How to Make a Roller Bowler

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Things You'll Need

  • Work gloves

  • Safety glasses

  • Dust mask

  • Measuring tape

  • Marker

  • Hack saw

  • Flat metal scraper

  • 1/2-by-84-inch metal conduit, 2

  • EMT bender

  • Solder gun

  • Solder wire

  • Damp sponge

  • 1/8-by-84-inch metal plate

  • 1/8-by-12-inch metal plate

  • 1/8-by-18-inch metal plate

  • Rubber door stopper

  • Permanent epoxy

  • Rubber ball

Making your own roller bowler presents the chance to test the delicate touch of you and your friends. Roller bowlers are classic carnival games, where the player rolls a ball along a standard metal track designed with one hump and one upward curve. The object of the game is to push the ball hard enough to have it roll over the metal hump, but light enough to prevent it from rolling back off the upward curve.

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Step 1

Put on a pair of work gloves, a dust mask and safety glasses to protect your skin, lungs and eyes.

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Step 2

Measure and cut two individual pieces of 1/2-inch metal conduit pipe to 84 inches in length with a hack saw. Cut one end of each pipe at 90 degrees. Cut the opposite end of each pipe at a 45-degree angle. Smooth and remove metal burrs from the sawed pipe ends with a flat metal scraper.

Step 3

Measure 20 inches from the 90-degree end of one pipe. Draw a dash on the pipe with a marker to represent the 20-inch mark. Slide the pipe into the EMT bender until the 20-inch mark is flush with the prefabricated star on to the bender. Bend the pipe until it is flush with the 30-degree mark on the bender. Repeat with the second pipe.

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Step 4

Measure an additional 20 inches from the 30-degree bend in one pipe. Draw a dash on the pipe with a marker to represent this mark. Slide the pipe into the EMT bender until the fresh mark is flush with the prefabricated star on the bender. Bend the pipe until it is flush with the 60-degree mark on the bender. Repeat with the second pipe. Each pipe should have a 30-degree arc, or hump, 20 inches in from the 90-degree end followed by a 60-degree upward curve at the 45-degree end.

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Step 5

Preheat the solder gun. Rub solder wire along the tip of the gun. Wipe the tip clean with a damp sponge.

Step 6

Solder the bowler roller frame together. Place the 1/8-by-84-inch metal plate onto a flat surface. Position the 1/8-by-12-inch metal plate perpendicular to the 84-inch plate. Situate the 12-inch plate so it is flush with one end of the 84-inch plate. The shape between the two plates should resemble a letter L. Touch the solder wire to the connection point between the two plates. Touch the solder gun tip to the connection point to melt the wire and secure the bond. Repeat with the 1/8-by-18-inch metal plate for the opposite end of the 84-inch plate.

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Step 7

Fit one piece of conduit in between the two perpendicular plate frame ends. Adjust the conduit so the flat portions of the pipe rest atop the bottom metal plate and the arc and curve are aimed upward. Solder the 90-degree end into the 12-inch metal plate. Solder the 45-degree end into the 18-inch metal plate. Repeat with the second piece of conduit, allowing 2 inches of space between the pipes.

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Step 8

Center a rubber door stopper 1 inch above the two 90-degree pipe ends on the 12-inch metal plate. Bond the stopper to the plate with permanent epoxy. Roll the rubber ball from the end with the 12-inch metal plate.

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