So today I’m gonna share this volleyball project I’ve been wrestling with for weeks. Got tired of store-bought balls going dead after a month and thought, “how hard could it be to make one that actually absorbs shock?”
The Maple Obsession Begins
Started with this idea about wood being bouncy and shock-absorbing. Soft maple sounded perfect – like that rubbery wood feel? Found this guy selling firewood chunks of it cheap down the road. Looked straight off his woodpile – bark still stuck on.
Wrestling With Wood Round One
First disaster. Took my carving knife to a chunk like I was whittling a stick. Ended up with splinters thicker than matchsticks and a ball shape that looked like a squashed potato.
Big learning: Knives suck for round things. Grabbed my old belt sander instead. Clouds of sawdust in the garage, neighbors probably thought I was building a coffin. Finally got something vaguely sphere-shaped after coughing up maple dust for two hours.
The Death-Rattle Prototype
First bounce test off the garage floor? Woof. Sounded like a brick hitting concrete and barely came back up. Totally dead. Panicked and drilled random holes into it thinking “maybe air pockets help?” Poured in leftover craft glue to seal the mess. Woke up next morning to a ball cracked straight down the middle like an egg.
Back to the Sawdust
Started over with smaller pieces. Realized softer wood needs handling like raw cookie dough:
- Sanded layers off millimeter by millimeter
- Rounded edges first then smoothed surfaces
- Did bounce tests after every single sanding pass with my palm
Got obsessive about weight too. Compared it constantly to my old plastic ball by hefting both hands like a human scale.
The Oil Experiment
Remembered grandpa soaking tool handles in oil. Dunked the thing in vegetable oil overnight like a donut. Wiped it off next day – felt strangely alive! Had that warm wood glow and actually bounced halfway decent off the driveway. Test volleyed against the garage door:
Pro: Didn’t shatter my wrists!
Con: Left oily splotches everywhere like a leaky burger. And after a week? Dried out stiff again.
Finally Found a Groove
Mixed mineral oil and beeswax in a jar – the kind for cutting boards. Rubbed it in thick like sunscreen. Hung it to “cure” above my water heater for three days. Final bounce test yesterday:
The shock part actually worked! Catches nice on your palm instead of rattling your bones. Still feels heavier than store balls and looks like something a beaver chewed on… but it volleys! Held up for a whole 30-minute practice without cracking too. Guess old wood just needs pampering like grandma’s furniture.
