I need to make some wooden solid spheres of varying radii from 2" to 4". I do not have a lathe. I was thinking of roughing them out on the BS and then trying to finish them off by hand with a file and sandpaper. Suggestions?
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Don't be stupid, the universe is watching. -
You are probably going to get better results if you chuck them into a drill and clamp that down. Use it loke a cheap lathe.Joe Sacher -
*grumble* .... can't find it now ..... but I'll try to explain
somewhere I saw a jig that you use with a belt sander, basically just a box that sits over the belt, you throw a wood cube in the box, turn the belt sander on and when the clunkin' stops .... it's done
The only reference I can find to the jig right now is possibly in issue #23 of Fine Woodworking .... but I can't find the actual article.
Maybe someone here can cough up the issue???If it ain't broke.. don't fix it!!!... but you can always 'hop it up'
**one and only purchaser of a BT3C official thong** Comment
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Been there, Done that
I got a package from UPS that had been thru that darn Jig!Originally posted by Thom2*grumble* .... can't find it now ..... but I'll try to explain
somewhere I saw a jig that you use with a belt sander, basically just a box that sits over the belt, you throw a wood cube in the box, turn the belt sander on and when the clunkin' stops .... it's done
The only reference I can find to the jig right now is possibly in issue #23 of Fine Woodworking .... but I can't find the actual article.
Maybe someone here can cough up the issue???
When the box shipped, it was a rectangular solid, when I got it it looked like a BALL! LOLStop thinking why you can't and Start thinking how you CAN!
Remember, SUCCESS comes in CANS!
GeorgeComment
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Apparently this tip was reprinted in "Proven Shop Tips". The text of the tip in rec.woodworking:Originally posted by Thom2*grumble* .... can't find it now ..... but I'll try to explain
somewhere I saw a jig that you use with a belt sander, basically just a box that sits over the belt, you throw a wood cube in the box, turn the belt sander on and when the clunkin' stops .... it's done
The only reference I can find to the jig right now is possibly in issue #23 of Fine Woodworking .... but I can't find the actual article.
Maybe someone here can cough up the issue???
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.w...c250f71?hl=en&
You'll have to log in to Amazon to see the picture:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0918...=1#reader-page
The tip refers to 1/2" diameter balls. For a 4" radius, you'd start with an 8" wooden cube. You'd need a big sander, hearing protection and probably a lot of patience
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I'm thinking of a router with an edge guide or very stiff extended subbase. This would ride along a vertical semicircle template, so the tip of the router bit would trace out a corresponding path. Make a pass, rotate the work, repeat until you have a hemisphere. Glue two hemispheres together to make the sphere. I could try to draw a picture, scan and post if that description doesn't make sense.JerryComment
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Okay, so I thought I would update to save anybody else the pain of building that jig. Here's what I found:
(1) Easy to build with some 1x pine and a small piece of acrylic. All misc pieces already in my shop, so total cost = $0.
(2) It does "work" but you need to knock off the corners of the cubes before tossing them in the jig. Otherwise they will get stuck against the back edge *even if you build in a wedge to the back edge*.
(3) It takes a *loooooong* time running the sander to get anything resembling a sphere. The upside is that you don't have to monitor the operation so you can go and do other projects while the sphere(s) bouncing around like popcorn in the jig.
(4) The spheres come out with pretty poor finish (easy enough to fix I know) but not really spherical, more like egg shaped. I suppose leaving them in longer might round 'em out, but I don't like the idea of putting so many hours on my sander with so little reward.
(5) In the end after experimenting I with this, I decided to go a different route. So I ended up building a poormans' outboard lathe with an old benchtop DP that was in the process of being converted into an OSS anyway. It is SO much faster even with the primitive turning tools I have (file, rasp, and sandpaper). See other thread too....Don't be stupid, the universe is watching.Comment
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