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Slam that ping pong ball a little too hard on your last serve? It just needs a bit of heat to get it back to its round shape. A repaired ball is usually a little weaker and less bouncy than a new one, but it’ll be totally fine for casual table tennis or beer pong. We’ll show you how to bend it back into shape with boiling water or a hair dryer, plus a couple other simple fixes.
Things You Should Know
- Boil a pot of water, then pour the water into a heat-proof cup. Place the ping pong ball in the cup.
- Use a spoon to submerge the ball for 1-2 minutes until the dent pops back into place. Let the ball cool completely before playing with it.
- Or, use a hairdryer as an alternate. Set it to “hot” and hold it 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) from the ping pong ball for 1-2 minutes.
Steps
Hold the ball 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) over a lighter for 1-2 minutes. As long as you’ve got some heat, the air inside the ball will expand and pop the dent.[5] Wear heat-proof gloves or hold the ball with metal tongs. Position it over an open flame until the dent reverses (about 1-2 minutes). Avoid touching the flame to the ball itself.- Ping pong balls are often flammable or may melt.[6] Only do this over a fireproof surface with a fire extinguisher nearby.
- If you can, rotate the ping pong ball as you heat it to prevent the surface from melting. Don’t handle the ball with your bare fingers.
Squeeze around the dent with your thumb. Hold the ball in your hand and lightly press the area immediately surrounding the dent with your thumb. It won’t always work, and may take a little care and practice, but the ball will sometimes pop right back into place.
Community Q&A
- QuestionWhat happens to the temperature of gas particles inside a ping pong ball when it is placed in hot water?
Community AnswerThe gas particle temperature rises, trying to match that of the water, moving it at a rapid speed and creating pressure inside the ball to expand it. - QuestionWhat if my ping pong ball is severely dented? Is there still hope?
Community AnswerTry the methods in the article several times until the dents can not disappear. If they still won't disappear, you may need a new ball. - QuestionCan I play table tennis without a table?Community AnswerYes. Find a semi-large table and stack some cups or medium size books as the net. Then, just hit the ball back and forth. You can also put two sawhorses and 6-10 feet away from each other and put a slab of plywood on top.
Tips
- The ball won’t be as durable as it once was. It may be slightly larger and worse at bouncing, but this is usually fine for casual ping pong.Thanks
- These methods won’t work with cracked balls, since the air can escape. Cracked ping pong balls must be replaced altogether.Thanks
Warnings
- Avoid placing ping pong balls in the microwave or clothes dryer, as they may melt or catch fire.[7]Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/science/found/5to8/5c4.pdf
- ↑ https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/750-heat-energy
- ↑ https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/750-heat-energy
- ↑ https://orise.orau.gov/resources/k12/documents/lesson-plans/floating-ping-pong-ball.pdf
- ↑ https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/750-heat-energy
- ↑ https://sciencenotes.org/why-ping-pong-balls-burn/
- ↑ https://sciencenotes.org/why-ping-pong-balls-burn/
About This Article
To fix a dented ping pong ball, start by placing it in a cup of boiling water and holding it down in the water with a spoon to heat up the air inside, which will cause the ball to pop back into shape. Keep the ball in the water for 20 seconds, or until the ball is fixed. Then, take the ball out of the cup, wrap it in a tissue or handkerchief, and tape the edges to form a sack. Finally, hang the sack from a nail or clothes hanger for 5 to 10 minutes to prevent the ball from slumping and forming a flat surface. To learn how to how to fix a dented ping pong ball using a blow dryer, scroll down!
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