What’s your favorite hobby? Some people like to garden, jog, or read, while others enjoy collecting things. But, according to news reports, an Oregon man may have taken his love for collecting things to a new level. Steve Milton, doesn’t collect stamps, bugs or ceramic cows, it’s rubber bands that make him go wild. And now his passion for collecting the stretchy material has landed him in the national spotlight.
Milton’s latest creation is a 3,300-pound ball comprised of rubber bands. His handiwork measures almost 5 feet tall and takes up half his two-car garage. Though it’s not official, various media outlets say the 26-year-old Eugene man has likely broken the record for the heaviest such ball, eclipsing John Bain’s mark of 3,120 pounds—a record that has stood for eight years.
The potentially record breaking ball has somewhat of a cult following (which has grown steadily over time) as Milton has posted updates of his ball’s growing girth on his MySpace page. Viewers to his MySpace page have been treated to such video taped events such as a forklift being used to drop the massive rubber band ball on an old van—causing the vehicle’s doors to blow off and its roof to flatten.
Milton told reporters he started building the ball last November. He bought rubber bands at retail stores and then started purchasing in bulk from the Pennsylvania-based Dykema Rubber Band Company. The company’s president said he realized Milton was serious when he got an order for 1,000 pounds of 12-inch rubber bands. He cut him a deal on the remaining 2,000 pounds.
But Milton says he’s not done yet. He wants to stretch the ball at least another 1,000 pounds, but admits that accomplishing that feat will be a challenge. Milton said as it is now he must be very careful to keep the ball contained with blocks of wood so it doesn’t roll away. In addition, he says he wears gloves to avoid burning his hands from friction and has learned to move when a band breaks.