Okay, so, I had this crazy idea. I wanted to see if I could somehow combine the bouncy-ness of a volleyball with the, well, not bounciness of wood. Sounds weird, right? I called it my “Rubber Volleyball Oak Timber” project. Let me tell you, it was a journey.

Phase 1: The Brainstorm (Mostly Confused Staring)

First, I just grabbed a volleyball and a piece of oak timber. I spent a good hour just staring at them, poking them, and generally feeling like a mad scientist in a low-budget movie. I mean, one’s all soft and bouncy, the other’s hard and… woody. How were these two ever going to get along?

Phase 2: Deconstruction Time!

Next, I decided I needed to get inside the volleyball. So, I carefully cut it open. I ended up with basically a deflated, rubbery skin. It felt kinda sad, like a popped balloon animal. I cleaned it out as best as I could, getting rid of all the bits and pieces inside.

Phase 3: The Timber Takes Shape (Very Slowly)

Now for the oak. I knew I needed to shape it to fit inside the volleyball skin. I grabbed my saw, and let me tell you, sawing oak is no joke. My arms were aching after just a few minutes. I slowly started to carve it down, trying to make a sphere-ish shape. It was… rough, to say the least. Let’s just say it wasn’t winning any beauty contests.

• Sawing: Oh boy, this was tough. Oak is HARD.
• Shaping: I used a rasp and sandpaper to try and smooth it out. It was a long, dusty process.
• Fitting: Lots of trial and error, trying to get the wood to fit snugly inside the rubber.

Phase 4: The Great Stuffing

Once the oak was (somewhat) round, I started to stuff it into the volleyball skin. It was a tight squeeze. I pushed, I prodded, I may have even used a little bit of dish soap (don’t tell anyone!). Eventually, I got it in there. It looked… lumpy. Very, very lumpy.

Phase 5: Sealing the Deal

The final step was to seal up the volleyball. I used some heavy-duty rubber cement, the kind they use for patching tires. I spread it on, clamped it shut, and let it dry overnight. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

The Result?

Well, it wasn’t exactly what I pictured. It was heavy, for one thing. And the bounce? Let’s just say it wasn’t winning any awards. It was more of a “thud” than a “boing.” But, hey, I did it! I combined a rubber volleyball and oak timber. It’s a weird, lumpy, not-very-bouncy thing, but it’s my weird, lumpy, not-very-bouncy thing. I guess that’s what matters, right? Maybe I’ll try a different type of wood next time… or maybe I’ll just stick to regular volleyballs.