Nice job. I have found that necessity is the Mother of invention. A lot of machinists can't afford to spend a fortune on pre-made tools. I have a box full of things that I have made over the years. I never had time to make a ball cutter, instead, I cut them by moving the cross slide in and out by hand while moving the carriage with the power feed. I actually got pretty good at it. Excellent video.
I have always admired the Kiwi's self-sufficiency and ability to fabricate just about anything they need from home shop tools. There are probably more lathes and mills per capita in New Zealand than just about anywhere in the world.
Brilliant idea and a little bit more polished than I was in the process of making. Now I can replace all the knobs on my Mill with metal ones with bearings inside so they spin freely. The sorts of things that us machinists come up with when needed, and I like the replaceable cutting tool that gives you 6 cutting surfaces 3 each side and when it's dull toss it and replace. I use these types exclusively now rather than tool steel.
That is a really slick way to make that attachment! To keep your locking set-screws from marring your slide, try brazing a small bit of bronze rod onto the tip of the screw and relieved to clear the threads.
Well thanks! Now you've got me started hahaha... I need to make one too, this is just really a wonderful add-on for my lathe and God knows what else will turn up with these brass balls. Even plastic would do for some applications! Thanks for sharing this!!
Great way of doing it. Far better that the ones that mount to the tool post. This seems like it would cause very little vibration, plus you could make a tool holder to make concave ball shells with it too.
Very interresting !. I was comparing this way of using your attachment to what we use in wood turning as a ball turning device. where there is no hole in the ball....vERY GOOD PRESENTATION....
@irfp460, I think the threading attachment is just like using a die handle. Put the lathe at the lowest speed, and turn the attachment by hand with power off to the lathe.
Icutmetal after I posted that comment, I seen an auto release threading attachment. It may be the type you were talking about. It uses 4 jaws? I have seen a floating die handle that attaches to the tailstock.
This is fun I have the same lathe and just finish the same. My design is about the same. If you make a post aimed the other way you can concave withthe same tool or combine with a cutter out both ways.
Very nice! I'm just getting into this as a hobby. I was wondering... If you wanted to make a perfect sphere, without any type of a projection on one end, how could you do it? Would you have to make a special jig for the piece to hold the piece while you radius the final part of it or would you use another too that would allow you to carry through with the final cut?
Do you have a video of you making the ball turner itself? How about a materials list. Great job. I plan on making one myself. At least tell me the alloy you used? 6061??
I lathed a ball once without the ball turning attachment, just the regular tool post and by just eyeballing it. I stepped up really close dimensions by .0001+ just tapping it with the cutter so it went into a diamond shape, then a hemispherical then a ball. It was about perfect but 1 side.
brilliant ! altough i have a question... how do you set this up? do u have a measuring system on the turning table and align the center of the turning table with the Z-axis?(considering that the distance betwwen the center of the table and the tip of the carbit, equals the radius of the ball) or is it with trial and error? besides that, very nice inventive idea!
That's brilliant and well spoken, not to fast and very informative. Do you have any plans to share I'm sure other people would like to make one I would love to make one.
very interesting ... i have made a similar one, but i have incorporated the use of a small index and a boring head...LOL but this set up is better if ya have time to fab the parts.. i like, nice job, i have a Question tho... do u have a print of that tap/die holder for your tailstock??
That’s similar to what I have but I can’t cut anything beyond soft metals. I had hoped to ball end steel but it’s a no go. I haven’t seen one that can do a very nice job with steel.
I would like to make myself a radius cutter, do you have plans or drawing or measurements, to give me an idea to get my material and what kind of material did you use. Louis Alleva, Quebec, Canada
Very clever. I don't have the skills to make one of these. Could I pay you to make one for me? Needs to be able to cut balls from 2" aluminum round stock.If so, how can I contact you?
If you know what you are doing it's not that dangerous. I have been running manual lathes for 15 years now in a machine shop for a living and we do stuff like that all the time. It's actually more dangerous using sand paper to polish stuff than that is.
i like it easy to make and easy to use thought reverse your cutting point and you could do internal radi you know what i mean bet there would be some wood turners that would buy it for makeing bowls
Nice job. I have found that necessity is the Mother of invention. A lot of machinists can't afford to spend a fortune on pre-made tools. I have a box full of things that I have made over the years. I never had time to make a ball cutter, instead, I cut them by moving the cross slide in and out by hand while moving the carriage with the power feed. I actually got pretty good at it.
Excellent video.
I like the way you adapted the lathe's tool holder mount. Less time building the tool leaving more time to use it.
I have always admired the Kiwi's self-sufficiency and ability to fabricate just about anything they need from home shop tools. There are probably more lathes and mills per capita in New Zealand than just about anywhere in the world.
Great idea on a way to make a ball. But what I like even more is how you use your tools to make better tools.
Brilliant idea and a little bit more polished than I was in the process of making.
Now I can replace all the knobs on my Mill with metal ones with bearings inside so they spin freely. The sorts of things that us machinists come up with when needed, and I like the replaceable cutting tool that gives you 6 cutting surfaces 3 each side and when it's dull toss it and replace. I use these types exclusively now rather than tool steel.
Beautiful, love how the machinist make good chunk of the toolings they need or can think of.
Cheers mate good job
That is a really slick way to make that attachment! To keep your locking set-screws from marring your slide, try brazing a small bit of bronze rod onto the tip of the screw and relieved to clear the threads.
Elegantly done, great video with no fluff
Well thanks! Now you've got me started hahaha... I need to make one too, this is just really a wonderful add-on for my lathe and God knows what else will turn up with these brass balls. Even plastic would do for some applications! Thanks for sharing this!!
they look alot nicer than those plastic ones !!! Nice Job on making that
Great way of doing it. Far better that the ones that mount to the tool post. This seems like it would cause very little vibration, plus you could make a tool holder to make concave ball shells with it too.
Thanks for this. I think its brilliant how you have used an indexable tip for the cutter! John.
Very interresting !. I was comparing this way of using your attachment to what we use in wood turning as a ball turning device. where there is no hole in the ball....vERY GOOD PRESENTATION....
One off the nicest balls I have ever seen made!!
@irfp460, I think the threading attachment is just like using a die handle. Put the lathe at the lowest speed, and turn the attachment by hand with power off to the lathe.
Um, no.
Icutmetal after I posted that comment, I seen an auto release threading attachment. It may be the type you were talking about. It uses 4 jaws?
I have seen a floating die handle that attaches to the tailstock.
This is fun I have the same lathe and just finish the same. My design is about the same. If you make a post aimed the other way you can concave withthe same tool or combine with a cutter out both ways.
Very nice! I'm just getting into this as a hobby. I was wondering... If you wanted to make a perfect sphere, without any type of a projection on one end, how could you do it? Would you have to make a special jig for the piece to hold the piece while you radius the final part of it or would you use another too that would allow you to carry through with the final cut?
Do you have a video of you making the ball turner itself? How about a materials list. Great job. I plan on making one myself. At least tell me the alloy you used? 6061??
I lathed a ball once without the ball turning attachment, just the regular tool post and by just eyeballing it.
I stepped up really close dimensions by .0001+ just tapping it with the cutter so it went into a diamond shape, then a hemispherical then a ball.
It was about perfect but 1 side.
brilliant ! altough i have a question...
how do you set this up? do u have a measuring system on the turning table and align the center of the turning table with the Z-axis?(considering that the distance betwwen the center of the table and the tip of the carbit, equals the radius of the ball) or is it with trial and error?
besides that, very nice inventive idea!
Neat piece of kit. I've been thinking of something similar for my myford. cheers
Wow really clever idea nice one was it made from aluminum the tool ??
Hi there, where do you get your brass. I'm in New Plymouth but sourcing brass cheaply isn't easy. Regards Kevin (New Plymouth)
pretty nice brass one!
the stock tormach-type holders plastic nuts are an imposition
That's brilliant and well spoken, not to fast and very informative.
Do you have any plans to share I'm sure other people would like to make one I would love to make one.
I like it !! You have plans for that tool?? also how do you like cz300 lathe?
Very crafty , and beautiful job.
That's taking brass balls to a whole new level!
How do you stop the material locking on the mandrel once finished ?
This would have made machining my brass shift knob so much easier!! Awesome tool!!!
very interesting ... i have made a similar one, but i have incorporated the use of a small index and a boring head...LOL but this set up is better if ya have time to fab the parts.. i like, nice job, i have a Question tho...
do u have a print of that tap/die holder for your tailstock??
That’s similar to what I have but I can’t cut anything beyond soft metals. I had hoped to ball end steel but it’s a no go. I haven’t seen one that can do a very nice job with steel.
I would like to make myself a radius cutter, do you have plans or drawing or measurements, to give me an idea to get my material and what kind of material did you use.
Louis Alleva, Quebec, Canada
Is it not a bit dangerous to hold it like that whilst it's rotating? Could it not end up in limbs being turn off??
Very nice work. I hope 1 day I'll be 1/10 as good at it.
Only thing, I am a Fitter Turner, Retired, why did he only take shallow cuts, looked to be half Millimetre, Twenty thou, a time ?
Very well done. I've watched this video 5 times in an effort to design a similar jig for my own use. Are plans available?
Once you polish a knob, is that addictive too?
Seeing the last shred of raw material get turned off at 6:00 is strangely enjoyable.
Thank's another neat tool I'll just have to build. I can hear it now "What are you going to do with that?"
Good job. Love the tool you made to make the balls.
que tipo de liquido le aplicastes para q se pusiera de manera mas brillosas?
What kind of liqui to use for polish your part ?
Great Video are you about to show us some of the tools that you have made in depth and how the work. Thanks
any plan for the dye order ?? im at school and it could be à Nice project thanks to reply
You could also make a bit that sticks out the opposite way and do nice bevel cuts as well.
Nice! Would also be nice if you made some plans available for those of us who are not quite up to your level of skills. Great video
Very clever. I don't have the skills to make one of these. Could I pay you to make one for me? Needs to be able to cut balls from 2" aluminum round stock.If so, how can I contact you?
Very nice...I need to make one and this will definitely simplify it. Thanks for the video
Excellent! Brass chips are the worst, aren't they?
are you changing any settings on the cutter while turning?
is it possible to cut a round knob without this tool ?
Scares the devil out of me every time your hand or the handle gets next to the chuck.
I know right
Collets and collet gear - worth the investment in saved busted knuckles!
+Dale Emery many hundreds of pounds? Some like me sometimes would prefer to be a little on the dangerous side.
Woodball turning
If you know what you are doing it's not that dangerous. I have been running manual lathes for 15 years now in a machine shop for a living and we do stuff like that all the time. It's actually more dangerous using sand paper to polish stuff than that is.
What is the maxinun diameter of ball u can tur with this set up?
How come you didn't have to advance the tool?
He presets the radius on the ball turning attachment and then feeds in the cross-slide to increase the depth of cut.
He is doing it with the other hand. Notice how the tool support moves during the time lapse
You by chance dont have a set of prints for something like this I am interested in making my owne
sweet bit of home machining
Hi!, what manner you advance the cutter?. I cannot see at video Thanks!
He is advancing the cutter with the cross slide
Great Idea, love the brass ball.
Very nice ! great simple design.
Do you turn commercial products with your lathe?
Excellent work!
Yeas,i think i'll make one soon.Thanks for sharing this very practical tool.
can you post dimensions and the plans for this somewhere? i would love to replicate this design myself
if you don't mind me asking what is the diameter of your radius turner?
Lathe rotary table. Nice job!
i like it easy to make and easy to use thought reverse your cutting point and you could do internal radi you know what i mean bet there would be some wood turners that would buy it for makeing bowls
You, sir, have veritable "balls of brass"! Cheers, m8!
Thank you very much to share it with us. Have you drawing or plans that you could send to me?
Best regards.
do you have blue prints for the ball turner
Nice video! congrats.
Thank you for sharing your excellent idea sir it is very reliable method
those are the chips that you get when turning brass unless you take a crazy heavy cut with the lead screw on.
Very nice work. I may make one of those as well.
Any drawings of this project. I want to built one for my own lath.
nice piece of kit you've made there (:
@electrogear steel? really? does that look like steel?
I would love to see a demo of the threading tool!
nice work,
seems to me the handle and your hand
are getting very close to the chuck.
I made one and now I'm going go BALLSY.
You are brilliant. Period. End of sentence.
Nicely made
Nice work! Have you replaced all your door knobs yet? :-)
Genius, nicely done!
@TheAllimania I'm struggling to see how in any way a spinning steel ball could be ironic?
Now theres some good ol' ingenuity
Nice job, i have a similar arrangement made from an old lens grinder.
thanks a lot for sharing , my next project to make for sure
simple but effective
nice tooling like the designs!!!!
perfect. gives me idea to make one with different degrees. thanks
goedendag
simple idea
Excellent work
tnanks pro
Ingenious!
i would like to have a radius ball turner made for a 1937 craftsman metal lathe could you make me 1
Wish I had a lathe. I want a ball like that only bigger (3 inch) for a walking stick topper.
Who or what are you going to beat the sh*t out of?
@electrogear not dangarous...its just a pice of metal spinning at ~ 800 rpm
this is not ironic...
Excellent work but we need more (mooooore)
Excellent job.
I like it,well done!
Any chance on buying a set of drawings for this from you?
Great! it is awesome. Thank you for sharing.