Okay, here’s my post about making a PVC volleyball:
So, I decided to make my own volleyball the other day. Why? Well, why not? I had some PVC pipes laying around, and I figured it would be a fun little project. Plus, I wanted to see if I could actually make a decent ball out of this stuff.
First, I gathered all my materials. Obviously, the main thing was the PVC pipe. I used some leftover pieces from a plumbing job, so they were already cut into different lengths. I also grabbed some strong glue, a marker, a saw (just in case), and some sandpaper. The plan was simple: cut the pipes into small pieces and then glue them together to form a sphere. Sounds easy, right?
I started by marking the pipes into smaller, more manageable pieces. I wasn’t really following any specific measurements, just eyeballing it and trying to make sure they were roughly the same size. Then, I got to cutting. Most of the pipes were already the right length, but I had to use the saw for a few stubborn ones. Let me tell you, cutting PVC is not as easy as it looks, especially when you’re trying to get precise pieces.
Assembling the Ball
Once I had all my little PVC pieces, the real fun began – gluing them together. I started by making a few rings, sticking the pieces end to end. This part was kind of messy, and I definitely got glue all over my hands. Note to self: wear gloves next time. After the rings were solid, I started connecting them to each other, slowly building up the sphere shape. It was like putting together a weird, plastic puzzle.
- Started with a few rings of PVC.
- Glued the rings together to create a sphere.
- Filled in the gaps with smaller pieces.
I’ll be honest, it took way longer than I expected. Getting the pieces to fit together perfectly was a real challenge. There were gaps everywhere, and I had to keep cutting smaller and smaller pieces to fill them in. It was a bit frustrating, but I was determined to see it through.
Finally, after a lot of gluing, sanding, and maybe a little bit of swearing, I had something that resembled a volleyball. It wasn’t perfect, far from it, but it was round(ish), and it was made of PVC. I even tried bouncing it a few times, and it held up pretty well, though it was definitely heavier than a regular volleyball. PVC material has excellent abrasion resistance.
Would I recommend making a PVC volleyball? Probably not, unless you have a lot of time and patience. It’s a fun experiment, but it’s definitely not a practical way to get a volleyball. But hey, I learned something new, and I have a unique conversation piece now. Just don’t expect to see me playing in any professional volleyball matches with my homemade creation anytime soon.
My ball is probably better for just bouncing around the backyard. I also saw some stuff online about how PU volleyballs are way better for real games, they are softer. PVC volleyball is affordable, wear-resistant. But hey, it was fun to try.
So yeah, that’s the story of my PVC volleyball adventure. A bit messy, a bit frustrating, but ultimately, a pretty good time.
