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Showing 1 of 40 conversations about:
Spiffy Lab Pocket Spinner EDC Tops
lobster
687
Oct 27, 2016
I got the copper top last time. it is a good top but will not spin longer than a vorso or lambda. The top is a little top heavy and it tends be unforgiving to bad release technique. If the release is perfect it spins perfect but spin times for me are closer to 1-2 minutes rather than 12-14 min (i spin the top on an acrylic soap dish, glass might double the time). The shorter spine time is not necessarily bad-- sure a top is supposed to spin and spinning for a long time is a reflection of proper design and material choice, and if you just want long spin times get the vorso. The design and the bearing on this top cause a reduction in spin time compared to other offerings, but watching a top spin for 14 minutes non-stop gets boring and takes a long time. The shorter spine times on this top allows you to work on perfecting your spinning technique because it is less forgiving and it lets you spin the top more often. This top circles, wobbles then straightens out, and it just behaves a little more erratically than the vorso top which just seems to sit still and hover forever. I guess what I'm saying is it is interesting to watch it move around a little. It also does not have a lot of clearance between the steel bearing and the corner of the top. The top can tilt about 20 degrees before the edge hits the surface--again forcing you to be accurate with your release. I think the copper version is worth the price. I don't have the other variants to comment on how well they perform, but my hunch was that they would not work well being so light. Maybe other users who bought this last time can comment on the performance of aluminum and mg. Last thing is this top is definitely more pocket friendly than other designs. the long cylindrical body lets it disappear in a pocket without causing pressure points. Although the top is bigger than other tops, it has a smaller diameter and so this makes it more pocketable at the expense of being more top heavy.
DrTom
21
Oct 27, 2016
lobsterI echo lobsters assertion that a top need not spin for 10 minutes to be fun. As I said earlier in this thread, Foreverspin tops are beautiful, but not long spinners, and that"s ok. The question that hasn't been answered yet is how the bearing is set. Glued or press fit? It does appear to protrude more than 50% from the base. A glued tip would affect my decision to buy.
lobster
687
Oct 27, 2016
lobsterIt looks glued and probably pressed to the point where the bearing bottoms out in it's hole.
the metal around the bearing does not show signs of deformation--so it is clearly not just interference fit--in fact there is a tiny gap between the ball bearing and the copper around the entire circumference. Not large enough to stick a corner of a sheet of paper into (just smaller than the width of office paper.) How the ball was fit was a concern of mine on the drop last time. Since receiving the top, I have tried to dislodge the bearing by prying at it with my fingers and dropping the top on the from 6 inches onto concrete directly on the bearing and on the tops side. I also put the top in water to see if water would do anything to loosen the bearing. The bearing has not budged. There is an extra bearing that comes with the top and it actually looks like the bearing is just over 50% inside the top when I compare the unused bearing to the one installed. I'm not sure exactly how it is secured, but I'm also not sure how to get it out of the top without destroying the top in the process. Whatever method they are using seems to be working.
aclark66
2
Oct 27, 2016
DrTomNot sure how it's set, but the description does say it includes an extra ball bearing.
DrTom
21
Oct 27, 2016
lobsterGood to know. Thanks Lobster.
lobster
687
Oct 28, 2016
lobsteri can now confirm the bearing is held by epoxy or some other tough clear glue. A drop is applied to the cavity and the ball is pressed until it bottoms out. I was able to remove the bearing, but it took deliberate effort--specifically I had to apply horizontal force against the bearing ( shearing the bearing against a 2x4) with 20 lbs of force applied to the top in a sideways direction. this caused the bearing to come out and bounce on the floor. The bearing is replaceable if badly worn or lost, and you can probably replace it with a ruby or ceramic ball if you can find the right size--or potentially even drill the hole wider and insert a massive ceramic ball or maybe even a marble? just some ideas. The finish on the inside of the drill hole is rough, but this probably just helps the glue hold better.
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