How to fix dented ping pong balls? This seems like a tricky question because ping pong balls’ surface is very delicate and plus, it’s completely closed.
But we have got some really simple tricks to undent a ping pong ball in just under 10 minutes.
Key takeaways:
To fix a dented ping pong ball, you just need to put the ball in hot water. This will increase the temperature and makes the air inside the ball expand. As a result, the air creates pressure on the wall of the ball and eventually undent it.
The best way to fix a dented ping pong ball: Use Hot Water
The best way to fix a dented ping pong ball is to use hot water. The key here is to generate heat for the ball, as shown in the video.
Step 1: Preparation
- A kettle
- A container (a cup, a bowl, or anything that can store hot water)
Step 1: Boil the water
Fill the kettle with water and wait for it to boil. A standard kettle will take about 2-5 minutes to build 500ml of water.
Step 2: Pour into the container
Once it’s boiling, take it off the pad and pour it into the container. Or you can put the dented ball inside the container before filling it with water. But it can be dangerous if the ball pops too quickly and splash the hot water out.
Step 3: Immerse the ping pong ball
Drop the ping pong ball into the hot water and wait until it recovers to the original rounded shape. It may take about a few seconds up to 1 minute.
Step 4: Take the ball out and dry
Once it has completely recovered to the round shape, take it out of the water and dry it with a clean towel or napkin. Remember to use a spoon to avoid getting scalded by the hot water.
Note: This is the most effective and easy method to fix dented ping pong balls. Additionally, you can use a larger container to fix the balls in bulk.
Use a Hairdryer
If you don’t have a kettle or hot water at hand, you can use a hair dryer to fix the dented ping pong ball.
Step 1: Preparation
- A hairdryer (ones that have the heat feature)
- Heat-resistant gloves (recommended)
Step 2: Start blowing
Turn on the hairdryer (adjusted to make the air heated) and blow the ball until it recovers to its original shape. This process may take about 30 seconds or 1 minute, depending on the level of heat your hairdryer can generate. You should hold the ball within your palm (with a glove).
Use a Lighter
Using a lighter is similar to using hot water. The purpose is to generate heat in the inner air of the ping pong balls. However, this method is a little riskier as you use a flame to generate heat which might lead to an unwanted fire.
Step 1: Preparation
- A lighter
- Heat-resistant gloves (recommended)
- Some cold water or a fire extinguisher (in case of fire)
Step 2: Start heating
You can now light the lighter up and keep it close to the dent on the ball. Remember not to keep the flame too close to the ball. This can be extremely dangerous, especially if you use a celluloid ping pong ball (flammable material). So, we recommend doing this method in an outdoor space.
Squeeze with your fingers
This method is the most hands-on as you don’t need any tools. Just simply use your fingers and thumbs to squeeze the hard line around the dent carefully until it pops out.
Note: This method only works if the ball is not severely dented.
How does Heat help undent ping pong balls?
Unlike pickle balls, table tennis balls have a surface that is closed off completely so that natural air fills the space inside the ball.
And the air is just like most other substances, which will expand under heat and shrink under cool temperature (based on science).
If the ping pong ball were dented, the air within it would become denser (compressed by the dent). The purpose of using heat is to expand the inner air to put more pressure on the wall of the ball. With enough heat, the air will eventually recover the ball to the natural shape where the volume of air inside is equal to the outer atmospheric pressure.
Why did the balls not recover?
There might be several reasons why the balls did not recover:
- The ball was too old and lost its elasticity. In other words, the material of the ball has already degraded and can no longer “bounce back”.
- The dent is too big or deep that the heat cannot expand the air enough to recover the ball.
- The ball is not heated evenly (uneven heating will cause the ball to deform).
- The ball is already damaged beyond repairs, such as having cracks, air leaks, or holes.
In these cases, you can’t fix the balls because they are just not usable anymore.
Conclusion
There you have it! Four methods on how to fix your dented ping pong balls at home. Depending on the severity of the dent, choose the method that works best for you.
Alternatively, you can choose to buy new ping pong balls if the damages are too severe to fix. We have a list of great ping pong balls for you to consider when shopping for new ones.
We hope this guide helps and answer the question of how to fix dented ping pong balls.