The Big Top Experiments

05/22/2024

. I truly appreciate the support of people willing to buy my regular size spin tops to help fund the Big Top Experiments. I know they are not high performance tops, but each is a handmade and colored, functional piece. Without support, I can't keep on glueing up 139 pieces (Octavia) and spending a hundred plus hours making Big Tops. Dorothy Dot is 152 pieces! Big Tops 8 & 9 are complete and function, but they each have secret surprises that need to be worked out. Meanwhile I'm planning Big Top #10 which should be something special. I do want to continue these experiments and bring them to events but I need your help. I'll be offering a small batch of fresh hand size tops and finger tops. If my spin tops are not your cup of tea, but you still want to show your support, I've made 3" x 5" vinyl stickers for you to show your friends, neighbors and the world, that you like what goes on at the Round Top Top Shop. I'll mail one to the lower 48 USA for $4 or 3 for $10. Over seas postage can get crazy, I'll get a quote from the post office and report back if there are inquiries. I accept PayPal, [email protected] T-shirts may come next. Thanks again for all the support and look forward to seeing ya'll soon.

03/24/2024

The solar eclipse will be Monday April 8th. The path of totality is north of the Hudson Valley. I'm planning a day trip to Lake Champlain area for the experience. Anyone want to join? dm me

02/08/2024

This is Dorothy Dot, a full start to finish spin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VdjI9UFm88&t=485s
Special thanks to Keith Nelson for joining me in this project and documenting all our trials and errors.

Dorothy DotA top spins for more than 6 minutes.Top designed and built by Paul StewartVideo by Keith Nelson

12/06/2023

Such a great day in Brooklyn, the day Pinkie the Big Top met Miss Pinkie Special working with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. This year, Pinkie the Big Top was at the Spin Top National Competition in Ohio, battled Superman, now she's off to Tokyo. bon voyage, hope she spins up a storm !

12/02/2023

Ever since Pinkie took on Superman, she's been muttering something about Godzilla and Tokyo.

11/28/2022

What a year, recovering from surgery, working with Bindlestiff Circus, getting back to biking and swimming, dug up a 50' maple tree that was encroaching on the building. Now getting ready for the holidays, making a batch of tops for sale and soon will switch to painting with Big top MellO.

10/08/2022

While I spent sometime out of commission, I'm back in action and trying to catch up on all the projects. Motivated by wanting to be involved in World Top Spin Day this Wednesday October 12, I've made this batch of tops now in need of color. Help celebrate by posting your pictures on topmuseum.org , that's The Spinning Top and Yo Yo Museum in historic downtown Burlington, Wisconsin.

12/01/2021

this is Rich Potter's art documenting the Cikus in Quarantine. It's been amazing to join incredibly talented Variety Artist making cirkus on the virtual and actual stage. Rich illustrates our early experiments with trying to spin the Big Tops, here using a Suzuki 750 KingQuad to pull the rope. Practice is paying off, we've spun the Big Tops at Opus 40, Saugerties, and Brooklyn with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. I have confidence now that tricks beyond simply spinning the Big Top, mesmerizing as it is, are with in reach. A huge thanks to all the Bindlestiffs who help with this, Especially Keith Nelson for endless practice time and Rich Potter for including our experiments in his new book documenting a year of Cirkus in Quanantine.

10/10/2021

Hello Friends, It's been 1 year since we first spun the Big Top, Blue Test Mule. Through research and development, we are now spinning Big Tops with a rope for near 4 minutes and with electric power for 8! I don't know about you, but we need more. I feel a trick involving vertical movement is near. Not next week, but plan to develop this over the winter. To fans of these experiments, your support really does mean everything for pushing this forward. We enjoyed spinning tops on stage with the Bindlestiffs in Park Slope and look forward to our next engagement near Coney Island, Oct 23. For those of you who purchased handmade spin tops from me to support R & D, thank you! My designs have been refined as my understanding has grown. Soon I will offer a new set of spin tops for sale, again, to help fund a next Big Top, the new trick model. I'm so excited. Video from 1 year ago:

Big Top designed and created by Paul Stewart.Keith Nelson pulls the orpe

09/10/2021

Hello Friends, Miss Pinkie is going on an adventure. Yep, Pinkie is going to play at the Henry Fite earth sculpture, Opus 40 Saugerties , NY, this Saturday. We're pretty excited about that. In other Big Top Experiments, I've been working on throwing a Big Top by myself. Kind of like throwing a bag of cement, only this is really fun, if exhausting. Up till now it's been a multi-person and machine experiment. But, I think IF I can stick to a good work out routine and stay healthy, then someday, someday, the magic of spinning one of the Big Tops could be accomplished by myself, of course with tons of moral support. If anyone wants to practice with me, just grab that 60lb. weight and start throwing it. Throw it hard, and consistent and then take off running as fast as you can. We'll see ya'll down the road, eh

07/31/2021

Hello Friends, even though summer has been screaming along and I haven't been posting regularly, research and development continues with Big Tops and related movement. A recent change was closing the Etsy Store. It's a pita for me that gets worse as my 2007 Mac Book Pro declines to being less useful. Please take into account my limited skill set that excels at sharpening and hitting things, and pm me for your custom Top needs. Meanwhile, enjoy this video of a ride I take weekly from the top of Castle point to a dip in Minnewaska Lake. peace y'all!

Mountain Bike Riding