Orbit Balls - For Sale

[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.