I started on the hoopball yesterday and did one hoop. No problem other than a little cramping in my hands.

Today I'm finishing up the third hoop, the second one today. While I don't have blisters on my hand, I can feel that they are not far away. I think I'm going to take tomorrow off from hoop wrapping and get the 4-ways drilled and the first set of rings completed.

So far this sucker is HUGE!!! I'm talking from the floor to my hip level. Was I supposed to use the smaller hula hoops?

I was going to make the smaller one first but well, sometimes plans change.

I didn't buy the parts for the ceiling protector yet. I'll probably go and pick that up before the weeks out.

Has anyone done a cost estimate of these things? I figure I bought enough to make 3 hoopballs and I think I'm already in for about $200. Now I did buy the 100 foot spools of polyrope at Lowes since Walmart was out of the 25 foot packs.

I also bought some 1/4" polyrope to make the smaller one for Tutu. Yeah I know, my bad. Never even made one but already altering the plan. I've got an idea I'm working on for his and hopefully the idea works!

I think the biggest expense is using stainless steel. That being the case I'm using regular screws to hold the rope on the ends that go into the 4 ways. There being place at the far end so that they won't interfere with the SS screws holding the hoop inside the 4 ways and there is no way for the birds to get to them.

Oh yeah and I haven't even figured in the poop tray yet.

We got our hula hoops at the dollar store. 100 ft of poly at HD is $10.00. Im pretty sure we spent less than $20 on the thing!

Floor to hip?! Wow! I used the smaller hoops for Ollie, and it's plenty big for her. I'm betting for your one for Mango the large size is going to be fabulous! I used the originally mentioned rope for my CAG and it's perfect. She can hang upside down and everything- it's not too big. Altogether I think mine cost ~$40, without the poop tray.

I remember being in so much pain after wrapping just 1 hoop that I made my bf finish!

The hoops at Walmart were like $2.50 each. The 3/8" polyrope at Lowes was around $14 per hundred foot. I have no HD here and I'm certain that the True Value would have charged more.

Twenty bucks huh? I'd be cheaper for me to send you a check and let you buy the supplies then ship them to me!

I'm going to pull out my receipts and do a breakdown because that really is a huge price difference. Perhaps my math is flawed.

Hmmmmmm

I wasn't so worried about the rope being too big for my CAG. Like I said, I got an idea.

We are going to want pics of the $599 Hoopball as soon as you are done.

Your hoopball is a bit larger than average. The first one we made, we used the smaller hula hoops, not the largest. The larger the finished hoopball is, the more likely that it will become misshapen over time.

We figured it cost around $40-$45 to construct a large hoopball (not counting any toys you construct and/or add to the hoopball). If you have a Mall Wart in your area, and they have a marine section, you should be able to find 100' rolls of poly rope for about $9.00. We now use the black 1/2" plastic pipe instead of hula hoops--it's a bit more expensive, but holds up better to the attention that a bunch of large macaws give the finished product.

I've already begun pricing the polyrope online. Even Amazon sells it cheaper than Lowes. grrrrrr

I did buy the 1/2 plastic pipe at your recommendation but I bought 8 hula hoops the night before. I was not returning 8 hula hoops to Walmart!!! They are getting used!!!!!

I was wondering about the hoopball becoming misshapen. I was actuallly thinking about adding another ring made of the black plastic...kinda like the hoopballs "equator" just to help give it a bit more structural strength.

Once I get the two globes finished, before I tack everything together, I'll reevaluate and take it from there. This sucker is so big that adding in another ring should be no problem.

Da birds better like this whether they want to or not!!!!

My hoopball was a tad bit egg shaped, so I ran some ss chain from a hook on the bottom of the top PVC cross to a hook on the top of the bottom PVC cross. It holds it taut.

I see! I'm very intrigued...can't wait to see it!

With me, ideas can be dangerous or at least costly! hahahahaha

Irish mentioned the center post from bottom to top so I bought enough eye hooks to do that!!! I have a section of the the plastic climbing chains I was planning on using this way I can hang other toys off of it or what not.

A work in progress with modifications of the original plan. Sometimes things are better left unaltered. Hopefully this isn't one of those times.