help needed, anyone got a ball turning jig?

[adidat]

hi

i need some help with a project i working on.

i need to turn these boxwood lengths.

in to balls?

they need to be about 32mm diameter

to finish up with something like this

beer tokens available, apply within

thanks

adidat

 

[chipmunk]

Hi Adidat,
This method is easier than making a jig for a one-off or a two-off.

http://www.davidreedsmith.com/articles/scoopornament/spheretemplate/spheretemplate.htm

HTH
Jon

 

[woodyturner]

Sharpen a piece of steel pipe of the same diameter and move it around from side to side on the piece of wood to be turned and you will get a perfect ball

 

[Spindle]

Hi

What Woodyturner said is good

Regards Mick

 

[Jacob]

Hi Adidat,
This method is easier than making a jig for a one-off or a two-off.

http://www.davidreedsmith.com/articles/scoopornament/spheretemplate/spheretemplate.htm

HTH
Jon

That's clever.
You can do exactly the same (sequence of bevels) more easily with a pair of dividers. You draw the circumference out to size on a board, mark in the bevels (45º, 22½º etc.) and just take off the measurements with dividers.
For greater accuracy you could use scaling dividers - draw the circumference over-size and then reduce with the dividers.
You can do this for straight runs too e.g. half-rounds on the edge of a board. Or for any compound profile (ellipse etc) - draw the shape, mark the bevels, take off the marks.

http://www.mathsinstruments.me.uk/page65.html

 

[Jonzjob]

Hi Adidat,
This method is easier than making a jig for a one-off or a two-off.

http://www.davidreedsmith.com/articles/scoopornament/spheretemplate/spheretemplate.htm

HTH
Jon

JC and his 12 mates, that looks complicated?

My method was to turn a cylinder to the diameter I wanted, measure the diameter dimention along that cylinder and mark it, turn a rough sphere from that and part it off. Then you mount it in a pnch chuck that you have made to hold it between the head and tail stock. You first turn the rough ball through 90º to your first turn and smooth it down to round again. Check it and turn it on its access a couple of times and in a very short time you will have a sphere/ball to the size you want

It can be as big or as little as you need. I did 36 X 5/8'' for my totally wooden lazy susan tat I posted a while back..

 

[12345Peter]

It can be as big or as little as you need. I did 36 X 5/8'' for my totally wooden lazy susan tat I posted a while back..

Hi John, What are you holding the wood in, at the tailstock, I take it, it is live, whatever it is?

regards

 

[Jonzjob]

One of these Peter. An Axy multi head thingy with a custom turned fit for that particular size ball. It just fits in the hole that the Axy steel ends fit in..

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ax ... rod831018/

I have had it for a while now, about 8 years or so, and it is a very useful bit of kit..

 

[12345Peter]

I have had it for a while now, about 8 years or so, and it is a very useful bit of kit..

Thanks John, that is very useful, it can go on my wish list for birthdays etc.

Regards

 

[monkeybiter]

When I tried this method, not having a tailstock socket, I turned a piece of Oak to a snug fit over the outside of the live centre, and the other end with the profile required [concave hemisphere].

 

[Jonzjob]

Mike, that is another method I have used when I wanted bigger balls :roll: :roll: It works well, but you need to make sure it's a good fit over yer live end

Seriously though, the only restriction to this turning lark is your imagination?

 

[chipmunk]

JC and his 12 mates, that looks complicated?

My method was to turn a cylinder to the diameter I wanted, measure the diameter dimention along that cylinder and mark it, turn a rough sphere from that and part it off.

Hi JJ,
There's always more than one way to skin the cat.

The method you described works just fine for simple balls and I've used it myself a few times. But it looked to me as if Adidat needed to leave a spigot on one end of the balls for the ferrule where it meets the body of the router.

Not sure that the method of turning away the ghosting would work in that case?

Woody,
The pipe idea (or a sharpened de-toothed bi-metal holesaw "on a stick") is fine but the finish can be a hit-and-miss IMHO because it's always a scrape. Give me a spindle gouge or skew anytime.

Jon