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Using that old split Medicine Ball was an excellent idea to make my homemade Macebell. I talked it over with Harvey Barker, who had made his own homemade Macebell using his kid’s orange pumpkin bucket.

Then Harvey asks, “Hey what did you put on your pole for the cement to grab onto?” 

I replied, “huh?  Uh oh…nothing.” 

Harvey tried to be reassuring. “Oh I’m sure it will be fine. I’m sure the cement ball won’t accidentally slip off while it is above your head and come crashing down, ending you!”

“Huh?  Uh oh,” I said again. “Well I guess I’ll find out soon. It should be dry by now.  I saw a bunch of liquid leak out of the crack in the Medicine Ball, so the cement should dry faster.”

Guess what?  I now don’t believe that cement is supposed to dry that way. Having the moisture leak out the side during the drying process may lead to some problems.

But don’t worry, my problems didn’t end there.  That stupid Medicine Ball is like 1 1/2 inches thick and I couldn’t cut through it to get the Macebell out.  So there I am with a crowbar, using the Macebell as leverage to peel the Medicine Ball shell off, while tugging on that pole.  Here is where having something on the pole for the cement to hold onto comes into play. It was kinda cool, because I also learned why it is important for the drying process to work normally, all at the same time.

Yep, all at once, the shell came off, the pole came flying out of the Macebell and the Macebell itself cracked into 2 halves because it was all dry and brittle, not cement-like at all. Son-of-a…!

Round 2:

I put 3 screws (about 4″ long) threw the pole at the bottom in 3 different directions. Then I duct taped the crack on the Medicine Ball so no moisture can leak out. I suppose the first ball breaking is a blessing, so I could do it again with the screws for safety. I am, afterall, the man with stitches all over his body and only 9 fingers (not the most coordinated apparently), so I’m sure that if that Macebell were to come off, it would do it to me!

Bonus:

I also filled my Mini Slosh Tube with water and poured the cement on the other end for the end cap.  I will soon have my first attempt at a workable Mini Slosh Tube completed…and hopefully a Macebell.