Written description (project 1)

Spinning Top

For my first project I am planning to make a spinning top, which will reflect the light. I’ve god inspired for this product by a kid, I saw when I was walking back home on Cuba street after the lecture. A little girl was playing with mirror, letting sunbeam on his mom’s face. On the tutorial on Friday I saw the spinning top and thought “May be I should connect those two objects together.” 

So I started thinking of how am I going to make a reflecting spinning top and what materials I am going to use. As I found it quite hard to cut real mirror myself I have desided on using soft mirror. In addition I will use Chineese chopstick for the axis, and a black cardboard for the wheel itself.  I am going to make a three layers spinning top which will include cardboard top layer with carved patterns on it, second mirror layer, and third cardboard layer  which will make my spinning top heavier so it will be easier to spin it and it will spin longer.

                The reason why I desided to make that object is that it gives an unusual experience of playing with ligt and reflection. I find it really exiting to play with contrasts and this object demonstrates the contrast between light and darkness quite well.

IMages of a girl and a colourful spinning top were taken from: http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?q=mirror+sunbeams&hl=en&sa=G&tbm=isch&tbnid=QaeYDToPJ6_FCM:&imgrefurl=http://afprimarysingingtime.blogspot.com/2011/03/jesus-wants-me-for-sunbeam.html&docid=xkkt4bKsS5ITlM&w=1600&h=1133&ei=-aIsToTdK-HdmAXshoC6Dw&zoom=1&biw=1280&bih=843&iact=rc&dur=219&page=2&tbnh=154&tbnw=210&start=20&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:20&tx=82&ty=52 and http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?q=spinning+top&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbnid=E2Mainow1qikcM:&imgrefurl=http://accesstosharedknowledgeandpractices.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/happy-new-year-access/&docid=iUe7XBsMPVsVTM&w=750&h=603&ei=WKMsTs3oN-HrmAXO0Pm5Dw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=510&vpy=132&dur=78&hovh=201&hovw=250&tx=181&ty=63&page=1&tbnh=154&tbnw=192&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&biw=1280&bih=843