ideas on how to cut a slot in a wood ball....

[chris fox]

This is a finishing touch on a puzzle box I made for my son. The top of the box will have 4 wood spheres with a slot in them. Two spheres will hold a 9" x 12" puzzle on angle, so the top will display 2 puzzles. The box holds 12 puzzles all together. The box can be bought but I built one with scrape BB and shellac. These accent spheres will get painted.

My first idea is to fasten the sphere via a wood screw, create a MDF fixture that suspends the sphere over my TS blade and make my passes. I dont have a dado blad so multiple passes will do. Remove the screw wedge in a .38" mdf(maybe with 2 sided tape) then use this to cut the flat which gets glued to the top of the puzzle box.

The mills at work will be occupied for a while which is probably the easiest, secure on a vice and run passes using 3/8 endmill.

The dimensions are approx.

Anyway, please offer your suggestions for safe cutting.

Attached is a pic...

thanks,
Chris

[Steve Wargo]

If it were me... I'd cut the nutch then turn the sphere. If you already have the sphere turned you could try holding he piece with a wooden screw clamp and cut a 90 degree V's in the jaws this usually grips round shaped pretty well. good luck.

[Lee DeRaud]

Build a frame out of 1/2" ply just barely big enough to accept the balls and hot-glue them in, maybe with some wedges. Either run it down the fence of the TS lengthwise to cut the slots, or come in from the side with a bandsaw (safer, IMHO, but probably not as accurate).

[Jim DeLaney]

I'd glue or screw the already flattened ball to a base board, clamp it on the table of my SCMS, and mill the slot. Probably take three, maybe four passes to get the 0.38" width you need. so unclamping and moving between passes would ne necessary.

[chris fox]

I dont own a lather, so I purchased these balls over at Michael's crafts store.
Not sure I understadn a wooden screw approach, is this for safety to avoid cutting steel clamp??
Another idea, using 2 screws(so the ball wont spin/move) counter sink screw to a plywood stock. Run the plywood on edge along the fence, making sure I dont hit the screw(s)

[Bruce Wrenn]

Make a miniture table saw sled for them. Using a square piece 3/4 ply that is same size as ball, bore a hole that is large enough to hold ball, but ball doesn't extent through. Hole should be centered on ply square. Add fences at front and rear. Fences need to be against ball. Be sure to keep fastners out of line of cut. Clamp fences so ball can't turn. Saw through sled and ball along center line of sled. Move fence over slightly and cut again. Then turn sled around and cut again, without moving fence. Measure slot. Move fence one half of needed increase of size of slot, and make two more cuts. Hope these direction are as clear as mud.