Quick Feedback on Vermec Sphere Jig???

[mike ash]

Would a Vermec Sphere Jig be the one I should buy? Research of 4 year old info says it was probably the best one.

Thanks, Mike

[David Walser]

Mike -- I have the Vermec sphere jig. It is built like a tank and has no slop in its movement. However, I've never owned the competing jigs one the market and many woodturners are fans of those other jigs. Some of the things I like about the Vermec:

• The fit and finish. As I said, built like a tank and there is no slop -- yet everything that should move moves very smoothly.
  
• The bearings and the shaft on which the cutter rotates are oversized. I say oversized because they are much larger than the competition. I believe this reduces vibration in use and should increase longevity.
  
• The 'center point' that can be raised from the center of the pivot. It makes setting the jig up easy and repeatable.

Things I don't like about the jig:

• It's heavy! It's not as heavy as many tailstocks, but you'll want to use two hands. This is the downside of the thing being made from steel, not aluminium, and everything being oversized.
  
• It's expensive.
  
• It's prevented me from being really good at turning spheres without a jig. I can do it. Sometimes I do turn without the jig just for the challenge. But, when I'm after multiple spheres of the same size, need a sphere of a particular size, or want to maximize the size of the sphere I'm turning, I reach for the jig. Or, if I just want to turn a sphere quickly and without stress, I use the jig.

HTH

David

[mike ash]

David - thank you for the excellent review. I appreciate you taking the time to share this with me.

Mike

[Kevin Jenness]

You are probably aware of the Clark sphere jig. I haven't used one but I do have the Clark hollowing setup, which is heavy and well made. If I were buying a sphere jig I would consider Vermec and Clark. The Clark will turn balls up to 3" less than the lathe's swing.

[mike ash]

Thanks Kevin - I just checked out the Clark system and don't see that it has a "fine" depth adjustment, which is important to me. I sure appears to be SOLID however.

[Peter Blair]

I have and love my Vermec sphere jig for the same reasons David has stated very clearly. I originally made a HD one from steel and Aluminum and if all you want is a sphere jig it worked just fine. The Vermec is just a joy tool to use.

[David Walser]

Kevin -- I don't know about Mike, but I was not aware of the Clark sphere turning jig. It does allow you to turn a larger sphere than does the Vermec sphere jig. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

[Bill Szydlo]

Mike,
I have owned the Vermec Jig for a few years and I concur with what Mike said about it. I compared it to others and thought the build quality was superior. I live in the US but found that it was much cheaper to order direct from Vermec and pay the shipping. At the time the exchange rates were very favorable. The people at Vermec were wonderful to work with and provided accurate quotes on shipping before I committed. If you are considering the jig I would definitely contact them directly.
Bill

[John K Jordan]

Would a Vermec Sphere Jig be the one I should buy? Research of 4 year old info says it was probably the best one.
Thanks, Mike

Mike,

I have the Vermec, ordered directly from Australia. At the time the US distributor didn't expect to have any for a few months - it turned out it was cheaper to buy it directly.

I haven't used other sphere jigs but I did lend the Vermec to a friend who has experience with several other jigs. He said the Vermec was the best of those, probably because it was so sturdy, as David said, built like a tank. With at least one other jig there was some play. I don't remember which other jigs he had used but I could call and ask if you want.

I've turned plenty of spheres by "hand" which is quicker than setting up and shaping with a jig. However, with the jig it is easy to get a perfect surface, especially when turning inside hemispheres such as to make a hollow sphere. I also used the jig to make a spherical "emerging bowl". Even the outside of an emerging bowl you are turning only half of a sphere so you can't use the usual method of finish turning a sphere on several axes. Of course you can make a templates for the outside and inside but the jig made it simple. The Vermec web site has a couple of videos about turning a hollow sphere. https://www.vermec.com/store/p27/Vermec_Sphere_Jig.html

A disadvantage to the jig is it needs to be ordered to fit a specific size lathe. (The same as with a thread-cutting jig) If you switch to a different lathe some day you might have to order new parts or make some adapter.

Hey, just for fun: did you ever watch the sphere demo where Mark StLeger turns several spheres, all the same size? They are perfect enough so when stacked on a base you can give the top one a twist and the whole stack rotates? Good fun! The only aid he uses is a little cylinder of PVC pipe or something to check for a perfect spherical surface. Here is Mark having just finished a stack. (I'm happy to have this one in my collection. ) Mark is one of my favorite demonstrators/teachers - soft spoken, good sense of humor, and so talented.

Mark_StLeger_spheres.jpg

JKJ

[mike ash]

Thanks for all the info and suggestions. This Forum is amazing!!!

[tom lucas]

I have the chefwarekits jig. It works for me. Though, I can't get down to the 1" minimum they claim. Best I can do is about 1-1/4". I haven't tried to max it out yet at 9". Easy enough to use and it converts to a thread cutting jig if you buy the extra parts. Costs much less than the Vermec.

[Kevin Jenness]

Thanks Kevin - I just checked out the Clark system and don't see that it has a "fine" depth adjustment, which is important to me. I sure appears to be SOLID however.

It does have a fine adjuster as shown in the basic setup video on this webpage https://www.theokspindoctor.com/Articles.asp?ID=257 It also will accept pretty much any cutting tool such as a Hunter type carbide cutter.

They are backed up on orders so if you are in a hurry the Vermec may be a better choice.

[John K Jordan]

I have the chefwarekits jig. It works for me. Though, I can't get down to the 1" minimum they claim. Best I can do is about 1-1/4". I haven't tried to max it out yet at 9". Easy enough to use and it converts to a thread cutting jig if you buy the extra parts. Costs much less than the Vermec.

If you want small spheres there is another way. Years ago I cut a length of pipe to make a tool to turn small spheres. I made a bunch mostly from exotic woods. I called it a "tube gouge" but it actually was more of a scraper. I cut galvanized pipe with a hand-held pipe cutter which left a ragged edge that worked quite well to remove wood.

tube_gouge.jpg

I roughly shaped the wood with a spindle gouge than held the pipe against the wood, swinging it back and forth until I had a nicely shaped sphere.

JKJ

[David Walser]

Another comment on sphere jigs: In my mind, like threading jigs, there are basically two groups of jigs. With the threading jigs, you have the the kind, like the one from ChefwareKits, that mount in your banjo. You also have the kind, like the Baxter Thread Master, that are based on a machinist's cross-slide. The banjo mounted jigs work well. Many turners get good results with them. However, virtually everyone agrees that the cross-slide based jigs are more accurate and, probably, more durable. That extra accuracy comes at a price -- a higher cost to buy and more space required to store.

The question is, do you need that extra accuracy? Changing the analogy once again, with some of today's rifles, it is possible to get sub-MOA accuracy. (Much better than most of us can shoot.) Do you need that kind of accuracy with a rifle? Not when you're shooting at deer sized targets at 150 yards or less. My trusty Winchester '94 serves excellently under such conditions, but it will never deliver sub-MOA accuracy! On the other hand, when you're hunting in the western US, where distances for a 'good shot' may exceed 400 yards, you might need all the accuracy your rifle can provide.

Returning to the question of how much accuracy do you need with your threading jig, my answer is a well-made version of a banjo mounted jig is more than adequate. Typically, we're threading wood -- which moves. After a certain point, the accuracy of a jig may exceed the capacity of the materials we are using. The extra accuracy of a cross-slide based jig may provide NO practical benefit in the end product. Of course, just because I don't NEED sub-MOA accuracy from my deer rifle, that doesn't mean I won't enjoy shooting a super accurate rifle more than one of merely adequate accuracy! (I don't currently own a threading jig. When I buy one, it will be Baxter's Thread Master from Best Wood Tools. This isn't a purely rational decision. I just like well-made machines.)

But, why use a jig at all to thread? Turners have been hand-threading for hundreds of years. Two reasons: First, a jig permits a turner who infrequently threads to get good results. Second, a jig permits threading where the materials, or the design, make it difficult or impossible to thread by hand. Each turner needs to decide if those benefits warrant the expense of a jig.

Something similar applies to sphere jigs. The Perfect Sphere Jig from Carter does a good job. It costs less than the Vermec or the Clark jigs. Does the extra 'quality' of the Vermec provide any additional practical benefit over the Carter? Maybe, depending on how you'll be using it. Do you need a jig at all? Again, a sphere jig makes it easier for those who don't turn many spheres to get good results, get consistent sized spheres, and, as John said, turn things that would be much more difficult, if not impossible, without the jig. Again, each of us need to decide if a sphere jig should be a part of our woodturning arsenal.

[tom lucas]

If you want small spheres there is another way. Years ago I cut a length of pipe to make a tool to turn small spheres. I made a bunch mostly from exotic woods. I called it a "tube gouge" but it actually was more of a scraper. I cut galvanized pipe with a hand-held pipe cutter which left a ragged edge that worked quite well to remove wood.

tube_gouge.jpg

I roughly shaped the wood with a spindle gouge than held the pipe against the wood, swinging it back and forth until I had a nicely shaped sphere.

JKJ

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll remember that if I have a need. Would be easy to make.