Dodeca Rubber Fidget Ball From Inner Tubes

This project represents combination of two ideas. Firstly it's rubber band balls, and Flying Squirrel's instructable (INNER TUBE RUBBER BAND BALLS) was a part of my inspiration. And secondly, dodecaheron, made of inner tube rings/loops derives from Idea63's instructable INNERTUBE LOOP CREATIONS.

What I did is just put one inside another with adding some myne own tips and tweeks. The resulting thing looks really cool, feels nice in hand, has a bit of heft in it so it's satisfying to throw and catch.

Step 1:

For making the ball you'll need to cut a bunch of rings out of bicycle inner tube. You can do it with scissors, or with knife as I did in my BICYCLE BAGGAGE NET FROM OLD INNER TUBE instructable, or you can build my TUBE CHOPPER 3527!!!

Most of the rings will go for making the ball. Their width doesn't matter.

Something like 2-3 dozens of rings will be used for making dodecahedron casing. They should be ~1/4 of the width of the inner tube. 10-12mm should be fine (for regular mountain bike wheel inner tube)

One 28 inch wheel inner tube shold provide all the meterial you'll need.

Wash the rings in soapy water and dry with a towel.

Step 2:

And we'll start with making a rubber band ball. You can make it all-rubber, but I'm cheating a bit and using a piece of cork as a core.

Step 3:

On the first stage of making the ball you;ll have to twist rubber band in two to "wrap" the cork core snuggly.

Step 4:

When the ball gets big enough start adding rings without twisting.

Grow the ball up to 5,5 - 6cm in diameter, and lay it aside for a while.

Step 5:

Now start making dodecahedron casing.

To begin, firsly let's make a basic module. It consists of three loops. Interlock them the way shown on the photo. This can be done only by hands but neadlenose pliers help alot.

Step 6:

Now with by adding two more rings we can expand our module.

Step 7:

By keeping adding more rings create pentagon star. To close the pentagon only one loop is added.

Step 8:

Expand now your pentsgon to a "snowflake" first, and then close the gaps to create 5 pentagons neighbouring the first one. at this point you'll get 3-dimmentionaol structure.

Step 9:

Now try to fit the rubber ball withing the casing. It should sit pretty snugg but yet not stretch the casing too much.

My ball was a bit too small so I'm adding the rest of rubber bands to him.

Step 10:

You can leave your rubber ball as it is but I thing adding some color makes final product even cooler.

To do this take a couple of small air baloons. Cut the neck portion off and pull them onto the ball. One goes first, and the second goes from the opposite side to overlap it.

Step 11:

Now place the ball iside the casing. Form more pentagons untill in the end you'll left with three free tabs. Interlock them as shown on the picture.

Step 12:

You'll still have one tab free. To secure it Im making a hole in both: the tab and a section of the loop underneath it. Then I'm installing a rivet. A coin goes underneath the rivet and acts as an anvil to hammer the rivet against.

Step 13:

And this is it. The ball I made weights 170 gramms. It looks cool, and if you want you can use it as a dice, just write numbers in the openings. Anyway, thanks for your attention and have a nice ball.

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