# Flyball Ball Thrusters



## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

This is a very informative video on how to build a ball thruster. Wouldn't be hard at all to reverse engineer this. Has anyone on here ever built there own? This looks like a super fun project- and I don't even do flyball!


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## DunRingill (Dec 28, 2007)

One of the guys on our team built our flyball boxes....a good competition box is EXPENSIVE and we didn't have a lot of extra money. Long story short, the previous captain left the team and stole all the equipment, claiming it was all hers. She did this 2 weeks before a tournament! So one of the guys sort of reverse-engineered a box. I don't have details of his design, but it used easily replaceable bungee cords. His design worked out so well that he ended up building boxes for several teams in the area.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Interesting. This guy is claiming that these compression spring thrusters work better than tension bands.

Flyballequip.com - Part of The Willoughby Workshop


> This style of ball throwing mechanism supersedes the traditional older style of wood swing arm / catapult boxes that were prone to be inconsistent and loud.


I am definitely interested in people's thoughts on that matter.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Willy we were hoping YOU would figure it out and get into the business!

According to our team captain, our boxes are more old school and don't use a thruster. I have one in my van and it looks like what I could only describe as a bunch of hair bands in a zig-zag pattern. There's an older gentleman on our team that tweaks and repairs them for us.

I'm interested in purchasing a box in the future and am not too picky about the technology provided it's strong, made to spec and to stand up to 75lb dogs.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Liesje said:


> Willy we were hoping YOU would figure it out and get into the business!


I dunno. Seems to me that there are a lot of different options out there, and that highly successful teams are modifying their boxes (whatever that means) to suit their needs. I can make one of these boxes, and those thrusters look fun to make. The mechanics aren't hard at all! But there is so much about the sport in how people tweak their boxes that I'm afraid I'd make a certain aspect incorrectly. 

For example, here's yet another design- a springback box.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yeah I saw that one. I don't know about it with my dogs' size... I haven't seen one in competition, but I've only done two tourneys. I watched a comparison vid but thought the dog demonstrating didn't have the best turn to begin with. Since my dogs are so big/heavy I insist on safe, correct turns. That's ALL we do at home, train the turns doing sets of 3-5 reps over and over. 

This is Pan on our competition box. There are a few slow-mo turns and a better angle at the end of the vid. I use props at home to force a correct turn (there's a 12" jump 2' in front of the box so he HAS to launch onto the box and can't slide in, plus I elevate the box or my pushboard). In competition or a full run in training his turn is much faster.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

And this is what we use for now without a box. It's a simple board I made with 3/4" particle board. I simply stuff it with cushions to get whatever angle I want and then they aren't throwing themselves at a rock solid surface all the time.


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## Caja's Mom (Aug 6, 2003)

The faster the ball is triggered on the box the faster the dog can turn. Our team got a faster box and it made a big difference to the bigger dogs.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

I think I'm going to forgo this build. There is so much about flyball that I don't know- I think it would be a considerable waste of money. I might make something really cool, but it might be totally impractical for flyball. A good example of this is obvious:


From the link above:


> I also had a bit of resistance from the flyball community because *the train of thought many years ago was that a far ball throwing distance was essential for a fast turn.* My research has shown that a quick reaction time, a short pedal travel plus a sensitive pedal are the key elements to an ideal box and box turn.


In order to throw the bar fall, you need to throw it fast. So this guy is essentially saying that the speed of the ball and the distance is more/less irrelevant compared to the reaction time of the box itself. This is something I can't qualify myself, as I'm not involved in the sport. Therefore, I don't see a lot of benefit in spending money on this project. Sorry Lies.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

I will say- his theory that the reaction time and short travel throw of the pedal line up perfectly with firearm shooting. The shorter (hair trigger) and lighter (light trigger) the trigger, the more accurate and repeatable your shots are. Not sure why it would be any different in flyball.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I don't get it, the ball travels maybe an inch or two. Most dogs literally smash their faces on the box catching the ball. The rules say the ball need only travel 24" when the box is activated.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

wildo said:


> I will say- his theory that the reaction time and short travel throw of the pedal line up perfectly with firearm shooting. The shorter (hair trigger) and lighter (light trigger) the trigger, the more accurate and repeatable your shots are. Not sure why it would be any different in flyball.


It's not, that's the theory we are utilizing behind wanting a faster box. Lies and I are on the same team by the way. 

For example, my Corgi has a fast turn off the pushboard but our box reaction is slow enough that she slides/falls off waiting for the ball to come out. Part of this is that she's long/awkward to begin with, part of it is the speed of the thruster shooting the ball out...


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Maybe I can convince one of the senior design engineering teams where I work to take this on, our dogs could test and demo!


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Yeah- the video I posted in the OP has basically all the dimensions. It should be very easy to reverse engineer it.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

By the way- your guys' shepherds look so awesome with their anti-slid socks bouncing off those boxes!!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Hehe, unfortunately the boots don't stop them from sliding, only stop them from getting burned.


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