Alright folks, let me tell you about this crazy project I just wrapped up. The title was “large football trophies,” and boy, did it live up to its name!
It all started when this local youth football league reached out. They wanted something… substantial, for their end-of-season awards. Not those dinky little things you get from the sporting goods store. They envisioned BIG. So, naturally, I said, “Challenge accepted!”
First, I sketched out a bunch of designs. We’re talking full-on brainstorming mode here. I drew everything from classic Lombardi-style trophies to these crazy, abstract football shapes. The league went with a design that was kind of a mix of both – a traditional cup shape, but with a really dynamic, spiraling football element on top. It looked cool on paper, but I knew actually building it was gonna be a pain.
Next came the materials. I originally thought metal, but the cost…oof! Way too high. So I switched gears and decided to go with a combination of wood and resin. I sourced some beautiful walnut for the base and cup, and then ordered a ton of epoxy resin for the football part. I also grabbed some gold leaf – because, you know, trophies gotta have that bling!
The woodworking was pretty straightforward. I cut, shaped, and sanded the walnut like crazy. Then I glued it all together and applied a nice finish. That base looked amazing. But the resin football… that was a different story.
I had this elaborate mold that I built out of silicone. I mixed the resin, poured it in, and then waited… and waited… And when I finally demolded it… disaster! Air bubbles EVERYWHERE! The football looked like a freakin’ honeycomb. I was so bummed.
I almost gave up, but then I remembered this trick I saw online. I got myself a pressure pot (basically a fancy pressure cooker) and tried again. This time, the resin came out crystal clear. YES! I spent hours sanding and polishing it until it shone like glass.
Then came the fun part: gold leafing. I applied a thin layer of adhesive to the resin football and then carefully placed the gold leaf on top. It’s a messy process, but the result is stunning. The gold really popped against the clear resin.
Finally, I assembled everything. I attached the resin football to the walnut cup, added a little engraved plaque, and bam! A giant, gorgeous football trophy. It was HUGE! I think it stood like two feet tall.
The league was thrilled! They said it was even better than they imagined. Seeing their faces when they picked up the trophies made all the blood, sweat, and resin fumes worth it. Definitely one of my favorite projects to date.
Lessons learned?
- Pressure pots are your friend when working with resin.
- Gold leaf is messy, but totally worth it.
- Always overestimate the amount of material you’ll need.
I’m already thinking about what crazy trophy I can build next! Any ideas?
