Learning a new thing - Spheres

[ccccchunt]

This has definitely been a learning experience and a refresher course in Math and spatial relationship. Started off with 4x4x4" cast hybrid blanks I made from various stuff around my shop (Olive Burl, Fordite, Cutting Board Scraps, Black 3d printed dragon scale, stabilized burl cutoffs). Then made a LOT of shavings with many mistakes and finally came up with these. Hardest part is sanding and finishing. I ended up sanding through as many grits as I could using self-made cup inserts in my headstock and tailstock. Then I used Zona paper and wet sanded them by hand while sitting on back deck in the sun with a beer!

Largest one is just under 4" in diameter and they weigh in at about 800 grams so are quite hefty.

Next, I will apply wax and buff them on my buffing wheels to get the final finish.

I learned that spheres are hard. Ovals - not so much.

 

[thewishman]

Those look AWESOME! The olive burl is amazing! Love them!

 

[ccccchunt]

Those look AWESOME! The olive burl is amazing! Love them!

Thank you! I purposely left the worm holes in the olive burl but may regret it later. I hit them with some CA and hopefully it will keep them intact.

 

[mark james]

OK... sweet turnings! I appreciate the learning curve. Thanks for sharing.

 

[LouCee]

Very cool, nice work!

 

[TellicoTurning]

Great concept... I've only made one sphere and it was almost round... also turned a stand for it. A lady bought it and had it inked by another vendor who did pen and ink... she brought it back to me to show it off, where I took a picture of it.... I used Bradford Pear as the blank.
Not quite as impressive as your resin ones though.... was fun to make and got a number of good compliments at the market.

I used the same method you used, the turned cup at the headstock to hold it in place. Finish is my usual sanding sealer and wipe on poly.
This late date, don't remember exact dimensions, but think it was in range of 3 or 4 inches diameter.

 

[SteveJ]

Next up: Custom Bocci balls....

You would have the coolest Bocci set ever!

 

[derekdd]

Those look great but it hurts my head justing thinking about what it would take to pull that off.

Well done!

 

[ccccchunt]

Was going to post a tutorial but found a video that explains it perfectly.

 

[bzahn]

Wow. Those are amazing! Nice job!

 

[howsitwork]

Very, very nice work. I've turned ovals and " near balls" but as yet no spheres.
Differential sanding of resin vs timber would have been my worry but they look great.

 

[dogcatcher]

Dozens of jigs on YouTube to make the perfect sphere. My method uses a hole saw mounted in my bench size drill press with the quill centered on the centerline of the lathe. With the lathe turning against the hole saw turning.
There are also commercial versions of sphere turning jigs.

 

[ccccchunt]

Very, very nice work. I've turned ovals and " near balls" but as yet no spheres.
Differential sanding of resin vs timber would have been my worry but they look great.

Yes, the sanding is tricky. I did one day before last that was colored pencils in resin. That one is still kicking my butt. I used the cheap dollar store colored pencils and apparently the "lead" melts when you get it wet. So now I have a sphere with a bunch of little depressions after wet sanding. I may just try coating the entire thing in resin to finish it. Not sure yet.

 

[ccccchunt]

Dozens of jigs on YouTube to make the perfect sphere. My method uses a hole saw mounted in my bench size drill press with the quill centered on the centerline of the lathe. With the lathe turning against the hole saw turning.
There are also commercial versions of sphere turning jigs.

I've seen the jigs with the hole saws. I cannot even fathom trying to do a 5" ball like that!!! The stress on both machines would be tremendous!

 

[ccccchunt]

Next up: Custom Bocci balls....

You would have the coolest Bocci set ever!

My wife said the same thing!!

 

[TellicoTurning]

I was in the shop yesterday and your post popped into my head.... Things like that happen a lot in the shop.. if they don't pop into the head, they pop of the lathe into my head or face.....
But I realized that I turn spheres a lot.... most of my pepper mill tops are spheres.

Sometimes they are actually round.

I like the Bocce ball idea... you might have a new industry there.... don't know how many balls are in a set.
For what it's worth, there is a jig that fits on a lathe that does perfect round balls... just don't know who makes it or who sells it right now.