Turning MASSIVE Balls

[Roger Chandler]

One of our members of the Grizzly Green Monster Group [GGMG] posted this link to a guy who sold a farm in order to build this contraption to turn huge wooden balls.

Thanks to Chris Harvan for the link!

http://vimeo.com/41892788

[Steve Vaughan]

WOW! That's HUGE! Betting that new PM won't even handle that with the head slid right on down to the end.

[jared herbert]

I was just out in the shop sanding and putting some finish on some balls that I have made, 3-4 inches in diameter, walked in, sat down and found this video. the ones in the video are outstanding, the turning methods are similar to what I use on the small ones but on a much larger scale. Jared

[Todd Burch]

Very cool!

[Wally Dickerman]

Well okay....What does he DO with a bunch of 3 or 4 ft. turned wood balls? Some with stump rot and voids. I wish we had seen more of the lathe and the cutting tool.

[Jon Nuckles]

Wonder what he uses to give them their DNA soak? That is a man with a vision!

[Marty Eargle]

Those are amazing. Who needs a coffee table when you can have a giant ball in your living room? There is really something to admire about turners who take things to the next level.

[curtis rosche]

coll video and machine,, liked the faceplate, but it seemed like something was loose, the balls tended to wobble as they turned

[Rick Markham]

That's pretty cool, I think the most amusing part is his candid nature... even he hasn't reached the bottom of the vortex :eek:... I mean after going that far, I would not be able to rest until those were 3 foot hollow balls!:D Pretty amazing and inspiring work. Now I'm off to go price a Unimog.

[Joe Kieve]

Good grief! He must buy CA glue in 55 gal drums to fill all those voids. Really gorgeous stuff though.

Joe

[Scott Lux]

Very cool.

[David DeCristoforo]

I am appalled by the lack of "giant balls" quips...

You have to have them to make them...

[John C Lawson]

I think, with this topic, it would take them to make that sort of comment. Better to just let it hang unsaid...

[Scott Hackler]

I wanna see his hollowing rig! :)

[John Shuk]

There is a guy in Montrose, NY sells them and always seems to have a bunch around.
Truly amazing machines and put to good use here.

That's pretty cool, I think the most amusing part is his candid nature... even he hasn't reached the bottom of the vortex :eek:... I mean after going that far, I would not be able to rest until those were 3 foot hollow balls!:D Pretty amazing and inspiring work. Now I'm off to go price a Unimog.

[Dick Mahany]

I only hpoe this guy doesn't store these things at a place on a hill !;)

[Gary Herrmann]

C'mon, not even a "Man, does he have a pair?" Cool video.

[Ryan Baker]

That was a really cool video. But how does he keep them from cracking ... and becoming really oval...

[Rick Markham]

C'mon, not even a "Man, does he have a pair?" Cool video.

I bet his wife has a nice set :p

[Rick Markham]

I am appalled by the lack of "giant balls" quips...

You have to have them to make them...

Bet he needs a wheelbarrow to haul those around!

[Olaf Vogel]

From what I could see, the cutting tool (for lack of a better name) looks like a mill end (really cheap if used), mounted on a spindle, inside a tube. Bearings on both ends, cutter on the front and pulley on the back. Motor looks like about 3/4 to 1 hp. All the mounted on a plate that likely pivots in the middle to get the round shape, but has adjustments to move in and out.

I'd considered building something like that to rough in really large blanks and figure it would work reasonably well for hollowing as well. My first attempt failed when I got too ambitious and used a 6" dia, 1" wide cutter on the end. It works, but by the time I mounted the 2 hp motor, axle etc, its so heavy I can't move it well and didn't make as nice a control system as his. Now I have motivation to try again. Same as his, I'm using really low speed, about 10 rpm, basically a 1/2 hp gear motor, 2" pulley to a 14" pulley, so tons of torque. even though my cutter isn't great, the low speed works well for a lot of sanding on large parts.

[Tim Rinehart]

wow...that's passion for something. I kinda cringe when he talks about the 'crash' between the high speed cutting action and the spinning chunk of tree! Very cool though...I will have to look up one of the galleries out in western NC where I believe some pieces are.

[Moses Weisberg]

Must be quite a vacuum chuck to finish the bottom.

[Alan MacHardy]

I see all the comments but how do you locate the pictures on this forum?

[Roger Chandler]

I see all the comments but how do you locate the pictures on this forum?

Check the first post in this thread.........there is a link to the video on the internet..........very cool watching it!

[Kevin Bourque]

Next up: 6 foot balls!!!

[Bill Wyko]

Boy, and I thought I had balls!! I laughed when he said he sold a farm to build his lathe. I think the Vortex got a hold of him by a pair of those. LMAO.