Last month in Issue #4, I detailed my latest creation, a two-man Strat-O-Sphere I call DuoSphere. I wrapped up that issue by saying...
"A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum", or should I say a funny thing happened in developing DuoSphere. As I was wrapping up the DuoSphere build and looking over the abandon remnants of toilet brush tubes and plastic balls and other bits and pieces when inspiration hit. Within about an hour I assembled these bits and pieces and a few other remnants into a completely different take on Stratosphere. Nothing like DuoSphere, but a completely novel branding and routine theme for Stratosphere which actually makes sense (in a twisted magic way). I am inclined to say it is better and more commercial than DuoSphere. Stay tuned for next month's Inventor's Notebook to learn more.
Tennis-Sphere
Strat-O-Sphere with a tennis ball twist.
The Premise
Did you ever experience that satisfying experience of breaking the pressurized seal when opening a fresh can of tennis balls? Did you ever wonder how they pressurize the can? Well I happen to have a TBPUx... a Tennis Ball Pumper Upper Model 10. This contraption is what they use to pressurize tennis balls. I have this because Bill just got a new job. Wilson has started a new promotion for Breast Cancer Awareness. They are including one pink tennis ball in each can. Bill's job is to put the balls in the can and pressurize them at the Wilson factory in Saline.
Of course Wilson wants the Pink tennis ball to be on top in the can, so that will be the first thing the customer sees when they open it. Bill seems to have trouble because he puts the pink ball in last, but it keeps showing up in other positions.
Finally the pink ball is cleaned on Bill's tennis towel and it disappears and magically reappears in the correct position in the can!
Construction
The construction of Tennis Sphere couldn't be simpler or cheaper (about $30 total... cheaper if you substitute the golf towels).
 |
Two sets of Tennis Balls, One Pink and one Green set. Carefully remove the shrink-wrap clear labels. One clear canister will be used for the trick. The other is a spare. | $3x2 at Walmart |
 |
One IKEA NUDDEN Toilet brush, white (new I hope). Remove the brush, lid and liner and you have one white powder coated metal tube. | $7 IKEA |
 |
Spalding NBA 12" Pump | $4 at Walmart |
 |
Two Wilson Microfiber Golf Towels. Optionally any brand white towel that can be had cheaply and can be passed off as a small tennis towel. |
$7x2 at Walmart |
| Misc | 2 ft plastic tubing (aquarium hose, etc) 1 ft 1/8 in white shock cord Vinyl decal material to decorate the tube Tie wraps |
- I drilled a few holes in the tube and used a couple zip ties to secure the pump to the can.
- I ran tubing from the pump to the can for show.
- Decorate the can as you see fit. I used self adhesive foam. I bough a whole stack in different colors from.... you guessed it... Walmart. I also used some of the labeling I removed from the tennis ball cans to decorate the tube.
- I made the tube gimmick out of shock cord.
- I sewed the two towels together with a gimmick inside to make a Devil's Hank.
See this password protected document for the secret details.
I think this Mark Twain quote is particularly applicable to my situation here. I was turning the kaleidoscope to make DuoSphere and the pieces of glass fell about and suddenly Tennis-Sphere came into focus.
“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.” - Mark Twain
I hope I have inspired you to think about classic effects that have been around for years and how you can twist and turn your kaleidoscope to make new combinations.
While I retain commercial manufacturing and copyright, I grant permission to all AAMC members, past, present and future to build and perform Tennis-Sphere (if they want to).
