Summary

The best spin tops have a tip made of a very hard material in order to minimize friction between the top and the spin surface. This design requires a steel ball to be glued into the bottom of the print. One design uses 1/4 inch stainless steel ball bearings and the other 3/8 inch (Amazon has them). By using these and a concave glass lens or mirror surface, you can get spin times over 6 minutes.

Here's a short video showing the top in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lySgPi_sKsk

Print Settings

Printer Brand:

MakerBot

                                            <p class="detail-setting printer"><strong>Printer: </strong>                     <div><p>MakerBot Replicator 2</p></div></p>                                                                                <p class="detail-setting rafts"><strong>Rafts: </strong>                     <div><p>No</p></div></p>                                                                                <p class="detail-setting supports"><strong>Supports: </strong>                     <div><p>No</p></div></p>                                                                                <p class="detail-setting resolution"><strong>Resolution: </strong>                     <div><p>0.2 inch</p></div></p>                                                                                <p class="detail-setting infill"><strong>Infill: </strong>                     <div><p>100% (see note below)</p></div></p>                                                        <br>                        <p class="detail-setting notes"><strong>Notes: </strong>                    </p><div><p>I used "bottom solid layers" for the entire print. This gave me 100% infill but without using the infill design, which jammed my printer. Find the setting and make it 100 bottom solid layers.</p></div>

Post-Printing

Add the Steel Ball

            <div><p>Clean up the print and then use super glue to hold the ball bearing in place.</p></div>

How I Designed This

Fusion 360 and Simplify3D

            <div><p>Using Fusion 360, I designed the cross section in 2D and then rotated it about the vertical axis using the Revolve command. I exported the STL file and then prepared it for printing with Simplify3D.</p></div>

3D Spin Top