The Potrero Hill Hoop Factory
San Francisco has a new hoop maker - me! I had to drive all the way to Livermore to buy two coils (200 feet total) of 3/4 inch Polyethylene plumbing tubing at Lowe's, but it was well worth it. I followed Jason's hoop making instructions and made my first two hoops within an hour and a half.
Click the link to read more about how two two-toned hoops sprang to life...
The infamous, hard-to-get tubing. While hoopers are using this tubing for hoop-making, other people are apparently using it for plumbing purposes...
First you cut the tubing to your desired hoop size. Per Jason's recommendation, I used a ratcheting PVC cutter - the most expensive part of my hoop-making shooping spree.
Here is the cut piece of tube. I'm not sure exactly how long this piece is, but it's on the smaller side.
Here is a 3/4 inch connector, which will be used to hold the tube together in a circle. This is also known as a coupling.
Again, ever compliant with Jason's instructions, I used a blow-dryer to soften the ends of the tube so that they would yield to the connector coming in. In this picture, the connector is waiting patiently on the bathroom rug while I blow-dry.
I have completed the circle! Once the two ends have hardened again, they fit the connector very snugly.
Now the hoop is ready to be decorated. The picture shows the beginning of the solid layer of bright blue electrical tape.
The finished first layer. It took quite a while to tape up the entire hoop.
I chose complementary colors for maximum contrast. The hoop is finished!
Then I made another one for my roommate! White and violet.
This photo series wouldn't be complete without an action shot! Here are my roommate and I giving our new hoops a spin in front of our house.
Side note: As you can see in one of the pictures, the raw tubing had labeling all over one side of it, so I covered each hoop in its entirety with one color first before applying a second color. I rather like the result: a solid layer of one color and candy cane stripes of another color.
This was fun. I cannot wait to open the hoop factory again tomorrow!
Comments
That's cool, Vera! Stefan would love the blue and yellow one. Will you make one for me, too?! kisses from Cologne, Bianca
Posted by: Bianca | July 7, 2003 7:59 AM
wow those hoops are great. Where did you find that cool purple tape? i can only find boring colours.
jane
Posted by: jane | July 7, 2003 4:38 PM
I got the tape at Lowe's too.
Posted by: Vera | July 7, 2003 9:28 PM
sweet!
Posted by: paisley | July 8, 2003 11:29 PM
Hi there-
I live in SF and I have been searching for poly tubing for weeks!! Do you have any extra tubing left/ or are you making and selling hoops(I wasn't sure).. or any tips on where I could get some.. (I am car-free).
Thanks!
Posted by: Megan | October 6, 2003 9:45 AM
Hi Megan,
Lowe's in Livermore is the closest place to SF that has the tubing. Yes, I make and sell hoops. Email me if you would like to know more.
Posted by: Vera | October 6, 2003 9:08 PM
Y'all are fixin' to say somethin' REGIONALIST but...
Barbque charcoal lighter fluid is the only solvent I have found that is more effective than nose grease at removing the the labeling print on the raw pe tubing.
Posted by: Hoolah Foolah | May 18, 2004 1:41 AM
Ooh Awesome colors.. I just started making my first ones and pertty much stuck to basic colors- cause that was the only tape I could fine - but now - I'm definitly going to go searching for some brighter ones!
Posted by: Maggey | July 19, 2004 6:35 AM
Are you gals adding the insulation/padding mentioned. What are the benefits?
Posted by: esti | July 22, 2004 11:52 AM
Hi Esti,
Which insulation/padding mentioned where?
Posted by: Vera | July 22, 2004 12:02 PM
Sorry for not being specific. Jason's instructions (http://www.jasonunbound.com/hoops.html) which I thought everybody else is as familiar w/ as I am, has this towards the end:
"At this point you could also apply some padding. Matt recommends wrapping copper pipe insulation; I like Rubatex pipe insulation that fits over the hoop.."
Thanks Vera for asking.
Posted by: esti | July 27, 2004 8:16 PM
Ohhh, I haven't tried that...
Posted by: Vera | July 28, 2004 10:41 PM
How do you determine the size? I have 5 kids and want to do a homeschool project with them, but dont know how to pick the size for each kid. Thanks! monikaspassions@peoplepc.com
Posted by: Monika | August 18, 2004 12:42 PM
Standing on the ground, you will want the hoop to come somewhere between one's belly button and one's chest.
Posted by: Vera | August 18, 2004 8:46 PM
I planning to make hoops w/ my fourth grade class. I bought the 3/4 inch poly tubing that's used for dripping, but it doesn't seem firm enough. Is there a certain grade or thickness that you purchase?? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Pamela
Posted by: pamela | November 22, 2004 8:24 PM
Pamela,
If you follow the link to the polyethylene tubing at Lowe's, it will tell you exactly what kind of tubing we use. You will want to make sure that it's 100 or 160PSI.
Posted by: Vera | November 22, 2004 9:43 PM
Is there some other non-PVC way to make a hoop that you know of?
Posted by: Elizabeth | January 11, 2007 8:12 AM
HI! I'm ALL the way on the other side of the country...in MD. :) Thanks for sharing your hoop making experience. It seems like you had a lot of fun! I'm considering going out to buy the stuff and making it this weekend! This is ALL on a whim, as I was websurfing to find a place to actually BUY one. Now, I know I can make one. Hehehehe I'm so excited now. If I remember, I'll post back here to let you all know about my experience. (I don't have a camera, so I can't send any pics.)
Take care...and thanks!
Traycee :)
Posted by: Traycee | April 13, 2007 11:13 AM
Yes! I was an awesome hula hooper when I was a kid. Back then you could buy Hula Hoops from the store that were made of good, heavy plastic and they worked great. For the past 10 years, I haven't been able to find any hoops for my kids that worked. Every hoop that I find at the major retailers are made of such cheap, light plastic that they don't work. I was convinced that my kids would never know the fun of hooping. I will go tomorrow and buy the materials so I can re-live my youth!
Posted by: Lori | April 24, 2007 4:52 PM
I'm trying to make my own and I fond the piping but can't find the connectors!! Is there a technical name for them? I"ve tried insert connectors, tubing connectors, tubing inserts etc. etc. They only have 1/2" kind and my piping is 3/4"....any ideas??
Posted by: casey | May 5, 2007 7:47 AM
Hi great hoops, I make my own too and am curious about adding water? Do you have any experience with this? I wonder how much I should add? Thanks
Posted by: Rhonda | June 8, 2007 10:49 AM
Does anyone have trouble getting the hoops to be that perfect circle? Mine sometimes end up a bit warped and I was wondering what the magic secret was...
Posted by: Jess | July 15, 2007 11:31 AM
I've made several hoops following Jason's instructions and they turned out great. The only thing I did differently was use a mallet to pound one end of the connector in and use the blow dryer to soften the other end before connecting.
I left one in my car for 2-3 days in the heat of August in Oklahoma. The end connected with the blow dryer expanded and came undone and did not contract back after cooling down inside the house. I will have to cut off about an inch and re-connect that end.
Anybody else have this problem? It would be nearly impossible not to leave them in the car sometimes if you're traveling.
Posted by: MC | August 21, 2007 1:54 PM
Before you cut off that end you may want to try boiling some water and sticking that end into the boiling water for 30 - 45 seconds.. Careful.. the tubing will be hot but it will make is soft and should make it contract more than the hairdryer method. Try reconnecting the tube and holding it together until the ends cool.
I always use boiling water instead of the hair dryer or heat gun methods and it works very well.
Posted by: RH | August 25, 2007 8:52 PM
Hey - just starting out making some hoops and I tried adding water to one, but it seemed to make it a little wobbly. Any ideas on other ways to add a little weight? I haven't tried sand yet. Thanks!
Posted by: Ally | September 19, 2007 9:23 PM
Hey Ally I would not use sand, it is way harder to hoop with sand. Water works best.
If you know some one who has a sand filled one , try it. It feels ssslllowwwer to me.
Posted by: Scott | September 23, 2007 8:35 PM
hi im 10 and love hooping but ive got a rubbish plastic hoop! i live in the uk can i still get hoops here cause my mom says i cant get one off the internet!?
Posted by: George | October 9, 2007 9:53 AM