Balls !!!

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Wood spoiler

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Not an expression of exasperation - it is a summary of my activity

Thought I'd go for a bowl of them as an alternative to the more standard bowl of fruit.

I particularly like the yew ones.

They are fantastically tactile and compel the "fiddling with"

What do you think?

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They look lovely Colin and much more practical than a bowl of fruit eg a game of marbles, carpet bowls etc. My grandchildren would love them!

Regards Keith
 
did you cheat and use one of those sphere turning jigs??
if not, you have a lot of skill and patience!
 
Thanks for the kind comments

It appears I cheated as I did use a ball turning tool, pivoting around fixed centre to cut the ball.

But if you can imagine a between centre turning you are left with a central bar to get rid of.

Having turned the balls it is removed from the lathe and cut on the band saw into individual balls.

I then clamp between a turned chuck piece and another piece which sits over the top of my tailstock to hold the balls at 90 degrees and then turn off the nibs. If you had a hollow tail centre you could turn a simpler piece. jonzjob showed a simple set in the thread about the Lazy Susan here not-so-lazy-susan-t53706-30.html

Ball turning tool

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Solution to turn off nibs

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Nice bowl :mrgreen:

Balls ain't arf bad neiver :roll: Look good really, well very good if I'm 'onest!

The jig you made for turning the knibs off is about the same as the one I did init. But I didn't cheat :twisted: It also has the advantage that you don't even have to stop the lathe to put the next one in..

I'm a bit worried about Knappers though :eek: :eek:

Edit : - I just had a look back at the photo of your jig and see that you have a set of O'Donnel jaws too. Good ain't they!
 
Jonzjob":1t2tnngh said:
Nice bowl :mrgreen:

Balls ain't arf bad neiver :roll: Look good really, well very good if I'm 'onest!

The jig you made for turning the knibs off is about the same as the one I did init. But I didn't cheat :twisted: It also has the advantage that you don't even have to stop the lathe to put the next one in..

I'm a bit worried about Knappers though :eek: :eek:

Edit : - I just had a look back at the photo of your jig and see that you have a set of O'Donnel jaws too. Good ain't they!

Sadly I had to stop between each ball because the "over the tailstock" I had to make of necessity, is a bit loose, so each one has to be centered and clamped. Your version is more efficient, but I didn't have a hollow tailstock centre. But in services to turners everywhere between us we have "educamated" the masses innit!

And yes John - all the best Turners have the O'Donnel jaws!
 
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