Need a source for a hollow metal "football" for a yellow jacket tail section.

**ronnielyons** · 06-25-2012, 01:17 PM

I'm brainstorming a way to build a large yellow jacket insect. I thought I'd start with the tail and build everything else to scale. For the tail I would like to use a hollow metal elliptical shell shaped just like, and about the same size as a regulation leather football. Anyone know where to find something like this?

I thought about welding two 4" pipe caps onto a piece of pipe about 4-5" long but it would resemble a large hot dog and that's not exactly the shape of a yellow jacket tail section, it's more elliptical being large in the center and tapering off to a point on each end. Anyone have a better idea?

Ronnie

**urch55** · 06-25-2012, 04:19 PM

Ronnie,
What about two bottle tops???

110_2037.jpg

**Hotfoot** · 06-25-2012, 04:21 PM

Look at a stitched leather football, and copy the seams on flat sheet metal, give each section the same amount of 'roll' as the real thing, and then just weld it together!.

**ronnielyons** · 06-25-2012, 07:55 PM

Thought about the two bottle top idea but it still isn't "fat" enough in the middle to be true to form. Hotfoot may be on to something. How would I roll the individual panels to get the same contour as the football? I would have to do it by hand and not sure how to proceed?

**Hotfoot** · 06-26-2012, 06:33 PM

Without a sheet metal slip roller, I get by by "patting" sheet metal around cylinders or pipe of various sizes...like gas cylinders. Wear thick gloves and push / slap / pat...if it refuses to cooperate, I use rubber mallets. depending on the metal you are using, you could 'pull' the sections around the curve by using straps, then working that section into the exact shape by just laying them out side by side, with another football standing by as a reference piece.

Trophy shops have those life sized metal footballs in stock...and that means plenty of them show up as old trophies (which have no value) at Yard Sales, Thrift Stores etc.

I've tried my large leather shot bag, but that tends to "bowl" them. It could be used to give a minor curvature to each if you just watched yourself.

**grumpycricket** · 06-26-2012, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Hotfoot

Look at a stitched leather football, and copy the seams on flat sheet metal, give each section the same amount of 'roll' as the real thing, and then just weld it together!.

U could take an old football apart, lay it flat, and use it as a pattern on ur sheet metal. Then start pounding away! That'

s how u learn!

**usmcpop** · 06-27-2012, 07:26 AM

Take a close look at a yellowjacket. The abdomen is like a series of nested rings or cones. Perhaps you could make a bunch of different sized rings of flat strip and weld them up. If you used thin enough material, you could more easily bang them into shape.