Cutting into a tennis ball
 

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/2019 4:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Know anybody with a bandsaw?

--

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/19 5:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Wait till school starts up again and then make it a classroom learning
experience for the little tykes.

Teach them a little practical problem solving and useful life skills
instead of filling their heads with the politically correct drivel that
makes up so much of today's curricula...

--
I was almost run off the road this afternoon by some guy making an
undocumented U-turn.
- @patsajak

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/19 6:44 PM, Wade Garrett wrote:
On 7/20/19 5:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x
2 cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Wait till school starts up again and then make it a classroom learning
experience for the little tykes.

Teach them a little practical problem solving and useful life skills
instead of filling their heads with the politically correct drivel that
makes up so much of today's curricula...


Actually these are for my daughter's middle school science classroom,
and she wants it done before Sept, and is moving into a different
classroom from last year.

And I also have been involved with her 7th grade students with science
projects as most in this relatively affluent school district have never
used a screwdriver or drill, etc before. And you're right, most have
never had to fix anything. It's always just "call the guy".

BTW, she does teach real world issues within the realm of science.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/19 6:53 PM, RosemontCrest wrote:
On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Hhmm....... I could try mounting my jigsaw in the vise, if i can
"cushion" it to stay in place.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/19 6:40 PM, dpb wrote:
On 7/20/2019 4:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x
2 cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Know anybody with a bandsaw?

--

I think the school has one, but would still be concerned about fingers.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 17:44:53 -0400, wrote:

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)
So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit
Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.
Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort
Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.
Any suggestions ??


Shop scissors / snips.
Once the center hole is poked - 4 easy snips.
... or am I missing soemthing ?
John T.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/2019 5:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

There are youtube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjdD6nXekhI

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/2019 7:01 PM, wrote:
On 7/20/19 6:40 PM, dpb wrote:
On 7/20/2019 4:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small
"cutting" wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96
x 2 cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for
my comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill
motor, but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not
work any better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Know anybody with a bandsaw?

--

I think the school has one, but would still be concerned about fingers.

Probably the safest way if done right. You use a push stick behind it.
Safer that a hand held knife.

Guide and push stick, safe and fast.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/2019 7:00 PM, wrote:
On 7/20/19 6:53 PM, RosemontCrest wrote:
On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Hhmm....... I could try mounting my jigsaw in the vise, if i can
"cushion" it to stay in place.


And yet you will use a half assed makeshift setup rather than a bandsaw.
OMG, look to buy a ready made item rather than risk by misuse of a tool.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/19 8:04 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 7/20/2019 7:01 PM, wrote:
On 7/20/19 6:40 PM, dpb wrote:
On 7/20/2019 4:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small
"cutting" wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw
to cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for
96 x 2 cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for
my comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill
motor, but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not
work any better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Know anybody with a bandsaw?

--

I think the school has one, but would still be concerned about fingers.

Probably the safest way if done right.Â* You use a push stick behind it.
Safer that a hand held knife.

Guide and push stick, safe and fast.

Not sure how well a push stick would control a round ball. Maybe if I
created a custom shaped stick ??

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 07/20/2019 06:09 PM, wrote:
On 7/20/19 8:04 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 7/20/2019 7:01 PM, wrote:
On 7/20/19 6:40 PM, dpb wrote:
On 7/20/2019 4:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small
"cutting" wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw
to cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious
for 96 x 2 cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for
my comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill
motor, but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not
work any better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Know anybody with a bandsaw?

--

I think the school has one, but would still be concerned about fingers.

Probably the safest way if done right. You use a push stick behind
it. Safer that a hand held knife.

Guide and push stick, safe and fast.

Not sure how well a push stick would control a round ball. Maybe if I
created a custom shaped stick ??

I'm thinking something like a 2x4 with a tennis ball sized hole drilled
into it and a channel for the bandsaw blade. It may require a little
refinement so the captive ball doesn't rotate when it comes into contact
with the ball. You could even clamp a stop to the table to get an
uniform depth of cut.

People see making a jig first as a waste of effort, but the time would
be repaid by about your 95th ball.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 07/20/2019 04:58 PM, wrote:
And I also have been involved with her 7th grade students with science
projects as most in this relatively affluent school district have never
used a screwdriver or drill, etc before. And you're right, most have
never had to fix anything. It's always just "call the guy".

At the engineering school I went to, the Indian students were recognized
as very bright but if you wound up with one as a lab partner you didn't
let him touch tools if physical apparatus was involved. At least in that
era most students from India came from well-to-do families that always
called the guy. US kids that wanted a career in engineering had been
taking things apart since their first PlaySkool workbench.

Sadly, I think the US is catching up to real world incompetence.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 20 Jul 2019 17:44:53 -0400,
wrote:

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Call a big old-age home, or a nursing home, and ask them how they do it.

Or a medical supply house that sells to consumers, sells walkers etc.
They may have special attachments that they woudl prefer to sell but if
you say you already have the tennis balls you may get a good answer

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 20 Jul 2019 19:00:19 -0400,
wrote:

On 7/20/19 6:53 PM, RosemontCrest wrote:
On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Hhmm....... I could try mounting my jigsaw in the vise, if i can
"cushion" it to stay in place.

I think all these power tool ideas are bad ideas. Dangerous. It's not
wood, You can make a jig to hold the tennis ball, just 4 two-inch
books would probalby be enough, or you can nail some 2x4's together and
then use a sharp knife witha sharp point. Non-folding or with a latch
that keeps the knife fromfolding.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 17:44:53 -0400, wrote:

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??
Maybe back all the way out and rethink the plan.. can you just drill a
round hole in the ball with a hole saw? Use that 2x4 with a hole in it
jig to hold it

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 20:07:05 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 7/20/2019 7:00 PM, wrote:
On 7/20/19 6:53 PM, RosemontCrest wrote:
On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Hhmm....... I could try mounting my jigsaw in the vise, if i can
"cushion" it to stay in place.


And yet you will use a half assed makeshift setup rather than a bandsaw.
OMG, look to buy a ready made item rather than risk by misuse of a tool.
I'd make a sharp X knife to fasten to my big tinner's soldering
iron. Just like butta'

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 07/20/2019 08:49 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 20:07:05 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 7/20/2019 7:00 PM, wrote:
On 7/20/19 6:53 PM, RosemontCrest wrote:
On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Hhmm....... I could try mounting my jigsaw in the vise, if i can
"cushion" it to stay in place.


And yet you will use a half assed makeshift setup rather than a bandsaw.
OMG, look to buy a ready made item rather than risk by misuse of a tool.
I'd make a sharp X knife to fasten to my big tinner's soldering
iron. Just like butta'


Bet it wouldn't smell like butta...

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 5:56:22 PM UTC-7, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 20 Jul 2019 19:00:19 -0400,
wrote:

On 7/20/19 6:53 PM, RosemontCrest wrote:
On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Hhmm....... I could try mounting my jigsaw in the vise, if i can
"cushion" it to stay in place.

I think all these power tool ideas are bad ideas. Dangerous. It's not
wood, You can make a jig to hold the tennis ball, just 4 two-inch
books would probalby be enough, or you can nail some 2x4's together and
then use a sharp knife witha sharp point. Non-folding or with a latch
that keeps the knife fromfolding.

The drill press and Forstner bit appears to me to be quite safe.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 20:06:02 -0700 (PDT), RosemontCrest
wrote:

On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 5:56:22 PM UTC-7, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 20 Jul 2019 19:00:19 -0400,
wrote:

On 7/20/19 6:53 PM, RosemontCrest wrote:
On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Hhmm....... I could try mounting my jigsaw in the vise, if i can
"cushion" it to stay in place.

I think all these power tool ideas are bad ideas. Dangerous. It's not
wood, You can make a jig to hold the tennis ball, just 4 two-inch
books would probalby be enough, or you can nail some 2x4's together and
then use a sharp knife witha sharp point. Non-folding or with a latch
that keeps the knife fromfolding.

The drill press and Forstner bit appears to me to be quite safe.
You ever try cutting a tennis ball????
KNARLEY. The outer "fabric" catches and tears and winds up in the
cutter. Anything HOT slices through it without catching.
Anything with teeth will catch and tear

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 9:13:13 PM UTC-7, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 20:06:02 -0700 (PDT), RosemontCrest
rosemontcrest wrote:

On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 5:56:22 PM UTC-7, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 20 Jul 2019 19:00:19 -0400,
wrote:

On 7/20/19 6:53 PM, RosemontCrest wrote:
On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Hhmm....... I could try mounting my jigsaw in the vise, if i can
"cushion" it to stay in place.

I think all these power tool ideas are bad ideas. Dangerous. It's not
wood, You can make a jig to hold the tennis ball, just 4 two-inch
books would probalby be enough, or you can nail some 2x4's together and
then use a sharp knife witha sharp point. Non-folding or with a latch
that keeps the knife fromfolding.

The drill press and Forstner bit appears to me to be quite safe.
You ever try cutting a tennis ball????
KNARLEY. The outer "fabric" catches and tears and winds up in the
cutter. Anything HOT slices through it without catching.
Anything with teeth will catch and tear

Yes, I have cut tennis balls. Did you watch the youtube video? It looks like it produced a reasonably clean hole with little effort. Sure, cleaning the bit after a few holes may be necessary.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 20 Jul 2019 20:56:16 -0400, micky
wrote:


I think all these power tool ideas are bad ideas. Dangerous. It's not
wood, You can make a jig to hold the tennis ball, just 4 two-inch
books would probalby be enough, or you can nail some 2x4's together and
then use a sharp knife witha sharp point. Non-folding or with a latch
that keeps the knife fromfolding.

Better yet, drill a small hole to put the pointed tip of the knife in.

Yes, that's a power tool and I said they were bad ideas, but not this
one.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 20 Jul 2019 21:21:06 -0700 (PDT),
RosemontCrest wrote:

On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 9:13:13 PM UTC-7, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 20:06:02 -0700 (PDT), RosemontCrest
rosemontcrest wrote:

On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 5:56:22 PM UTC-7, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 20 Jul 2019 19:00:19 -0400,
wrote:

On 7/20/19 6:53 PM, RosemontCrest wrote:
On Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:45:02 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

Hhmm....... I could try mounting my jigsaw in the vise, if i can
"cushion" it to stay in place.

I think all these power tool ideas are bad ideas. Dangerous. It's not
wood, You can make a jig to hold the tennis ball, just 4 two-inch
books would probalby be enough, or you can nail some 2x4's together and
then use a sharp knife witha sharp point. Non-folding or with a latch
that keeps the knife fromfolding.

The drill press and Forstner bit appears to me to be quite safe.

I don't remember seeing that suggestino. If a forstner bit is what I
think, an excellent choice.

You ever try cutting a tennis ball????
KNARLEY. The outer "fabric" catches and tears and winds up in the
cutter. Anything HOT slices through it without catching.
Anything with teeth will catch and tear

Yes, I have cut tennis balls. Did you watch the youtube video? It looks like it produced a reasonably clean hole with little effort. Sure, cleaning the bit after a few holes may be necessary.

I must have missed the video also.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 17:44:53 -0400, wrote:

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Spend a few bucks and get leg caps. Last longer, look better, don't fall off as much,
blah, blah.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/19 5:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

[snip]

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort



That idea actually made my ass pucker. Glad to hear you didn't try it.


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chair+feet+pads

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 17:44:53 -0400, \"Retired wrote:


Any suggestions ??


Depending on how much your time is worth, you may want to
purchase pre-cut tennis balls:

https://chairslippers.com

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

Vic Smith wrote:
On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 17:44:53 -0400, wrote:

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Seems like you could engineer the perfect tool with some heavy
duty box cutter blades. Like an egg slicer (though egg slicer
uses wires to cut), but you'll need more force.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/19 4:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Would drilling a hole through the ball first do any good? Then
use
some sort of a dowel to hold the ball while cutting.
My other thought was to use a couple pieces of angle iron to make a
channel to roll the balls down and you'd have guides to make the cut in
the balls' centers.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/20/19 4:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Someone else, besides me, mentioned drilling a hole. What about
using a step drill bit?

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Someone else, besides me, mentioned drilling a hole. What about
using a step drill bit?



I can't read the OP's mind but I think he wants to cut

an X so it fits over a square / rectangular chair leg ?

not a hole ...

I'd try heavy shop snips / tin snips - be surprised if it was
anything but easy ... draw the X with a marker ;
snip a spot in the centre ; snip 4 3/4 " cuts out from the
center ; repeat. 96 times.
John T.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

wrote:

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

Why not just buy those sticky felt pads for the chair legs?
Available at any hardware store in various sizes. Using half
tennis balls sounds a bit silly to me. Never seen that done in
any classroom or house with hardwood floors.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/21/2019 9:56 AM, Gary wrote:
wrote:

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

Why not just buy those sticky felt pads for the chair legs?
Available at any hardware store in various sizes. Using half
tennis balls sounds a bit silly to me. Never seen that done in
any classroom or house with hardwood floors.


I'm assuming you've never used those sticky pads before or on furniture
which isn't moved very often. Applying those pads on furniture legs with
kids that move the furniture on a daily basis will give them about a two
week live span if that. It's not a formal environment, I think tennis
balls are good ideas.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On 7/21/19 8:21 AM, wrote:

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Someone else, besides me, mentioned drilling a hole. What about
using a step drill bit?



I can't read the OP's mind but I think he wants to cut

an X so it fits over a square / rectangular chair leg ?

not a hole ...

I'd try heavy shop snips / tin snips - be surprised if it was
anything but easy ... draw the X with a marker ;
snip a spot in the centre ; snip 4 3/4 " cuts out from the
center ; repeat. 96 times.
John T.

Never thought of that square leg thing. Maybe drill an oversize
hole,
then secure the ball to the chair leg with some sort of epoxy. Something
semi permanent like silicon might be better.

Cutting into a tennis ball- DECIDED ON METHOD
 

On 7/20/19 5:44 PM, wrote:
Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

So far, a box cutter is not getting it done, neither a small "cutting"
wheel from a dremel kit

Best so far is with ball held in a vise, and using a miter box saw to
cut 2 1.5" slits in ball to form X. But this is a bit tedious for 96 x 2
cuts.

Thought of a table saw, but fingers would be too close to blade for my
comfort

Tried looking for a dremel type cutter that would go in a drill motor,
but haven't seen anything I want to pay for if it does not work any
better than miter saw.

Any suggestions ??

Wow ! I never expected so many responses :-)

After reading all of them, and considering we don't have access to the
school's shop during summer, and it's too hot in my garage, I wanted a
method I could use at my desk in air-conditioned room.

That method is using a very sharp Xacto-type knife to make the X cut. I
plan on doing about 10 a day over the next few weeks.

Re the outfit that made a business of selling pre-holed balls, nice
source if you can handle the $1+ per ball cost. We got ours free, and my
labor is free. Our school is tight with money for things like this.

The drill press & Forstner bit method would have been neat if we had access.

Also, as Hawk posted, the stick-on type felt pads don't last. That's
what we are replacing, as many others schools have done.

Again, thanks to all,
Retired Grampa

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

On Sun, 21 Jul 2019 09:56:06 -0400, Gary wrote:

wrote:

Need to cut an 1.5" X into 96 tennis balls. (To attach to classroom
chair legs, if you must know ;-)

Why not just buy those sticky felt pads for the chair legs?
Available at any hardware store in various sizes. Using half
tennis balls sounds a bit silly to me. Never seen that done in
any classroom or house with hardwood floors.
because the felt pads don't stay on.

Cutting into a tennis ball- DECIDED ON METHOD
 

On 07/21/2019 11:05 AM, wrote:

That method is using a very sharp Xacto-type knife to make the X cut. I
plan on doing about 10 a day over the next few weeks.

Don't skimp on the blades. You can get 100 #11 blades from Amazon for
about $10. I get Techni-Edge and they are as good as the X-Acto blades
for a buck apiece in those 5 blade blister packs.

Cutting into a tennis ball
 

"Lester Thorpe" wrote in message
On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 17:44:53 -0400, \"Retired wrote:


Any suggestions ??


Depending on how much your time is worth, you may want to
purchase pre-cut tennis balls:

https://chairslippers.com



That's the way to go for sure! And cheap too... pdk

Cutting into a tennis ball- DECIDED ON METHOD
 

On 7/21/19 2:32 PM, rbowman wrote:
On 07/21/2019 11:05 AM, wrote:

That method is using a very sharp Xacto-type knife to make the X cut. I
plan on doing about 10 a day over the next few weeks.

Don't skimp on the blades. You can get 100 #11 blades from Amazon for
about $10. I get Techni-Edge and they are as good as the X-Acto blades
for a buck apiece in those 5 blade blister packs.



Thanks for the tip.. Right now using this Stanley model because we have
a handful of them that were donated to the class by Stanley. It does
appear that this exact model may be discontinued as we could not find it
at any local retailer. Blades yes, handles no, but we should not need
any handles for awhile. There is a very similar metal version.

https://www.doityourself.com/stry/ho...ty-knife-blade

Cutting into a tennis ball- DECIDED ON METHOD
 

On Sun, 21 Jul 2019 12:32:59 -0600, rbowman
wrote:

On 07/21/2019 11:05 AM, wrote:

That method is using a very sharp Xacto-type knife to make the X cut. I
plan on doing about 10 a day over the next few weeks.

Don't skimp on the blades. You can get 100 #11 blades from Amazon for
about $10. I get Techni-Edge and they are as good as the X-Acto blades
for a buck apiece in those 5 blade blister packs.


Another option is the carpet knife and blade. You get 4 surfaces per
blade (end for end and flip it over to use the back side) and they are
made for cutting stuff like this with a more ergonomic handle. That
idea of making a jig to hold them using a 2x4 with a hole drilled in
it (snug fit on the ball) is going to save a finger. Maybe nail that
to a bigger piece of wood for stability and drill a smaller hole
through that in the center so you can poke the ball out.
That should go pretty fast.