Football Speakers

This is a project for putting speakers inside a football. You will need some rectangular shaped speakers, a leather hole puncher, zip ties, a football, duct tape, styrafoam, an exacto knife, soldering equipment, electrical tape, hot glue, a computer with 3D Printing Software and a 3D Printer (Optional), an auxiliary input cable (optional), and some cardboard.

Step 1: Deconstruct Speaker

Get an inexpensive desktop computer speaker and deconstruct the speaker by unscrewing and disconnecting any pieces (Note, only cut wires if needed to separate speakers from main component, doing so will require more soldering later)

Step 2: Prepping the Football

Cut open football along back side as shown and remove bladder. You will need to keep the bladder intact.

Step 3: Obtain Measurements

Get measurements for the control panel. This will be used later for incisions in the football. Depending on the speaker model and size these measurements will vary.

Step 4: Prepping the Auxiliary (Optional)

I chose to do this step because my control panel didn't come with an auxiliary input plug, so if yours doesn't either and you want to do this, then continue reading. Find an auxiliary input and cut it to about the size shown in the picture. You will need to save some room to bare the wires and solder it in the next step.

Step 5: "Hacking" the Auxiliary

Once you have bared the cords on the auxiliary input on both the control panel one you want to put in, then solder them together and connect it similarly to how I did in the pictures. Use some strong tape to connect it and use hot glue as well to ensure a solid connection. This needs to be connected firmly so that when you plug in an auxiliary cord it will not wiggle loose.

Step 6: Access to the Controls in the Football

Using the size of the control panel WITH the auxiliary input if you chose to do that step, create a hole similar to this in the center of the football. This is where you will be able to access the controls when the football is closed up. I reccommend that you leave a little extra room on the sides.

Step 7: Creating the Holder

This step can be altered depending on what resources you have at hand. I got a block of styrofoam and cut it down into a block a little bigger than the size of the control panel. Next, I cut a hole through the middle of it so that it was just big enough for the control panel to fit snugly inside. Make sure there is a hole in the back side as well so that cords can flow through the back. After that I made a wedge so that it would lay inside the football at the right angle. This step is not set in stone and can be altered slightly.

Step 8: Securing the Speakers

This step requires more precision than all of the others, so be careful while doing it. Lay the speaker in the desired spot of the football, which should be about where I put mine, and leave markings where the holes in the corners of the speakers are as a reference point. You will next need to puncture holes in the spots that you just drew and get some screws and nuts to secure the speakers in place. The size of the screws and nuts isn't that important, but make sure they are strong enough to hold up the speaker. Put the speaker in place and make tighten the nuts on and ensure that it is a snug fit. If this is to your pleasing, then recripocate this action with the other speaker. If not, then make adjustments until you can get the speaker to fit right.

Step 9: Enhancing Sound Quality

Get your leather hole puncher and punch multiple holes in the area that the speaker will be at. This step will take some maneuvering with the football, so don't be afraid to fold it and punch holes through, but be careful not to go through the other side. Take the speaker out for this step.

Step 10: Connecting the Speakers

Solder the speakers back to the control panel, make sure that you solder the right wires together and use plenty of electrical tape. After this step I would plug in the speaker and test it out to ensure that it works. If it doesn't work then you messed up on the soldering and you will have to bare the wires and restart the soldering process.

Step 11: Putting It All Together

Carefully slide the control panel into the holder you made for it earlier and feed the power wire out the back side and through the inflation hole as seen in the third picture. Fasten the speakers in place and then place the control panel that is in the holder inside the football. Make sure that you can see the controls from the front and everything fits well.

Step 12: Closing It Up

Put the bladder inside the football and close it up. Make sure that the when you put the bladder in the control panel doesn't shift, as this is a problem I had. You may need to deflate the bladder a little bit so it fits. Once you have ensured everything is in place, then use the leather hole puncher to create holes across from each other and fasten the sides together with the zip ties. The bladder should fit in tightly, without much wiggle room so that the control panel is pushed to the front and everything has a tight fit.

Step 13: Creating the Stand (Optional)

Get the side measurements for your football and create a prototype similar to mine in the first picture with cardboard. Your stand can be completely different from mine, this is just a design I liked and found to work well. Once you finish prototyping and are happy with the results, then you can create the stand in 3D Printing Software and 3D Print the stand. I can send you my STL for the stand so you can bypass these steps. Congratulations, you're now done!!!