Pendulum Directions

We purchased a dozen soft foam rubber balls some approximately 4 inches and some 9 inches in diameter. The other
materials necessary are string (we found a macrame string about the same thickness as a shoelace), and some large buttons.

Fig. 1

Grommet
hole punch

To make a hole in the ball we used a hole punch from a Grommet tool set.
Grommets are the two-piece brass holes you generally find at the corners
of tarps. The hole punch is a hollow metal tube with one end that has been
sharpened. (Fig. 1).
Once you have made a hole in the ball, thread the string through the hole
and then through a large button (a two hole button is perfect). You may
have to drill larger holes in the button to accomodate the size of your string.
After threading string through both holes of the button, push the string back
through the ball. To add extra weight to the ball, thread some metal nuts
on the string and push down into the center of the ball. Tie a knot where
the string comes out of the top of the ball to prevent nuts from coming out
of the ball. (Fig. 2)
Tighten string through button and cinch button up against bottom of ball.
Push nuts down into ball - knotting string at top of the ball.

Fig. 2
Foam ball

The apparatus that holds the four pedulums pictured at left was
made using a 4x4 redwood post that has been screwed to plywood base. The poles that extend through the top of the post
are 5/16 inch metal rods (unthreaded) that slide through holes
drilled throught the post. To keep the rods from sliding back
and forth, we tapped 16D nails into the holes alongside the
rods to help wedge them in place.