Making wooden balls...

[nclemmons]

Ran across this on the Internet.

Very simple way to make wooden balls...
https://imgur.com/mOkC4E6

 

[leakyroof]

Cool

 

[Corwin]

Croquet anyone?  [cool]

 

[Rob-GB]

Could have done with seeing this twenty odd years ago when I had to turn some wooden balls for a job. They are really hard to turn accurately with a lathe and skew chisel. The practice was helpful on some finials I made years later though.
Great video and thanks for posting it. Rob.

 

[ear3]

Is that a dedicated machine, or has he rigged up a drill to some sort of sliding jig?  Trying to figure out if I could replicate that on my lathe setup.

 

[Rob-GB]

Is that a dedicated machine, or has he rigged up a drill to some sort of sliding jig?  Trying to figure out if I could replicate that on my lathe setup.

Looks like a dedicated machine to me but a slower to use version could be made with some lateral thinking and an eye on user safety.

Rob.

 

[Stone Message]

I must show this to my urologist !

Peter

 

[Michael Kellough]

Fascinating video! I watched it at least a half dozen times. Is that cutter just a hole saw?

 

[nclemmons]

I think it is just a hole saw with no center bit...  should be possible to replicate with a lathe and some rigging...

 

[Cheese]

I think it is just a hole saw with no center bit...  should be possible to replicate with a lathe and some rigging...

I thought so too, however, at the very beginning of the video, for just an instant, the teeth are visible and they seem to be a finer pitch than that of a regular hole saw, which would make sense.  [unsure]  [unsure]

 

[grobkuschelig]

I found this image on AliExpress, showing a better view of the contraption.

They sell a set of the "hole-saws" on AliExpress. The teeth look a little more tailored to the application than the hole-saws I've seen prior.

Looks like a drill/chuck held by a plate at a 90 degree angle to a lathe, at least in this photo.

The video that started the thread seems to be the pro-version with auto-feed on the stock supply...

 

[Naildrivingman]

It’s pretty neat.  I’m having a hard time understanding how the ball stays attached to the stock by such a thin thread of material all the while being subject to rotational forces on two axes. It is impressive. I’m hoping there are some significant shields around this jig. The velocity of those balls could give jai alai balls a run for their money...ouch.