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Thread: Turned Spheres

  1. #1
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    Turned Spheres

    <P><b><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>Hello Everyone</font></font></b>,
    <P>After spending a week away from my shop (vacation), I decided to try something new. I read an article in a recent AWA magazine that showed the steps for turning spheres. It looked pretty do-able. Rick Potter's post about making your own live center accessories really help to inspire me (thanks Rick!).
    <P>I turned a cup center for my Talon, and one for my live out of some scrap mahogany. The rest of the procedure was right out of the magazine. And you know what? I've never tried something that worked out as easily as this! It was like writing a computer program from scratch and having it run perfect the first time. I could rough out a 3" dia. sphere and final turn it in a matter of minutes.
    <P>The spheres pictured below were all turned from scrap pieces of hardwood I had laying around the shop. I used Ash, Sweetgum, Spalted Beech, and Walnut. The Ash and Sweetgum spheres are about 3" in diameter, while the Walnut and Beech are about 2 1/4".
    <P>Using my vacuum chuck while sanding these made that process a piece of cake. All of them were sanded to 600 grit and given a couple of coats of <b>Tried and True's Original Oil Finish</b>. After-which, I buffed them with my <b>Beall Buffing System</b>.
    <P>Thanks for viewing.
    <p><font color="#000099"><b><i>See ya around the Creek,</font></b></i>
    <p><b><font color="#000066"><font size=+1>Dominic</font></font></b>
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
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    Great balls of fire!

    Nope, don't burn them. They look great, now what are you going to do with them?? Missed you at the picnic this year!
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

    My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute

  3. #3

    Hey Dom I thought Bocci balls were...

    all supposed to be the same size? Nice job though, the sweetgum looks particularly nice.
    Dave Anderson

    Chester, NH

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Schierer
    Missed you at the picnic this year!
    Lee,
    Yeah! I know! I wanted to have a chance to catch up with you.
    SWMBO made reservations for our vacation down the Jersey Shore for that very Weekend. I took off from work on Friday August 1st just so I could make it to at least one day of Bill's BBQ.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Schierer
    Nope, don't burn them. They look great, now what are you going to do with them??
    Sell them. What else! Would you believe that I have requests for sets of (12) already? The women here at work want them (and I have requests for wooden eggs too) to display in the wooden bowls they have bought from me. How's that for a cool use of scrap wood!

    See ya,
    Dominic
    Dominic Greco

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Anderson NH
    all supposed to be the same size? Nice job though, the sweetgum looks particularly nice.
    Actually, the (2) larger ones (Sweetgum and Ash) <B>are</B> the same size (3" OD). The (2) Walnut ones are 2 1/4" in dia. The only one that turned out smalled was the spalted beech. It was so punky that I ended up covering 96% of it with CA glue. It developed the "oblong" shape while I was sanding it.
    Dominic Greco

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dominic Greco
    SWMBO made reservations for our vacation down the Jersey Shore for that very Weekend.
    Next year get your dates straight! I expect to see and egg turning demo and want a lesson in egg turning next year! Besides, I have lots of new things in the book for her to look at!
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

    My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute

  7. #7
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    Thumbs up

    Very cool Dom, I really like the walnut & sweetgum.


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  8. #8
    I like the ones out of walnut. The depth looks great.
    Jim

  9. #9
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    Nice job, Dominic. That article caught my eye, too, and with your pictorial encouragement I suppose I'll have to try this in a couple of months when I get my lathe out from under the kitchen renovation. If you're a member of Bucks Turners, be sure you bring them to the September meeting. If not...bring them anyway and join!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker
    Nice job, Dominic. That article caught my eye, too, and with your pictorial encouragement I suppose I'll have to try this in a couple of months when I get my lathe out from under the kitchen renovation. If you're a member of Bucks Turners, be sure you bring them to the September meeting. If not...bring them anyway and join!
    Jim,
    Thanks for the compliments. The process is so easy it's scary. If I could do this, I'm sure just about anyone can.

    Yeah, I'm a Buck's member already. But I haven't been to many meetings this past year. I'm hoping to be able to make September's. Maybe I'll see you there.
    Dominic

  11. #11
    Mike Schwing Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Young
    I like the ones out of walnut. The depth looks great.
    Ditto!!!!!!!!

  12. #12
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    Awa?

    Please excuse my ignorance but what does the AWA stand for. Those balls look real nice and I would like to try my hand at it.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Downes
    Please excuse my ignorance but what does the AWA stand for. Those balls look real nice and I would like to try my hand at it.
    I think he actually meant AAW (American Association of Woodturners) the magazine is American Woodturner http://www.woodturner.org/aw/.

    But here is a site with instructions.
    http://www.geocities.com/erynthegrey/rob/woodensphere/

    I have no affiliation with anyone (well at least nobody mentioned in this post)

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Hammelef
    I think he actually meant AAW (American Association of Woodturners) the magazine is American Woodturner http://www.woodturner.org/aw/.

    But here is a site with instructions.
    http://www.geocities.com/erynthegrey/rob/woodensphere/

    I have no affiliation with anyone (well at least nobody mentioned in this post)
    Those are some pretty detailed instructions! I like em'!
    And for some reason, I'm was thinking it was <b>The American Woodturner's Association</b> instead of <b><I>The Association of American Woodturner's</I></b>. That's pretty sad since I had the magazine right in front of me!

    Dominic
    Dominic Greco

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Downes
    Please excuse my ignorance but what does the AWA stand for. Those balls look real nice and I would like to try my hand at it.
    Paul,
    Like Dave mentioned in his post, it's the <B><I>American Association of Woodturners</B></I>. If you're not a member yet, I <b><BIG>highly</b></BIG> recommend joining. Besides becoming a member, you get a subscription ot their magazine. The magazine is just loaded with great articles, and the members gallery is just plain awesome.
    <P>See ya around the Creek,
    <p>Dominic

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