Filling a rolling globe

[Kenny Ahern]

I play the soprano sax on a 32" fiberglass globe that weighs 55lbs. Control is a bit of an issue. I have worked the globe on thick carpet and rolled on a donut to hold it still. It's a pain to travel with the carpet and the donut can cause some hellacious falls. I am wondering if I partially fill the globe with say 25-50 lbs of fine sand, will it give me more control of the globe? Has anyone tried this? Any advice would be appreciated before I bore a hole in the globe and experiment. The oatmeal filled juggling ball thread gave me this idea.

I had the globe Rhino coated (spray on truck bed liner) in bright blue. I never have to worry about painting it again. The coating provides a great grip too.

Thanks,
Kenny Ahern

[Circusnews]

I have never tried it, but my gut reaction is is that it would give you less control, as you would have more forces to contend with.

I like the rino coating idea, I may have to do that with my globes.

If you try the sand idea, let me know how it works!

[jester]

I've walked on partially filled globes. It does help a lot. It slows the globe down considerably.

And of course the audience doesn' know.

[Kenny Ahern]

Partial filling a rolling globe

I finally drilled a one inch hole in my fiberglass rolling globe.

I experimented and found that 25 pounds of fine play sand is just enough sand to slow my globe down and make it easier to control while playing the sax. I also found that if you add too much sand you get a very dangerous "weeble wobble" effect.

I plugged the hole with a rubber sink stopper and it works great. I removed the ring and shaved off the rubber ring holder to make the stopper flush with the body of the globe. The stopper allows me to remove the sand easily.

Kenny Ahern

[Steven Ragatz]

http://www.stevenragatz.com/temp/globe_1.jpg

http://www.stevenragatz.com/temp/globe_2.jpg

Shows a Renegade globe that I cut in half and added a flange so that it would pack and travel more efficiently. Don't know if this would help with a fiberglass construction, but thought that it was related.

Steven Ragatz

[gav]

Shouldn't make a difference if it's fibreglass, in fact you could just glass in that flange instead of using those rivets or screws you've got there.
Does it just stay together with friction or do you have some kind of latching device?
I have seen split apart globes commercialy too.
I have to say steven i am slightly envious of your workshop, looks like heaven to a tinkerer like me.

[Steven Ragatz]

I don't use a globe for anything (yet?) but picked up the canary yellow plastic one at a juggling festival at a discount when the owner didn't want to have to ship it home. So, it sat in the corner for a couple of years because I didn't think there was anything to do with it that would justify having to pack the thing since it is so unwieldy. Since it wasn't being used, I decided to experiment on it (that and the color is not to my liking). So I split it and flanged it.

The two halves fit together snugly as it, but if I ever wish to use it for walking I will run a threaded rod from the poles of the two hemispheres and bolt them together. Since I cut it by hand, there is only one orientation of the two halves that fits snugly, but I cut it along the seam and left a hole at one spot to use as a guide to get them aligned.

I have not had any experience with it, and as it turns out, now it just sits in the same spot it did before, only in two halves. Maybe someday I will be inspired. Just thought it was some useful info on globes.

And yes, the shop is nice. Was out there at sun up this AM when I couldn't sleep. Doing some finishing touches on a new set of cherry veneer juggling boxes! I wonder if Lowes is open yet...

Steven Ragatz

[Kenny Ahern]

Rolling Globe

I bought my globe from Claude Crumbley(sp?) around eight years ago. He lived just outside of Chicago. Claude worked the tail end of Vaudeville with a variety of acts and also worked Circus, Fair dates and Corporates around Chicago. My understanding was, in his retirement, he made only a dozen or so fiberglass globes a year in his backyard shop. A few he made so they could separate in half. Claude used a threaded rod to hold the globe together. On my globe he recessed and fiberglassed over the nuts. The globe has held together and served me well all these years. All globes were sold on a first come, first serve basis. I was lucky to be driving through Chicago when he had one available. The best part about buying the globe -- he of course requested cash -- was hanging out with Claude for about six hours listening to him jackpot about the good old days and seeing his vast collection of photos of variety and circus acts. I am not sure if Claude is still with us, but I am sure his globe will out live me.

Kenny Ahern

[dave walbridge]

Possible alternative...

What if you used the rolling globe on a mat like the non-slip rubber mats used to line trays/ drawers? Might that slow everything down a bit?

Dave Walbridge

[Todd]

I perform a (sort of) contortion bit on a renegade rolling globe. When I was learing the globe, I filled it with sand to slow it down, and it worked great. It give a solid center of gravity. It works almost too well.
Now when I perform I work with the globe empty of sand and on a large and very nice Asian rug that has one of those carpet pads taped to the underside of the rug. Use a carpet pad is twice the size of the rug so you have to fold it thus giving you a double thickness of padding. It still moves, but it give me more control and reaction time to correct.