Friday, May 22, 2009
Collapsible Hoop!
So, I know how to make regular hoops, water-filled hoops. Today I decided it was time I tried making a travel hoop. After all, it is a little annoying to bike around with my regular hoops, and they even tend to get a little scrunched in the trunks of cars.
First step was to find the proper tubing and connectors. I found an excellent source here in Vancouver on Venables St not far from Casa Gelato: Vancouver Irrigation Supply. It was not as unwieldy as I had imagined to rollerblade home carrying 100ft of 3/4" tubing and 12 connectors.
Next step was to grab a few accessories including colourful tape (Home Depot) and bulk bungee cord (I picked up 12' of 3/16" cord from Canadian Tire). Oh, and sandpaper.
Finally, assembly. I basically followed Jason's instructions (found at the bottom of the page). I didn't use the hanger wire for joining the ends of the elastic though - I just tied a couple of knots. I did not have a power sander, so I followed the path of patience and getting quite a few blisters on my hands. For the sanding, I used a tip from another site to cut a chunk of sandpaper that just fit around the end of the coupling so I could just use a rotating motion to sand down one end. Like I mentioned, I got blisters, and it did take a little while. And the fit of the ends is still quite tight, so taking apart the hoop takes a little effort. But I imagine it will get easier over time.
Last step was to tape it up to make it pretty and a little less slippery. Here are some pictures of the finished hoop:
Whee! Me and my hoop are now ready for travel!
-kat
First step was to find the proper tubing and connectors. I found an excellent source here in Vancouver on Venables St not far from Casa Gelato: Vancouver Irrigation Supply. It was not as unwieldy as I had imagined to rollerblade home carrying 100ft of 3/4" tubing and 12 connectors.
Next step was to grab a few accessories including colourful tape (Home Depot) and bulk bungee cord (I picked up 12' of 3/16" cord from Canadian Tire). Oh, and sandpaper.
Finally, assembly. I basically followed Jason's instructions (found at the bottom of the page). I didn't use the hanger wire for joining the ends of the elastic though - I just tied a couple of knots. I did not have a power sander, so I followed the path of patience and getting quite a few blisters on my hands. For the sanding, I used a tip from another site to cut a chunk of sandpaper that just fit around the end of the coupling so I could just use a rotating motion to sand down one end. Like I mentioned, I got blisters, and it did take a little while. And the fit of the ends is still quite tight, so taking apart the hoop takes a little effort. But I imagine it will get easier over time.
Last step was to tape it up to make it pretty and a little less slippery. Here are some pictures of the finished hoop:
Whee! Me and my hoop are now ready for travel!
-kat
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