Looking for the secret

[John Terefenko]

My ability to make a perfect round ball is not there. What are the secrets to this and what tools do you like to use and why. Want to try my hand at some Christmas ornaments with icicles. I just can't get the knack. I know practice is the key but need to know what to practice. Pictures will help.

[Raymond Overman]

Perfectly round balls either takes a mastery of the tools and a very steady hand or in most cases, a jig. A book called Woodturning Wizardry by David Springett discusses the jig and the techniques in using it.

For ornaments though, you don't have to have perfect spheres. In fact, they look a little better if you flatten the sphere a little.

[Jonathon Spafford]

I don't know exactly what you mean by problems as there are many possible problems making beads. Are they to long, to short, to square, to pointed in the middle? Part of your problem maybe that you mark the center line of your balls and start rounding them from the center... this is a common mistake. First what you should do is take a pair of calipers and find the thickness of the piece and transfer the thickness to the side of the cylinder. Then mark the center or aprox. center for reference point. To turn it start at the corners and slowly round one side and another until it looks like a ball. I usually use a 3/8" spindle gouge or a 1/2" skew... if you are just starting turning use a gouge as the skew can give ya trouble. Try putting a blank on there and just practice beads... after the spindle is full of beads, turn it down and turn another series of beads. I always thought that balls would be hard but they are really not... And like was said, Christmas ornaments look better when they are have a squattier globe. Hope this was helpful!

[Ron Ainge]

i have made more christmas ornaments than i care to say and to this day i have never tried to make one round. early on one of my mentors told me to look at ornaments that we for sale and see if i could find one that was round. to this day i am still looking for the first round one. make them so you like them and so will the people you give them to. good luck and happy turning.

[Mark Pruitt]

John, even the Earth isn't perfectly round, so don't feel bad!:D :D :D

I agree with what Raymond said. They do look more interesting when slightly "flattened."

[Quinn McCarthy]

John

I have never turned a sphere. But I think the first thing I would do is make a pattern on the drill press. Drill a hole in a piece of plywood or plastic the same diameter that the ball will be and then cut it in half and make a pattern. You should be able to use it while you are turning to get the shape right. Just an idea.

Quinn