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saturnin Special user Montreal, Canada 964 Posts |
Hi everyone,
If I remember correctly, in the Steven`s Cups & Balls video (which I saw a few months ago), Charlie Miller shows some small balls for a cups and balls routine that are made of rope and the ends are hidden in the middle of the balls. Can anyone give me a reference to learn how to make these rope-balls (or where to buy them). Thanks in advance for your help. Ronnie Lemieux Montreal Canada
There is no road to happiness,
happiness is the road! |
cataquet Veteran user England 363 Posts |
They're called monkey fist balls and you can find web references elsewhere on this site. Just do a search for "monkey fist."
Harold Cataquet
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bigchuck Veteran user Nothing clever has ever been said in my 400 Posts |
I am going to buy the leather to make these, but what length and width makes a decent-sized and attractive ball? And for anyone who uses these, do you use a core? And if so, what do you use ?
I would rather not buy too much (and definitely not too little), so any info would help. Thanks
"The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact
mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows. - Frank Zappa" |
Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Go to http://www.jamesriser.com for the scoop on the balls...his work on 'em is great.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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Jeff Dial Special user Kent, WA 533 Posts |
Big chuck,
Trial and error will be your best teacher as to how much material you will use. Because of the way the knots are tied you will always have waste. The leather I used came in approximately 36" lengths (no cow is exactly the same size). I needed 2 lengthes to tie four 3/4" balls (being very careful I can tie three balls per length.) If you need larger balls you will need more. Practice with cheap rope first to get the hang of it and then move on to leather or fancy lines.
"Think our brains must be too highly trained, Majikthise" HHGG
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Eric Evans Special user Rio Grande 668 Posts |
O.K. this info. was going to be included in an eventual lecture I was going to give but it didn't make the cut so here it is...
Yes! use a core, marbles work best. They're dead (read: no bounce) and have a great weight -- not too heavy, not too light. Strips of leather should be at least 27" long to tie around the marble. However, regarding leather, while it's a wonderful material it has drawbacks. Personally I think the best choice for ease of tying/tightening is parachute chord. It is the perfect diameter to tie around a marble and comes in different colors. At some backpack/outdoors stores you can find it in neon colors that are washable. The benefits of parachute chord also extend to price -- you can cover a lot of balls for very cheap. |
bigchuck Veteran user Nothing clever has ever been said in my 400 Posts |
I haven't checked back on this topic in a while, thanks for all the great info guys -- the marble and parachute cord is something I will be trying, & even though they seem a little on the costly side -- those james riser balls look too good to pass up.
"The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact
mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows. - Frank Zappa" |
Mr. Muggle Special user 999 Posts |
The size of the leather both in length and width will depend more on the size of the final product. I have some balls that are .25" all the way up to 1.5". You may want more wraps or less wraps depending on the look your going for.
As another poster stated above, trial and error will tell you allot. Marbles work well, but if you like more weight, try ball bearings- use different things to get the final weight that you desire. MM
"Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it because you're not really looking. You don't really want to know the secret... You want to be fooled." - The Prestige (2006)
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Mike Robbins Elite user Anchorage, Alaska 447 Posts |
Has anyone ever seen one of these for a Chop Cup?
Thanks, Mike
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
Shakespeare |
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