Turning round balls???

[John Terefenko]

How is this done?? Has anyone here ever done this and do you have photos??? Is there a special tool or jig to do this??? How do you determine the correct size??? My project list keeps growing. I eventually want to turn some segmented balls but need to learn the basics. Thanks in advance.

[Johnny Taylor]

John, jigs are commercially available for turning balls but are quite simple to make yourself at a fraction of the cost(a few bolts, bits of wood and some form of cutter). I think there are a few examples on youtube that you can look at. Some can turn them without a jig but I'm sure they are not like us mere mortals!! The other thing you need whether trying to turn freehand or to finish spheres turned from a jig is a cup drive and cup centre, I have one that I have made to fit in the chuck and the other I have made to push over the live centre in the tailstock.

[Steve Trauthwein]

Hi John,

A mere mortal here, who can turn spheres free hand. Like anything else it just takes practice and determination. Your wood needs to be dry and conducive to spherical turnings ( woods that tend to crack a lot just move too much). I start with the wood between centers, rectangular shaped and about an inch longer than the thickness of the wood. Turn the wood round and determine the diameter and middle of the piece, mark the middle and then lay out the overall size. Cut the waste on each end to a manageable tenon, 1/2 inch or so. Then start cutting the sphere with small cuts by just visualizing it. When you start to get close a good aid is anything that is about half the diameter of your current sphere that you can see through, maybe a plastic jar lid that you have cut the top off of. You can use this to gage the high spots on your sphere, as perfect concave and convex objects will contact each other with no light. This will basically show you the high spots.

When you get as close as you can this way you will need to mount a piece of scrap in the lathe that is larger by 3/4 of an inch or so than the diameter of the sphere. This you will turn round and face off then turn a semi sphere in the end that will be a little smaller than the diameter of the sphere you are turning ( I have these in various sizes that are tapped for my spindle and can be readily selected for the sphere at hand). Hold the sphere up to this concave semi-sphere and give it a tap with a mallet or tool handle. This will hold it while you cut to the shadow line and make your sphere perfectly round. When you turn it around you may have to adjust the semi-sphere.

This won't happen the first time you try it. Learning to get the semi-sphere deep enough and the right size is the most challenging part, but with a couple of days worth of practice you will be able to make spheres of any size in a moments notice with just the tools at hand. It will also improve your overall turning ability. One can probably learn to make spheres about as quickly as one can build a jig.

Regards, Steve

[jared herbert]

there was an article in, I believe woodturning design, about how to do this. I saw it and was curious about it. So I started making balls. It really isnt that hard to do. after a little practice I could turn out a very close to round ball in a few minutes. I made the two jigs, cup centers described in the article and went to town with it. I will hunt around and see if I can find the article. Jared

[Dan Hintz]

Jared,

It started with a cube between centers, if I recall. Using a parting tool, carve a line down the middle so that it just barely cuts into the flat sides. Flip it 90 degrees so the centers now touch the newly cut line and repeat the process. Those two cut lines provide the boundaries for a sphere and make it a lot easier to see it as your freehand the shape.

[John Terefenko]

there was an article in, I believe woodturning design, about how to do this. I saw it and was curious about it. So I started making balls. It really isnt that hard to do. after a little practice I could turn out a very close to round ball in a few minutes. I made the two jigs, cup centers described in the article and went to town with it. I will hunt around and see if I can find the article. Jared


Jared

You don't happen to remember the article date???? I love it when people say its not hard. A pile of wood later I am still at it. :)

[Mark Hubl]

John,

If your an AAW member American Woodturner online 16.2:26-28 and 16.3:26-27. Some inspiration in 23.1:40-41.

[Kevin Lucas]

A turner at our local club worked in metal for years. He does a lot of round spheres. He uses a L shaped bracket that has a guide that fits between the ways and locks. From the L bracket is a round bar with platform on top. The platform swivels right and left. Your tool is clamped on top with a bar and bolts. His advice if you do this is have your tools cutting edge AT center. Measure to the center of the headtock shaft from the ways. High or lower you don't get that nice round sphere.
Nibble the edges and slowly advance the tool, tighten cut repeat. He even added a cam that advances the tool (no clue how he did that). I wish I could make one but I suck at metal work.

[jared herbert]

I will do some research and let you know, Jared

[Ted Calver]

John,,check lindsaylathetools for one of the commercial jigs. (No affiliation)

[Primvs Aebvtivs]

I got a copy of "Woodturning wizardy" for christmas - same design as Kevin (above) mentions, with plans and everything you need to do!

[jared herbert]

Finally found it, it was in the american woodturner August of 2010 or volume25 issue #4. the article explains it pretty well. It took me a while to try to visualize how it worked but it does.. Make the 2 cup centers and go for it. And like the article says, the ball doesnt have to be perfect, just close. By the time you sand the ball, it will look ok. good luck Jared
Jared

You don't happen to remember the article date???? I love it when people say its not hard. A pile of wood later I am still at it. :)

[John Terefenko]

Great advice everyone and I will check all these things out. Looks like I have enough info to give this a try. Thanks again.

[Roy Turbett]

My club just put out a challenge for members to turn a croquet mallet and ball prior to our summer picnic. We're going to have a contest for the best mallet and ball and then play the game.

[John Terefenko]

I now have looked at some of the commercial jigs out there and decided thay are too expensive to me. I still want to be able to do this and would like to make a simple jig from homemade materials. If anyone has any links to a simple design that can fit on a jet mini lathe I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

[Kevin Lucas]

Depending whether your are good with metal or wood fabrication I found 2 that may work.
http://homepage3.nifty.com/manasan/english/diy/diygr83.htm metal version

http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=1527 a wood version.

Some modification may be needed to get it all to the right height etc but it may give you the general idea.

[John Terefenko]

Kevin

The second one with the wood link did not work. The first one with the metal is something I probably can work with. Thanks. I never saw these links and you were the first to provide them from various forums I posted this on. I now have a project. :)

[Dan Hintz]

Wood one worked for me... the design is pretty much the same all around, just an arm that arcs around a center point, so once you've seen one you've seen them all.

[Carl Civitella]

http://www.syzygypens.com/blog/2009/02/28/turning-a-hollow-sphere/ try this carl

[Primvs Aebvtivs]

I'm going to go through my scrounged junk drawer in the shop, to see if I've got anything to make the metal one - thanks for the links, all very interesting!

[Grant Wilkinson]

John: I replied to you on the segmenter's site.

[John Terefenko]

John: I replied to you on the segmenter's site.

Yes Grant thanks. I am going to try making my own. I will first try using some aluminum and see where it goes. I have so many irons in the fire because it is winter and I have a little shop time. I am working on some cool pen ideas. The ball thing is going to be for some clocks than I have an idea I want to try. Having fun again.