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How To: Ping Pong Ball Nails with Dr. Robert

Gibson

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Dr. Robert Gibso

Gibson
n

performer, teacher and

advocate of new music.
He has performed as a
soloist and chamber
musician at venues
around the United States
as well as in Mexico and
Italy. Dr. Gibson has also performed as a
soloist with several orchestras including the
San Antonio Symphony. As a proponent of
new, Robert has worked at length with
composers on writing for the guitar and has
performed world premiers for the music of
Donald Grantham, James Norman, Traci Mendel, and Sir Anthony Hopkins to name a few.

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Convention 2016

Unaccompanied Music by Bach

Presented by Joo
Kouyoumdjian

1. A high quality ping-pong ball. I must stress the importance of having a professional grade
ball. Inexpensive balls are too thin and will not generate enough resistance as you move
through the string. The result will be a thin, weak and brittle sound. I use the Nataku 3 Star
Premium.
2. Superglue. Not all superglues are created equal. It is crucial to have glue that will hold the
nail sufficiently. I have found that Gorilla superglue and Elmers superglue work the best.
3. Scissors. I prefer small scissors with a sharp point at the end.
4. Nail Clippers
5. Nail paper or other nail buffing device
6. Glue Accelerator (For example, a product called Cherry Rap Dry works well, however this is
optional.)
Process:
1. Cut the ping-pong ball in half along the rib (the reinforcement that goes around the
circumference of the ball). Cut this rib out of the ball on both halves.
2. Cut a square, about 1 inch in diameter from one of the halves. (The size of this square should
be slightly larger than you natural nail.)

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3. Cut a half moon shape into the square. This half moon cut should be just about the size and
shape of your natural nail. You may want to trace this shape onto the square before you cut to
help ensure greater precision. It is better to underestimate the size of the cut. This will allow
you to adjust the size of the half moon cut later if you need to expand on this size.

4. Slide this under your existing nail to make sure that it fits (your natural nail should be
relatively short, but long enough to attach a ping-pong ball). You may need to adjust the size
of the cut.
5. Apply a thin lining of superglue along the top of the ping-pong nail. The glue should be
applied to the exterior portion of the ball.

6. Slide this under your nail and hold it in place with your other hand until the ping-pong nail is
secure.

7. Apply another thin layer of glue on the top where the natural and artificial nails connect.
8. You can either let the glue dry over several minutes or you can spray the glue accelerator to
speed up the drying process.
9. After the glue has dried, you can then cut away some of the excess ping-pong nail with
clippers. Shape the artificial nail so that it approximates your desired nail shape.

10. Shape the nail with your file to your desired length and shape. If there is
top of the nail, you should file it down as well.

11.

excess glue on the

Finally, polish your nail and play.

The life of a ping-pong nail varies depending on how well you take care of your nails and the
growth rate of your natural nail. When your natural nail grows out, it will be necessary to change
the nail. If you take care of your nails, you may get a week or two out of them. However, you
should reapply small amounts of glue to portions of the ping-pong that begin to separate from
the nail. This will extend the life of the ping-pong nail.

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