How do you turn a flat object into something round? Well, you don’t need magic to do it. All you have is the right strategy to make it possible. That’s what YouTuber The Q did in one of his videos.
Witness how this artist produced a playable bowling ball with nothing but planks of plywood and creativity:
Using some templates he printed out, The Q set his saw blade at different angles to make 60 customized triangle plywood pieces. These pieces would form the round exoskeleton of the bowling ball.
The Q glued 5 of these triangles together and used duct tape to keep them in place. He did this 12 more times – making a total of 12 semi-circular plywood pieces.
Prior to gluing all the semi-circle pieces of wood together, The Q sprayed some foam inside. After the foam had set in, he cut out some parts to give space for the 3,144 g (roughly 6.9 pounds) cylindrical weight. The Q sealed off the rest of the interior with foam before gluing in the last few semi-circles to complete the bowling ball.
Despite its weight being the same as an actual bowling ball, the flat plywood exterior didn’t exactly make it feel like one at first. Given the structure of the glued triangular pieces of wood, there were edges that would prevent it to roll on the floor smoothly. The Q, thankfully, knew what to do.
A couple of passes with an angle grinder coupled with a good sanding fixed this in a jiffy. You can even catch a glimpse at The Q’s makeshift lathe – made from a wooden stand and a hand drill! The Q then completed his ball by drilling in the finger holes and giving the ball a good finish.
I was a bit worried that the bowling ball would crack and break open the first time it landed on the bowling lane, but it managed to roll like a piece of polished marble. The Q even hit a couple of strikes with his new toy!
To see more of The Q’s DIY madness, check out his YouTube channel. There’s bound to be something there that strikes your fancy!
