New Vermec Sphere Cutting Jig

[Chris Fairbanks]

Hey guys, I was just wondering if any of you guys have had contact with anyone from Vermec lately? I sent an email (used the one on their site) inquiring about getting a sphere jig several days ago but haven't heard anything back from them.

Thanks,
Tim

Tim, They are based in Australia and if you emailed them only a few days ago they might not have seen it since they are about 16 hours ahead of US West coast time and its been the weekend. Nadine is normally fairly responsive so I would give her another day or so. If its urgent check to see what your international calling rate is for your phone as some of the phone companies are outrageous while others are super reasonable. When I ordered my jig late last year I checked and my comcast voip phone was only $0.09 a minute so I just called them to ask the few questions I had and to give her my credit card number. It was well worth the 10 minutes of international calling I spent talking to them. They were super helpful and very quick on shipping the jig.

[Tim Pollock]

Thanks for the response Chris! I sent the email last Thursday night so the time difference very well may be the reason I haven't gotten a response. Maybe I'll hear something from them tomorrow or the next day. I had a quite unusual request so they may not want to talk to me at all. LOL Just kidding.

[Chris Fairbanks]

I had a quite unusual request so they may not want to talk to me at all. LOL Just kidding.

Tim, I think they only make sphere jigs, they cannot make cube jigs

[Tim Pollock]

Tim, I think they only make sphere jigs, they cannot make cube jigs

LOL But I'm an oddball, I have to be different from everybody else.
Actually Nadine just replied to my email. Unfortunately she said their jigs wouldn't work for my application. I sent her another message though and inquired about the possibility of purchasing just the top portion and I'd build the base myself.

My lathe is the Delta 46-460 so it only has a 12" swing. I do some cups (kuksa in the bushcraft world which is just the Finnish word for wooden cup) and due to the handle I need more clearance than their jig will allow on my lathe with the tall base they have. I need 3-1/2" to 4" of clearance from center to the top of the base.

[Tim Pollock]

Here's what I mean about the handle.

IMG_4980.jpg

[John K Jordan]

Here's what I mean about the handle.

IMG_4980.jpg

I don't understand. Do you want the sphere jig to turn the outside? The curve of the shape you show doesn't look even close to a sphere on the side (from the view in the photo). If you want the outside of the bottom 1/3rd or so to be spherical it seems the jig should work fine, assuming you get one with the right height to match your lathe. The upper part would have to be done by hand as usual because of the handle.

It looks easy enough to turn without a jig, though, using the method of marking off 8ths and 16ths (or even wimp out and buy the Berger calipers!: https://sorenberger.co.nz/products/s...sphere-caliper) In fact, I'm wondering if a perfect spherical bottom would be difficult to blend into a pleasant curve on the sides without looking stilted. (None of the pictures I saw for kuksa/guksi/kasa cups looked spherical, all quite flat on the bottom, I assume to sit on the table.)

Or do you want the entire thing to be a sphere instead of the shape shown? Could you not turn the outside in the other orientation, with the handle on the lathe axis towards the spindle, then jam mount 90-deg and turn the inside? This is the way turners sometimes make coffee scoops, sort of like this video but with the wood that will contain the handle initially towards the headstock and held in a chuck to allow using the sphere jig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgm9gmtHhNo

Or maybe I just don't understand! Maybe more pics, description?

BTW, beautiful work on the cup in the photo. I love the shape. What kind of wood did you use?

JKJ

[Tim Pollock]

I don't understand. Do you want the sphere jig to turn the outside? The curve of the shape you show doesn't look even close to a sphere on the side (from the view in the photo). If you want the outside of the bottom 1/3rd or so to be spherical it seems the jig should work fine, assuming you get one with the right height to match your lathe. The upper part would have to be done by hand as usual because of the handle.

It looks easy enough to turn without a jig, though, using the method of marking off 8ths and 16ths (or even wimp out and buy the Berger calipers!: https://sorenberger.co.nz/products/s...sphere-caliper) In fact, I'm wondering if a perfect spherical bottom would be difficult to blend into a pleasant curve on the sides without looking stilted. (None of the pictures I saw for kuksa/guksi/kasa cups looked spherical, all quite flat on the bottom, I assume to sit on the table.)

Or do you want the entire thing to be a sphere instead of the shape shown? Could you not turn the outside in the other orientation, with the handle on the lathe axis towards the spindle, then jam mount 90-deg and turn the inside? This is the way turners sometimes make coffee scoops, sort of like this video but with the wood that will contain the handle initially towards the headstock and held in a chuck to allow using the sphere jig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgm9gmtHhNo

Or maybe I just don't understand! Maybe more pics, description?

BTW, beautiful work on the cup in the photo. I love the shape. What kind of wood did you use?

JKJ

My apologies guys, I didn't explain well at all. I had an accident several years ago that left me with a traumatic brain injury and sometimes I struggle to put things to words well. Turning is great therapy though and I absolutely love turning. I'll preface by saying that wanting a sphere jig is more about being a tool-a-holic than actually needing one.

I want to be able to turn perfect spheres for other projects besides the kuksas but thought it might be helpful for them as well if I could make one work with my lathe. All the kuksas I've seen have a flat bottom on them so they will sit on their own so I'm not trying to do the bottom sperical. What I've been shooting for lately is a spherical shape starting from about 3/4" down from the rim (that portion is just straight and allows room for the handle) down to the flat of the bottom. The straight portion at the top is also needed to get enough capacity for the kuksa without it being an overly large diameter. I also thought having a sphere jig might help (if that outside portion is spherical) with getting a good even wall thickness when turning the inside. I'll try to get some photos to help explain what I'm shooting for.

Thank you for the kind words John! The kuksa in the photo was made from a maple tree I harvested after a storm took it down.

Many thanks for the responses and the help guys!!!
Tim

[Peter Blair]

IMHO this is the best tutorial. Before I bought my Vermec I was using a home made sphere jig and this tutorial. Care is essential.

http://floridawoodturningsymposium.c...low-Sphere.pdf

[Tim Pollock]

Here's a photo that might help explain what I'm shooting for. The jig would only be used for the one area of the kuksa. I've been doing these just fine (though I do struggle to get a shape I'm pleased with) without a sphere jig but thought one would be cool to play with. Basically where the bottom of the handle meets the bowl would be the equator. Hope this better explains what I'm shooting for with a sphere jig. The handle is what the problem is, the vermec jig having such a tall base won't allow enough clearance for the handle. I'm hoping they'll sell me just the top portion of one and I can make my own base and a taller post to make it work with my lathe. One of these days I hope to have a 3520 which would certainly solve the problem but can't afford one at this time.

Untitled.jpg

[Tim Pollock]

Still haven't heard back from Nadine or anyone else from Vermec so apparently they aren't willing to sell the jig without the base. I believe they have the best sphere jig on the market with the exception that the height of their base really limits the capacity of their jigs, which is a shame. I could have made my own base and riser post to gain more capacity without too much trouble but a similar quill mechanism would be much more difficult.

I'll keep looking.

[John K Jordan]

Still haven't heard back from Nadine or anyone else from Vermec so apparently they aren't willing to sell the jig without the base. I believe they have the best sphere jig on the market with the exception that the height of their base really limits the capacity of their jigs, which is a shame. I could have made my own base and riser post to gain more capacity without too much trouble but a similar quill mechanism would be much more difficult.

I'll keep looking.

Maybe just buy the entire jig and use what you want now. Arguably the best spear jig available, It ought to retain it's value for resale some day. In fact, I bought two accessory jigs for the lathe, one had increased in price so much I sold years later for more than I paid for it, and the other (a Baxter threading jig) increased in cost tremendously since I bought it.

Also, you might try the Emporium, the US distributor. Maybe they will sell pieces.

[Tim Pollock]

Maybe just buy the entire jig and use what you want now. Arguably the best spear jig available, It ought to retain it's value for resale some day. In fact, I bought two accessory jigs for the lathe, one had increased in price so much I sold years later for more than I paid for it, and the other (a Baxter threading jig) increased in cost tremendously since I bought it.

Also, you might try the Emporium, the US distributor. Maybe they will sell pieces.

Thanks for the response John.
I've thought about buying the whole jig, it just seems a shame to purchase the bottom section which I wouldn't be able to use. I re-sent the email to Vermec this morning so maybe I'll get a response this time. That's a great Idea contacting Emporium, I'll do that. I contacted Paul Howard about his jig last night, quick response back from him this morning, $268 shipped. I'm not sure if his jig will do concave turning though so I emailed him a couple more questions.