrated, I came up with another design. I hope this sparks an idea for you to improve upon my design. I want to see your ideas. Let me know.
Enjoy.
If you happen to have technical difficulties, this video is also posted on YouTube. But it is best right here. So stick around.
