Orbit Balls - For Sale

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by David Brinza

...The plan is to sell Lunacy game ball kits to teams, perhaps as soon as this weekend. The kits include pre-sown fabric tubes (essentially identical as that used in the Orbit balls with no batting as found in the GUS ball), pre-cut lexan strips (far more durable than the plastic in the Orbit ball), high-strength adhesive patches to bond the strips together and instructions for assembly. To simplify and reduce cost of shipping and handling, only kits of 20 - 25 balls will be shipped via Priority Mail box to teams. ...

... Based on initial response, the quantity of kits manufactured can be increased pretty quickly.

What do you think about this approach?

I think that after making dozens of fabric tubes, your team will have a new explanation for why this year's game is called Lunacy.

I also think it will help your customers very much if the lexan strips are thoroughly deburred (the smoother, the better), and at least one end of each strip is very well rounded.

I'm wondering if your kit size is too big--10-ball increments might be more manageable, both for your team and for the recipient teams. 20 balls=120 tubes and strips.

I hope your manufacturing experts have experience with cutting massive quantities of stretchy synthetic fabric. I consider cutting the fabric to be particularly tedious.

[David Brinza]

Originally Posted by KarenH

I think that after making dozens of fabric tubes, your team will have a new explanation for why this year's game is called Lunacy.

I also think it will help your customers very much if the lexan strips are thoroughly deburred (the smoother, the better), and at least one end of each strip is very well rounded.

I'm wondering if your kit size is too big--10-ball increments might be more manageable, both for your team and for the recipient teams. 20 balls=120 tubes and strips.

I hope your manufacturing experts have experience with cutting massive quantities of stretchy synthetic fabric. I consider cutting the fabric to be particularly tedious.

We're certainly in danger of becoming a Lunatics! It just cannot be stopped!

So, the plan is to ship kits of 10. We almost meet the goal of $2 shipping & handling per ball using Priority Mail. The shipping & handling cost for 3 Orbit balls from Logoloc was more than triple that.

The Team 980 parents leading this project considered the potential for high-demand for kits in a short period, so they chose local suppliers and manufacturers carefully. Reducing cost while using high-quality materials was a major consideration too.

The Lunacy game ball web-site will provide more details on the kit contents and what effort is required to assemble the balls. We plan to start taking orders this weekend. We'll post the link in CD soon...

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by KarenH

I hope your manufacturing experts have experience with cutting massive quantities of stretchy synthetic fabric. I consider cutting the fabric to be particularly tedious.

We thought the same thing until we bought a self-healing cutting board and one of those circular pizza-cutter-type scissors.

After that it took seconds to cut each one out.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

We thought the same thing until we bought a self-healing cutting board and one of those circular pizza-cutter-type scissors.

After that it took seconds to cut each one out.

The pizza-cutter-type scissor is a rotary cutter. A sharp blade can cut through a few of layers of fabric at a time.

If you click on the cutting mat button, you will see the type of cutting board that Art is talking about. Also, the quilting rulers can be very helpful with projects like this. I have several mats, several rulers, and several rotary cutters - different sizes for different needs.

There is also a way to make one big bias tube that can then be cut into one long bias strip that can then be cut into the individual strips to make your tubing for the balls. If you are interested in that, I can dig up the directions. The preparation takes time on the front end but would be more efficient and time saving overall, I think.

[Cynette]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

There is also a way to make one big bias tube that can then be cut into one long bias strip that can then be cut into the individual strips to make your tubing for the balls. If you are interested in that, I can dig up the directions. The preparation takes time on the front end but would be more efficient and time saving overall, I think.

We have been cutting the fabric into long strips, sewing them and then cutting them into lengths. They do not need to be bias strips, especially since the spandex we are using is stretchy in all ways! We think it is more efficient, but cutting and sewing is still the most labor intensive and tedious part of making the balls. Even with a rotary cutter and mat.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by David Brinza

The plan is to sell Lunacy game ball kits to teams, perhaps as soon as this weekend...
What do you think about this approach?

I like it.

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

We thought the same thing until we bought a self-healing cutting board and one of those circular pizza-cutter-type scissors.

After that it took seconds to cut each one out.

In theory, that's a better way.

But I was using my old cutting mat, which was an inch shorter than the length of the fabric strips, and trying to manage 10 yards of bright yellow 58-inch wide Spandex on a 34-inch wide card table. My little old Olfa cutter kept skipping, even after I bought new blades. So I had to touch up each cut with scissors. I considered buying a really large mat, but I didn't want to spend that much money on what I thought would be a two-day job.

In the other cutting area at our shop, people were marking the fabric with whatever was handy, and struggling to cut it with really bad scissors. The only pencil sharpener in the shop was the power sander... You get the picture.

We were "only" making some 80 balls, with another team. (We did the yellow and navy Spandex, they did the Lexan.) I had many thoughts about what the factory in China might have used to make the job more efficient.

David, I wish you well in your ball-making endeavor.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by KarenH

The only pencil sharpener in the shop was the power sander...

I just HAVE to meet you some day, Karen.

[speeduh79]

You folks might want to check this out

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...192#post813192

Parents of a Team 980 student member have produced a kit for assembling ten, high-quality, durable Lunacy Game balls at ~$125 (shipping included) for on-line sale to FIRST teams:

Lunacy Game Balls - The Complete Kit

The professionally manufactured kit includes 60 pre-cut lexan strips, 60 sown spandex fabric tubes (30 ea. orange and purple), super-strength adhesive patches and tape for fastening the plastic strips, and simple instructions for assembling the balls.

It's way easier to get them here than Wal-Mart b/c they've been discontinued. Hope this helps!