Byron Ice Bowl

[Jon Brakel]

http://home.comcast.net/~illinoisopen/byron.html

[Bruce Brakel]

Jamie and I played the course today after Kensington league.  I shot +4 and Jamie shot +6.  Par is 54 for 18 holes on this course, but there some holes where 3 is a very good score, so you have to get your 2s to shoot par.  We did not lose any discs.  I did not design very many blind holes.

After I warned Jamie not to go on the west end of the pond he did anyway and went through the ice to his ankles.  He got out quickly and did not really get wet inside the boots.  Its always a bonus when you tell a teenager, "Don't do X," and they do it anyway with detrimental but non-fatal immediate consequences.

Tracy is trying to get a snowblower out on the course to blow a path from each tee to basket and then to the next tee.  This should be a fun doubles tournament.  The mini trophies Kira and I are working on are looking pretty good.

[Bruce Brakel]

This Bronze division trophy is PDGA mini legal size.  Is it cool?  I have the worlds most stunted sense of cool so I really need to know.

[CEValkyrie]

I like them. Hand made is always cool.

[Bruce Brakel]

Would you want one of these for coming in first, second or third in your division at an Illinois Open tournament?  They cost about 1/4th of what we paid for trophies last year which leaves more for payout and lets us go a little deeper with trophies.

[mirth]

yes. trophies = cool.

[Jon Brakel]

I like them, but I wonder if there might be a way to spruce up the text a bit so that it doesn't seem like hand written sharpie? The basket work looks great.

[Bruce Brakel]

I agree with Jon 100%.  I've thought about trophy tags on the back side but if you want to use it as a mini you'll mess up your tag.  Plus, that gets you back to the place where the professional trophy guy who does not play disc golf is making more off the process than the little girl who is doing 90% of the work.

I've also thought about doing the text on paper as a ring, cutting the ring out, and decoupaging the ring onto the mini.  This requires an oil based poly coat that we can't do in doors.  When I used this process for the Disc Golf University wood minis I had problems with bubbling.  I think that this is a technical problem we  can overcome with better technique.  In March when we can work in the garage we might play around with the concept.

By the way, I think the basket on this one is a little jowly or bottom heavy.  We focussed on getting very nice parabolic curves on the chains and did not look critically at the basket shape.

[jim]

yes, handmade trophies rock
maybe vinyl stick-on letters instead of sharpie?
cheap and can be bought at hardware or grocery stores.

[tree]

I love Kira's hand made baskets. She does a nice job. I agree that the lettering needs to be upgraded.[/font]

[Bruce Brakel]

I agree that the lettering needs an upgrade.  I'm not certain that vinyl stickers would be an upgrade.  I don't have a good upgrade idea.  Here is a look at one of the mini trophies for the gold division:

[Jon Brakel]

I agree that the lettering needs an upgrade.  I'm not certain that vinyl stickers would be an upgrade.  I don't have a good upgrade idea.  Here is a look at one of the mini trophies for the gold division:

I don't think the vinyl stickers would be an upgrade because people wouldn't think of them as permanent. Especially if they use them as a mini. Right now, stick with the current lettering, but I'm thinking about it. It needs to fit two criteria, in my estimation. First it needs to be "cool" and second it needs to be as easy or easier than your current letting method. There is an answer out there...I just don't happen to know what it is yet.  

[CEValkyrie]

I agree that the lettering needs an upgrade.  I'm not certain that vinyl stickers would be an upgrade.  I don't have a good upgrade idea.  Here is a look at one of the mini trophies for the gold division:

Do you have a rotary tool? They are very tiny & have a bunch of different attachments. You could engrave the lettering. You already have your outline in sharpie. Just an idea. Good luck.  

[Bruce Brakel]

I agree that the lettering needs an upgrade.  I'm not certain that vinyl stickers would be an upgrade.  I don't have a good upgrade idea.  Here is a look at one of the mini trophies for the gold division:

Do you have a rotary tool? They are very tiny & have a bunch of different attachments. You could engrave the lettering. You already have your outline in sharpie. Just an idea. Good luck.

Do I have to already have one or can I just buy one?  This is an idea.  Wood burning was another idea someone mentioned the other day, not in this forum.  If we were to cut the lettering in before staining, the lettering would stain much darker and be clearly visible.  

Maybe Kira will have to reinvest some of her profit on this batch in a new peice of equipment.

[Bruce Brakel]

Here is the last Byron mini.  Half way through the project we ran out of flat chain and the store was out too so we switched to criss-cross chain.  This chain is actually more like the chain on a real basket.  Can you tell the difference?  Everyone here thinks it is an improvement.  

We've had our first two orders for custom minis.  Did not even know we were making custom minis but I guess now we are!

[airspuds]

decoupaging  

[CEValkyrie]

How did it go Bruce?

[Bruce Brakel]

How did it go Bruce?

Players: 60
Snow: 0-6 inches in most places
Temp: 24-48 degrees
Holes played: 44
Food: $230
Cash: $203
For the Pontiac Rescue Mission

Special thanks to Todd White and Am Nationals for donating a cool auction disc and to Tracy Glidden for spending way too much on it.

Jon and I took last CASH in bronze.  Was not much but its always fun to take CASH.

The Waterford Junior Girls Club raised a lot of money through the matchoing bucks deal they had with an anonymous sponsor who was basically giving them $1 for every dollar they raised for the Pontiac Rescue Mission.

Good day.  Good tournament.  The ams were happy to take the 80% cash payout and almost universally turned down the 120% prizes payout