Making your own flags

[JugglingReferee]

Does anyone here make their own flags?

If so, what do you use for the ball part?

With the exception of the stuff for the ball, I can make my own flag for $1.25.  To purchase a flag is $20.  Given that I have 3 at any one time, the savings is worth it.  Plus, I can save my colleagues some cash as well.

[TXMike]

$20 !!?!?!?!?!?!?!
 
Do the words "ripped off" mean anything to you?

[JugglingReferee]

A guy from my association said he paid $20.  I just looked online and it appears they're $12.  Maybe he meant $20 including shipping.  So 3 new flags would be $44.

However, I bought 3 flags about 5 years ago and $19 sticks in my mind as what I paid.

I looked at US flags and the price I see is $7.

But still, if I can make one for $2...

[TXMike]

Even though they are orange they still should not cost that much!!!  Must go to pay for the great health care system y'all have up there.   

$10 here (still way too much)  http://shop.worldofsports.ihoststores.com/productinfo.aspx?productid=FLAG

Anyway...you wanna make one, use this as your center, 24 ounces of control:

[JugglingReferee]

But then I'd have to turn that flag into a torpedo style flag and I'm not certain how conducive that flag would be to that task.  I could try it though.

The health care system up here is good.  But over-rated at the same time.

I would like 24oz of control!   

[HLinNC]

I haven't made flags but I usually modify the ones I buy with fishing weights.  The factory loaded sand just doesn't give them enough heft, particularly on a windy day.

I do make my linesman clips from parts from the hardware store across the highway.  One of our umpire's mother-in-law has made striped jackets in the past. The one's I've seen look nicer than the officials supplier ones.

When we switched to blue bean bags from white, I bought some blue fabric paint and painted the old white ones I had.  It didn't work all that well on the vinyl bags but the nylon ones came out fine.  The cotton ones I bought off eBay are a little stiff but they may work in time.

Shipping eats up a nearly half the total bill for smaller items anymore.  I usually purchase stuff at the annual state clinic when I can.  Honig's Mid-Atlantic brings their trailer and sets up in the lobby.  You can call them prior to the date and they'll put your order together and save the shipping charges.

If more suppliers would use US Priority Mail, its only like $5 and they usually deliver way before UPS for about half the price.  Of course the "handling" part of "shipping & handling" should always be regarded as "extra profit".

[Welpe]

Anyway...you wanna make one, use this as your center, 24 ounces of control:

Jeez, Mike, you trying to kill somebody? Or is that so the clock operator from the press box can drop a flag on the spot?

[JugglingReferee]

Jeez, Mike, you trying to kill somebody? Or is that so the clock operator from the press box can drop a flag on the spot?

He's the HJ... the High Judge.   

[110]

But then I'd have to turn that flag into a torpedo style flag and I'm not certain how conducive that flag would be to that task.  I could try it though.

The health care system up here is good.  But over-rated at the same time.

I would like 24oz of control!   

a) Buy orange thread.
b) find a needle.
c) Use a seam ripper to open half of one side of the seam of the standard orange CFL-type flag.
d) insert all the aquarium gravel you can find. Or, if you have access, lead shot.
e) hand-stitch the seam back together.

[bama_stripes]

Of course the "handling" part of "shipping & handling" should always be regarded as "extra profit".

Not at all.  In fact, I suspect that most supply businesses don't even fully recover their costs.

Somebody has to put the items into a box, tape it securely shut, apply an address label and take it to the post office.  (Unless you're buying from Hogwart's............)

[chymechowder]

HLinNC, are you serious about the fishing weights?  I thought nobody did that anymore because of the danger of taking someone's eye or teeth out??

[HLinNC]

HLinNC, are you serious about the fishing weights?

Overblown IMO.  Its not like I put half a tackle box worth in there.  Just enough to make it land where I want it to.

I guess I could save all the little rubber turf pellets I've collected over the last 6 or 7 years and use those instead.

[clydesummers]

I make my own using ripstop fabric (from any larger fabric shops) and 2" loop velcro -cut a strip of velcro about 6-8" in length. Fold the strip in half and stitch along the length leaving the end unsewn. I use lead shot for the weight - weight suited to user (I made mine heavier so I can reach those spot fouls). Put the lead shot into a pouch or small ziplock bag (small enough to fit inside the newly made velcro pouch) and place into the velcro pouch. Sew up the open end of the velcro pouch sealing the lead shot inside with the flag material also sewn into the pouch end. Photo included. I use velcro to mate with the hook velcro strip I added to my pants pocket for the flag.

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[SD_Casey]

My Wife made mine.

She put sand in Saran Wrap (about 3/4 the size of a Golf Ball), then wrapped it again in Saran Wrap and secured it with a rubber band.  She put it slightly off center in an approximately 6"x16" yellow (cotton, I think) cloth.  She closed it off with a rubber band then she took a zip tie and a little clip from an old keychain and zip tied it shut with the clip attached to the zip tie for an emergency chain clip.

The Result:

http://db.tt/bZn76uA5

[bossman72]

I haven't made my own, but I've had to replace the filling in a couple of my old ones.

I had some Smitty flags from about 4 years ago.  The stuff used for weights on the inside "bled" through the flag when it rained and I would have a giant orange stain on my knickers after every game.  I took my flag apart and threw the cloth in the washing machine and threw the filling away.  I replaced the filling with a mixture of the smallest plastic beads I could find at walmart and the smallest metal BB's I could find.  I then wrapped that in cloth and taped it shut.  I then twisted the ball of my flag and secured it with black hockey tape (cut in half length-wise so the tape on it wasn't huge).  Has worked very well for me!

[Roscoe]

$12 for two black ball penalty flags and thats all i need.