How to Make Spinning Tops From Colonial America

Attach a 2-inch saw blade to a hole saw and drill straight down into a 2.5-inch wooden board. This will cut out a 2-inch wooden circle with a hole in the middle.

Attach a 0.75-inch saw blade to the hole saw and drill straight into the 0.75-inch wooden board. This will create a 0.75-inch wooden circle with a hole in the middle. Repeat this step to produce two circles.

Use the 1-inch saw blade to cut a fourth circle from masonite or an extremely thin piece of wood, no more than ½-inch thick.

Sand until smooth all the edges of each circle with fine-grit sandpaper. This will prevent splinters when playing with the top.

Place a drop of wood glue into the hole in the largest piece of wood. Insert the dowel rod through the hole, until it protrudes about ¼ inch beyond the edge of the block.

Attach one of the 0.75-inch-thick circles. Put a drop of glue into its hole and onto the flat surface that will contact the first block. Slide it up the long side of the dowel until it is firmly in place against the first block.

Attach the 1-inch block. Use glue in the hole and on the flat surface that will contact the previous piece. Push the block firmly against the other piece.

Wipe any residual glue off of the dowel rod with a paper towel. Slide a wooden bead onto the dowel without any glue. The bead should turn freely on the dowel, not be locked into place like the other pieces.

Attach the final piece with glue on top of the bead. Trim any excess dowel rod from the top of the toy. Allow all glue to dry before playing with the top.