Absurdity is his reason for living.
Improved ball marker
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
They don't call me the Maniac for nothing!!!
If you know anyone hiring, I am looking.
Balance of work and life is a main concern at my career stage.
I can do this organizationally and as a trainer both corporate and academic in a variety of industries at various professional levels.
To add on the ball market have they considered a spherical banded shell like the unisphere.
Can they make a plastic film ball marker to minimize material production?
I was referring to justnumnuts.
The point of the design was to have full functionality and avoid problems that earlier markers had.
The weight makes the marker stable (brass version).
The two contact points means the exact size of the ball is not important -- a curved contact surface is a problem.
Since the contact is against a flat surface, wear is not an issue. A previous version had contact on a corner.
The marker can be used to measure clearance during spotting.
It can be used to mark the ball position and put the ball exactly on a spot (buy 2!).
The weight makes the marker stable (brass version).
The two contact points means the exact size of the ball is not important -- a curved contact surface is a problem.
Since the contact is against a flat surface, wear is not an issue. A previous version had contact on a corner.
The marker can be used to measure clearance during spotting.
It can be used to mark the ball position and put the ball exactly on a spot (buy 2!).
Benelli
Well-known member
Bob this seems like the perfect candidate for a Kickstarter project and would easily be funded if the target funding amount was between 3K to 5K
Pubo
Active member
where is this sold?
Pretty sure I designed one in CAD a while ago. I'll have to dig it up.
I'm taking delivery of a cnc mill today in fact.
The only product I planned to make for pool was a rack but I guess I could expand the line if I get bored.
I'm taking delivery of a cnc mill today in fact.
The only product I planned to make for pool was a rack but I guess I could expand the line if I get bored.
Hook up with a Chinese manufacturer on Alibaba and they’ll make solid brass ones for you for around $2-3 each. Will need to order a substantial qty of course, probably around 1,000 minimum. Cost will drop with larger orders.
I had a business in 2018-2020 where we were ordering solid brass challenge coins from China for resale here. They had intricate raised and painted designs on both sides, a custom engraved unique serial number on each one, about 2” diameter and very thick and heavy. As I recall we landed around $3-4 each for 5,000 units. Shipping was a large part of the cost due to the weight.
I had a business in 2018-2020 where we were ordering solid brass challenge coins from China for resale here. They had intricate raised and painted designs on both sides, a custom engraved unique serial number on each one, about 2” diameter and very thick and heavy. As I recall we landed around $3-4 each for 5,000 units. Shipping was a large part of the cost due to the weight.
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Zerksies
Well-known member
I bought this from amazon for $10. Most of you all thought i was nuts for wanting something like this here. I made a little case for the thing too.
You don't even need a kickstarter. I just accumulated enough pre-orders for the DigiCue to relaunch the entire product line, and it only took 3 weeks to reach my $4k goal. The PCBs are almost done now. I only posted on AZB and Reddit. You can accept money with PayPal very easily via an email address, minus $5 for buyer protection.
If you want to do this, I will pre-order 2 ball markers now.
Biloxi Boy
Man With A Golden Arm
Please give us a video demonstrating the marker in action. Thank you.
I heard the children in Thailand work for cheaper wages than the children in China.
However, they may not get the government subsidies Chinese companies get.
China can usually sell at the price domestic manufacturers spend on the material alone.
Small US companies cannot compete unless there are ITAR or ISO requirements on the products.
I’ve found that a large washer, 1 inch or 1-1/2 inch diameter, cut in half, works really well. Just slowly slide it up with your index fingertip until it touches the ball, then replacing the ball the same way.
Looks nice. Can you compare and contrast this marker with the below brass marker?
Attachments
Bob and I worked a while on this project. He had the initial idea for many years, and we refined it together. Then we had a small batch made at a vendor I use for my dayjob a lot. I just checked my notes from the project. It was a fun time
I dislike that design for the reasons stated. Some of those don't even have a half-ball dimension even though they could.
I don't think there should be so much material in the marker, it makes placing it near other balls troublesome. Like a too thick rack used for straight pool. I would like a small curve of metal with a handle sticking out to be able to grab it. Say for working around a template rack where more than one ball may be stuck, but you can't place a thick rack or that will be on the template rack material preventing the removal.
A bit like the first picture with a stub where the hole is to make sliding it or grabbing it easier.
A jacks type design may be a great one to use also. With one half of the metal central rod removed, you can place the ball against the two round balls to mark the spot. It is very small and yet easy to grab to remove.
A bit like the first picture with a stub where the hole is to make sliding it or grabbing it easier.
A jacks type design may be a great one to use also. With one half of the metal central rod removed, you can place the ball against the two round balls to mark the spot. It is very small and yet easy to grab to remove.