Working on a new cart for my top show!

My old top show cart is a Sears tool box / work bench thingy. It has served well, and has helped me entertain and teach a lot of kids of all ages about tops. Click here to check out my web page about the top show, and to see a picture of the old top cart. When I was younger, hauling around the bulky and heavy cart - getting it in and out of the car, etc. was no problem. As an older person, I've begun to find I need to go find help with loading and unloading, etc., so yesterday I went out looking for options. Long experience with shopping for specific things has taught me that having a clear idea of what you want is not an easy way to shop! Contrary to all expectations, I found the Stanley Fatmax rolling tool box above.

My first step was to get rid of the Fatmax logo on the front --- imagine the snickers when I rolled into a classroom with that! Next make it my own with the same graphic of me spinning a top, that graced both ends of the old cart ..... this one has one on the front. Later I may put something on the ends of this new cart.

This particular rolling tool box sort of unfolds by stepping on the bottom, squeezing a latch, and rolling the top backwards - as above. Now I needed a place to spin tops! At first I was going to carry a small adjustable table with me, but after a couple of attempts, I created a wooden shelf that sits inside the folded out lid, held in place by some cleats that fit into the lower side of the open lid.

A panel wedges at an angle against the wheel axle below, and fits into a groove in the bottom side of the open lid to support the playing surface level and steady. I'll probably add some graphics to the front panel later, and make it larger or even shape it like a top? The only problem I foresee is if kids get in close and lean on it! Generally I keep kids back a bit because when some squeeze up front, the ones in back can't see. I anticipate this new cart working out nicely in one particular way.... the spinning surface is quite a bit lower, so little kids should be able to see better!

Now to fill it with tops, and give it a try at Maya's pre-school on Thursday morning!

I'll let you know how it works. The main problem will be adjusting my brain because I've been using the old cart for about 20 years or so???

This new cart weighs about 25% of what the old one weighed, so I anticipate being very glad to adjust!