Why mess with basketball wood? Cause my knees felt like rusty hinges after street games, that’s why. Grabbed some soft maple timber scraps from the shed – leftovers from a bookshelf project last winter. Figured if it’s good for furniture springs, maybe it’ll soak up shocks too.

Cutting the pieces sucked at first. Sawdust flew everywhere while slicing the timber into hexagon panels. Measured wrong twice – had to scrap two planks ’cause the angles looked like crooked teeth. Finally got six decent slabs using the miter saw, edges sanded till my fingertips went numb. Pro tip: wear gloves unless you want splinter souvenirs.

• Drilled holes in each corner for stitching later
• Soaked panels in water overnight to make ’em flexible
• Stuck rubber padding strips inside each piece (stolen from an old yoga mat)

Assembly was like wrestling octopuses. Clamped the damp wood pieces around a soccer ball for shape. Took three tries to thread nylon cord through the holes without tangling. Pulled so tight my palms blistered – but the hexagons finally curved into something sphere-ish. Sealed gaps with waterproof glue that smelled like dead fish.

Tested it on concrete like a mad scientist. Dropped from shoulder height – bounced like a lethargic frog. Tried dribbling: first five attempts rolled under my neighbor’s grill. Added more rubber padding between layers. Third version actually bounced waist-high! Still handles like a shopping cart with square wheels, but man that maple eats impacts. Knees didn’t crack once during 20 minutes of awkward dribbling.

Would I do it again? Hell no. Two weekends wasted for a lumpy ball that can’t swish a net. But my buddy’s kid stole it for kickball – claims it’s the “comfiest rock” he’s ever kicked. Maybe dumb projects find their purpose somehow. Still eyeing that oak in my backyard though…