Cutting into a tennis ball

[Anonymous]

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 ??

[dpb]

Know anybody with a bandsaw?

[Wade Garrett]

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...

[RosemontCrest]

I would try a powered reciprocating saw.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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

[hubops]

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

[invalid unparseable]

There are youtube videos:

[Ed Pawlowski]

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.

[Ed Pawlowski]

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.

[Anonymous]

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

[rbowman]

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.

[rbowman]

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.

[micky]

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

[micky]

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.

[gfretwell]

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

[Clare Snyder]

I'd make a sharp X knife to fasten to my big tinner's soldering iron. Just like butta'

[rbowman]

Bet it wouldn't smell like butta...

[RosemontCrest]

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