Getting started with the pad idea
So I saw this YouTube short last Tuesday showing folks sliding basketballs under couch cushions during games. Thought why not make a proper gadget for that? Grabbed my notepad and scribbled: need something flat but grippy, portable, and tough enough for ball impact.
Gathering junk from the garage
Rummaged through my disaster zone garage. Found:
- An old skateboard deck with cracked trucks
- That warped timber shelf from last year’s failed bookshelf project
- Some yoga mat scraps the dog chewed
- Industrial velcro rolls bought for no reason
The ugly assembly phase
Chopped the shelf timber into 30cm strips with my rusty saw. Sweat dripping everywhere – July heatwave ain’t playing. Sanded edges rough like sandpaper cause I hate sanding. Glued yoga mat chunks on the skateboard deck using that expired Gorilla Glue. Smelled like dead frogs.
Test run disaster
Tried sliding a Spalding ball under during halftime. Ball stuck halfway then the whole contraption flipped like a pancake. Timber piece flew straight into my shin – purple bruise for a week. Yoga mat peeled off like sunburned skin. Total garbage fire.
Redesign with duct tape fury
Scrapped everything but the timber. Shaved edges with a kitchen knife (don’t tell my wife). Cut new grippy material from my wife’s discarded Croc knockoffs. Strapped them to the timber with like half a duct tape roll. Added rubber bumpers from old TV remotes on the sides.
Finally worked! Kinda…
Third game night, slid the ball smooth under the couch. But the timber pad tilted when pulling back and whacked my friend Dave’s beer bottle. Sticky mess everywhere. At least the ball didn’t get stuck this time. Called it “sleeper mode” cause the pad hides under furniture like a ninja.
The real win? That crappy timber piece survived three weeks of abuse and still holds up. No fancy tools used, just garage junk and stubbornness. Final lesson? Duct tape fixes anything except spilled beer relationships. Dave still owes me a six-pack.
