I also posted this in the belive it or not section...

Hey does anyone have any of the info on how to make a rolla bola/ balance board. I know this is more of a juggling thing but its also a circus kinda stunt. (and as far as I'm concerned you guys are a bit more handy than the jugglers! But that will be our secret.) So any help info ect. would be great. Send a pm if you want.

Thanks in advance!

Anton James "The Royalty"

A rolla bola is a pretty easy thing to make. Go to your local hardware store (Home Depot, Lowe's...whatever) buy about a 6inch diameter (or bigger)piece of PVC pipeing. Bigger is actually easier to use (its alittle slower). You want to get the thickest walled PVC you can find (sorry, don't know the system for that). Buy about two feet of pipeing. Then walk over to the lumber section and get some 1/2 inch or thicker plywood. You need a piece that about three feet by 1 ft. That will depend on how big you are and how wide you want to spread you feet.
If you know what you're doing on a Rolla Bola, you're set. If not, I suggest that you also get some 1ft by 2in peices of that same plywood. Those will be screwed on the bottom of the plywood and the very ends of the board. They act a guide to stop you from sliding off the end. Some guys also put grip tape (also found at a good hardware store) on the top.
I actually use a skateboard deck for my board. You can do a few skateboarding tricks with it.
I told you to buy 2ft of pipeing, that should be cut in half (2-1ft peices) that way its the same size as your board and you have another piece to try stacking with.
Good luck
Juggler
PS are you sword swallowing in your picture?
PPS If you're new to a rolla bola, don't try it on concrete first (just a word of experience)

"I also posted this in the belive it or not section... (and as far as I'm concerned you guys are a bit more handy than the jugglers! But that will be our secret.)"

You probably should have deleted that part after cutting and pasting. Wouldn't have made jugglers so mad,,,what am I talking about? 99% of all jugglers are the most laid back cats you could ever meet.

I advise you to follow every thing redhead says. I too use a skate board deck. One night after a show my sound guy comes backstage and says "I did a rolla bola in highschool. Mind if I try?" and before I could say no he steps up on it and swiftly busts his bass. He tried to break the fall, like an amatuer, with his hand and tweaked his wrist badly. It hurt him for a month.

So, the little blocks red suggests are a must for begginers. They keep the board from shooting out fast. They don't always stop it but they do slow it down. I didn't have them learning but I busted my bass as well.

I don't have an opinion on skinny vrs. wider tubes. I started with an skinny one and although they move side to side faster it seemed I had more board to work with. With a big tube, as I use now, it moves slower but I have less board to work with. I don't think I can't explain it any better.

I do know that most of the guys I see stacking tubes use smaller ones. It always surprises me. Like Circus Boy. He uses skinny ones and little short boards. He rocks with this amazing routine. It might be on his website? Google it.

Ha good call on that I just couldent see anyone from the juggling section giving a rely. But now I will gladly eat my own words with my left foot. My apologies.

Anton

Redheadjuggler,

The thick walled PVC pipe you want is called "Schedule 80" and Schedule 80 PVC is blue in color. It is used for underground high pressure water lines.

You should be able to get away with Schedule 40 pipe. PVC Schedule 40 is green in color and is used for underground residential water pipe; Schedule 40 ABS pipe is black in color and is used for underground rain drains and underground sewer pipe. ABS pipe is slightly "harder" than ABS pipe and, in Schedule 40, is probably the more preferable of the two (more resistant to scratching). I've seen a local magician using the black Schedule 40 ABS pipe (6" size) and it seems to work well. He weighs approximately 150-170 lbs. This pipe is really tough stuff and is designed to be buried in the ground with tons of compacted earth on it. I don't think that you would be able to do any damage to either pipe.

This pipe usually come in 20' lengths but lots of hardware stores will cut off a special size piece for their customers. If they won't, look in the Yellow Pages for Pipe Suppliers-Wholesale. These companies frequently have lots of broken pieces of pipe in what they call their 'bone yard" and they might just give you a small piece of it for free or for a very nominal charge.

Hope this helps.

Mike

I got my pipe from a group of roadworkers.

They just gave me a bit that was scrap. Saved them having to dispose of it I guess.

Just ask.

You can also buy them. http://www.unicycle.fr (I think is the site) make them and they are great if you want to start playing with stacking them.

Take care,

Ros

I dislike plastic tubes for rola-bola but prefer one I found at a site which was a heavy duty paper roll. Much slower and grippier than plastic. I have rarely found that the stops actually stop anyone who has lost their balance and never bother myself. Balance is maintained by keeping your centre of gravity over the cylinder and moving at the hip, thus keeping the top half of your body still.

Nigel

Roslyn has got the right idea if you can get it from a construction contractor or a road building crew. Same stuff as I was suggesting but cheaper ("Free" is a very good price).

Good luck.

Mike

Hey Anton how is the Rola Bolla going?
Juggler