Helpful Hints from joeeze: Tennis Ball Doorstop

I saw this nifty creation earlier today: two tennis ball halves, each acting as a doorstop for heavy doors in a carpeted hallway.

I examined them more closely: yes, just your everyday tennis ball, cut into (more or less) equal hemispheres.

I found a tennis ball in the attic and made one of these doorstops (well, two — it's impossible to make just one, actually) and have the following observations to guide you in your fabrication process, should you choose to proceed with this project.

1) Use an X-Acto knife or some such box cutting tool so as to get a good grip on your slicing instrument: a tennis ball is tough and a knife might not offer sufficient purchase.

2) Cut away from the ball and the hand holding it, assuming you're a fool like me and choose to do it barehanded as opposed to wearing a glove on the non-cutting hand or, even better, putting the ball in a clamp or vise prior to incision.

Note that these doorstops will not work on a smooth surface like wood, tile, stone or cement: the exposed rubber edges of the tennis ball need the purchase gained against a carpet or rug.

Note to self: forward this post to Phillip Torrone over at MAKE magazine.