Ball turning in the turret mill (photo)

[Ian B]

On a previous visit to a wood crafts shop in the UK, my wife had seen a christmas tree full of turned wooden baubles. She started plucking them, only to be told by the shop owner that they weren't for sale - customers had donated them over the years, so put them back, please.

I decided to knock a few out. I wanted them to be nice & spherical, so I started looking at the various ball turning attachments for lathes. This looked like turning into another one of those making things to make things projects.

Instead, I rigged up a dividing head and a boring head, and held the work in the miller's spindle:
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/10...t/2963c48f.jpg
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/10...t/ec20a1ea.jpg

And it worked fine. I'm lucky, in that the dividing head has the same taper as the mill (if Tim Leech is reading this, yes, that's your old dividing head...)

For some of the balls, I offset the table on teh X and Y axes - the shapes were no longer balls, but decorative all the same.

I made a dozen balls, now I just need to polish them, fit brass eyes to hang them with, and that's one Christmas prezzie sorted out.

Ian

[Evan]

My wife has seen this. You Bastich. I will have no rest until I try this. I don't have your convienient setup but it can be done.

[wierdscience]

Nice technnique,I have to try it also!

[spope14]

Great job. This is why I kee3p coming to the page.

[Ian B]

Thanks guys,

Just after I posted this, I saw the post on a similar topic (is it possible to...)

Looking at the posts, especially John Stevenson's, it makes you realise how many different ways there are to skin a cat.

Evan; do you have a rotary table? Mount it on an angle plate, clamp your lathe's topslide to the rotary table, rig up a toolholder, same effect.

Ian

[shaque]

Nice job Ian, this is the kind of stuff we look foreward to seeing, BUT, I have to agree with Evan, if the missus sees this there will no peace in the Swanson household , he made a big mistake letting the better half see this post Jim

[John Stevenson]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by shaque:
Nice job Ian, this is the kind of stuff we look foreward to seeing, BUT, I have to agree with Evan, if the missus sees this there will no peace in the Swanson household , he made a big mistake letting the better half see this post Jim </font>

Copy of this post emailed to [email protected]

John S.

[Herb W]

Evan,
You're missing a golden opportunity here...Ian did this in a TURRET MILL...certainly can't be done without a TURRET MILL...

Sure would be nice to have a TURRET MILL...

[Betterhalf]

Evan is downstairs slaving away. Says he is making something to make these with???? Will have to see what he comes up with.????? I am sure he will let you know.

[Alistair Hosie]

Herb W
Member posted 10-19-2003 04:32 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evan,
You're missing a golden opportunity here...Ian did this in a TURRET MILL...certainly can't be done without a TURRET MILL...
Sure would be nice to have a TURRET MILL...

Actually this can be done quite easily with a woodturning lathe by hand I wonder why you feel this can only be done on a turret mill Alistair

[John Stevenson]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Actually this can be done quite easily with a woodturning lathe by hand I wonder why you feel this can only be done on a turret mill Alistair

[/B]</font>

Spoilsport.

[Alistair Hosie]

Sorry john hey I saw this on ebay and thought of you check it out .Alistair
Artikelnummer: 2565602047

[Herb W]

Betterhalf, Alistair,
Just teasing Evan...noticed from reading here that he's pining for a milling machine.

When a shop guy reeeaaaally wants another machine he's gotta take every opportunity that comes along to convince himself, and, ahem...those around him...that he just can't get by without it.

[Alistair Hosie]

We like our toys what's wrong with that
I say we deserve them .Alistair

[Evan]

You all will have to help me out here. This just isn't a good enough excuse to buy a mill. I need something better.

Here is my South Bend 9" wood lathe and the adapter I whipped up this afternoon to turns balls. Wood balls. Big wood balls.

It fits in the tool post and can turn up to about 2.5" balls. This one was a real bitch 'cause all I had handy was a chunk of cedar fence post. It kept spinning on the mandrel. BUT, it works.

BTW, the pulley is the handwheel.



[This message has been edited by Evan (edited 10-19-2003).]