Has Anyone??

[John Terefenko]

Did not know where to put this question so I will try a few different forums. I am looking to cut a billiard ball in half. Has anyone done this and if so what tool and what blade??? Thanks

I seen someone turn a box out of one so he must have cut it. Do not remember where.

[Brian McInturff]

I think if I was going to cut one I'd just use a 1/4" blade on my band saw. I'd probably would use a little cutting oil also to keep the heat down. I probably would build a jig to hold it also. I've never cut one but that would be how I'd attempt it. If I can find one I'll give it a try just because now I'm curious what's in the middle

[Clem Wixted]

A Google search found this:

http://www.atarn.org/korean/IA_kr_2.htm

Did not know where to put this question so I will try a few different forums. I am looking to cut a billiard ball in half. Has anyone done this and if so what tool and what blade??? Thanks

I seen someone turn a box out of one so he must have cut it. Do not remember where.

[Mike Vickery]

I seen someone turn a box out of one so he must have cut it. Do not remember where.

http://paulporterwoodturning.com/id174.htm

Paul Porter is the first one I know of that starting making these. I saw him demo it one and I believe he actually used a parting tool to cut off the top.
Jason Clark that occasionally hangs out in the turning forum I know has tried it as well you might want to drop him a line to see how he did it.

[Steve Mawson]

Most interesting. Let us know how you do it and what to watch out for-problem wise.

[Paul Porter]

I have cut lots of billiard balls. The modern balls are made from either phenolic (sp) or polyester. I used my regular HSS tools but I had to sharpen them frequently. Be sure and were a dust mask...the shavings (more like powder) are pretty nasty.

Good Luck,
Paul

[John Terefenko]

Paul is the man yesssssss. That is the pictures I remembered seeing. Excellent work. At this time I am not going to attempt a box as you did but a question on the cutting part. An ordinary parting tool will cut this???? What kind of jig did you make to hold it??? Does the colors run through the entire ball??? Is the ball solid or is there an inner core??? Thanks for answering. Love your site. Beautiful work.

[Jason Hallowell]

Pool and billiard balls are solid all the way through. How deep the color goes depends on the brand. There is a huge variety of balls and ball types out there, including clear or marbelized cast ones. The cheap balls are often made from materials very similar to the polyester or acrylic resins used for many pen blanks. The better quality ones are all made from phenolic resin. It is also possible to find antique balls made from clay or ivory.

I have cut up some cueballs on the bandsaw to make ferrules for pool cues. I just used some thick scrap wood with a hole the size of the ball cut in it as a jig to hold it for the first cut. I hammered some shims in between the ball and the inside of the hole to make sure it wouldn't spin.

[Paul Engle]

Also If I remember correctly they are made using formeldahide so lots of fresh air is needed or at least check out the chemicals use to produce phenolic resins.

[Jason Hallowell]

Also If I remember correctly they are made using formeldahide so lots of fresh air is needed or at least check out the chemicals use to produce phenolic resins.

I do know that older linen and canvas based phenolic materails used formeldahide, so it's probably a good idea to have good ventilation and a mask.

Also beware of certain bar box cueballs that could ruin your blade or tools. With the exception of the new diamond smart tables, small bar sized coin-op tables use cueballs that are mechanically different than the object balls, so that they are redirected to a different ball return. Some are heavier, some are larger diameter, and some are impregnated with ferrous material to activate a magnetic switch. The ones full of metal could ruin a bandsaw blade or dull your turning tools very quickly.

[Paul Porter]

An ordinary parting tool will cut this???? What kind of jig did you make to hold it??? Does the colors run through the entire ball??? Is the ball solid or is there an inner core??? Thanks for answering. Love your site. Beautiful work.

I use a thin parting tool like the Chris Stott style. I bought my billiard balls from sellers on eBay. Some of the sets the color goes all the through the ball and other don't. The boxes made from the marbleized balls seem to sell the best. The cue balls make great handles for a knockout bar.

Paul