MJMANDALAY
08-10-2006, 09:45 PM
How to Make a Rubber Band Ball
A rubber band ball is really fun to make and a great stress reliever. What's nice is that you can put it together bit by bit when you have the spare time, or you can attack this project all at once. Not only will you be able to throw it and bounce it, but this is one project that's never done, because you can just keep on adding more and more rubber bands! Here's how to get started on your very own rubber band ball...
Steps
To start the rubber band ball, simply wrap a single rubber band around a smooth pencil or pen until the band is tightly stuck on the pencil. Now, roll the rubber band off the end of the pencil, it will be a small tight ball made out of a single rubber band.
Wrap another rubber band around that one.
Keep wrapping rubber bands around and around till there is no give on it, and it's tightly wrapped.
Every time before you put a new rubber band on the ball, toss it up in the air with a little spin (it doesn't matter what direction). This ensures that the ball will have a new, random orientation when you put each new band on. It will also keep your hand from cramping up, and keep the ball balanced.
Tips
Keep saving rubber bands wherever you find them.
Keep a special box just for rubber bands.
You can also buy packages of rubber bands, but make sure that they are not the very small ones. Size 64 is a good size to make a decent sized rubber band ball.
Ask your friends to save rubber bands and give them to you.
The more rubber bands you wrap, the bigger the ball becomes. So keep wrapping.
If starting the rubber band ball is causing you trouble, try starting with a nickel, dime, or a quarter.
If you want to have a rubber band ball, but don't have time to make it, office supply stores such as Office Depot or Staples often have premade ones. Again, purists will balk at this for sure. You can also buy a tennis ball and wrap around that.
Colorful rubber bands will make the rubber band ball more exciting and different. But be noted that colors can fade with time, whereas a 'natural' color will remain forever.
A rubber band ball, when it becomes the size of a tennis ball, can be a great bouncing ball. The tighter the ball, the higher it bounces.
Try to use rubber bands that are almost too small to wrap around the ball at the very beginning (10cm - 50cm) for a very solid core for your bigger ball. You can 'double' up on bigger rubber bands (wrap it around, pull it out and twist 90°, and wrap it around again) during this stage if a very tight ball is what you desire.
When your ball is old, and the rubber bands are falling off of it--preserve it. Wrap a fresh layer all around it to cover the old bands and then thread some monofilament through the ball. Then dip the entire ball into polyurethane using the string to hold it. Use a toothpick or skewer to pop the bubbles that form on the surface in between the rubber bands, and then dip it back into the polyurethane and close the lid. Come back in a few days, and pull it out and let it dry. Done! Preserved for all eternity. Date and sign it, and put it on your mantle.
When a band snaps, replace it with another rubber band.
Sometimes the rubber bands can get old and dry out, causing them to crack.
As a time saver, purchase a basketball and wrap rubber bands around it. Although this requires many rubber bands, it still requires many, many fewer rubber bands than a genuine rubber band ball the size of basketball would.
Warnings
Be careful, as rubber bands can snap back and hit you.
As the ball gets larger, it will pack an increasingly powerful punch, so be sure to be careful where, and how fast, you throw it.
Things You'll Need
Rubber bands, bought and saved
Lots of time! :icon_mrgr
A rubber band ball is really fun to make and a great stress reliever. What's nice is that you can put it together bit by bit when you have the spare time, or you can attack this project all at once. Not only will you be able to throw it and bounce it, but this is one project that's never done, because you can just keep on adding more and more rubber bands! Here's how to get started on your very own rubber band ball...
Steps
To start the rubber band ball, simply wrap a single rubber band around a smooth pencil or pen until the band is tightly stuck on the pencil. Now, roll the rubber band off the end of the pencil, it will be a small tight ball made out of a single rubber band.
Wrap another rubber band around that one.
Keep wrapping rubber bands around and around till there is no give on it, and it's tightly wrapped.
Every time before you put a new rubber band on the ball, toss it up in the air with a little spin (it doesn't matter what direction). This ensures that the ball will have a new, random orientation when you put each new band on. It will also keep your hand from cramping up, and keep the ball balanced.
Tips
Keep saving rubber bands wherever you find them.
Keep a special box just for rubber bands.
You can also buy packages of rubber bands, but make sure that they are not the very small ones. Size 64 is a good size to make a decent sized rubber band ball.
Ask your friends to save rubber bands and give them to you.
The more rubber bands you wrap, the bigger the ball becomes. So keep wrapping.
If starting the rubber band ball is causing you trouble, try starting with a nickel, dime, or a quarter.
If you want to have a rubber band ball, but don't have time to make it, office supply stores such as Office Depot or Staples often have premade ones. Again, purists will balk at this for sure. You can also buy a tennis ball and wrap around that.
Colorful rubber bands will make the rubber band ball more exciting and different. But be noted that colors can fade with time, whereas a 'natural' color will remain forever.
A rubber band ball, when it becomes the size of a tennis ball, can be a great bouncing ball. The tighter the ball, the higher it bounces.
Try to use rubber bands that are almost too small to wrap around the ball at the very beginning (10cm - 50cm) for a very solid core for your bigger ball. You can 'double' up on bigger rubber bands (wrap it around, pull it out and twist 90°, and wrap it around again) during this stage if a very tight ball is what you desire.
When your ball is old, and the rubber bands are falling off of it--preserve it. Wrap a fresh layer all around it to cover the old bands and then thread some monofilament through the ball. Then dip the entire ball into polyurethane using the string to hold it. Use a toothpick or skewer to pop the bubbles that form on the surface in between the rubber bands, and then dip it back into the polyurethane and close the lid. Come back in a few days, and pull it out and let it dry. Done! Preserved for all eternity. Date and sign it, and put it on your mantle.
When a band snaps, replace it with another rubber band.
Sometimes the rubber bands can get old and dry out, causing them to crack.
As a time saver, purchase a basketball and wrap rubber bands around it. Although this requires many rubber bands, it still requires many, many fewer rubber bands than a genuine rubber band ball the size of basketball would.
Warnings
Be careful, as rubber bands can snap back and hit you.
As the ball gets larger, it will pack an increasingly powerful punch, so be sure to be careful where, and how fast, you throw it.
Things You'll Need
Rubber bands, bought and saved
Lots of time! :icon_mrgr