Thread: Springetts Chinese ball tools

Originally Posted by tashammer

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/

Has Springetts Chinese ball turning tools for sale ($US136.99) + some of his books for those folks who like a challenge and save wood.

The problem with buying the pre-made tools is that they'll only handle a sphere of a set size. IMHO, it's better to learn how to make your own so you can make several sets to suit the sizes you prefer to work.

I've made a start on a couple of basic versions of his tools... (I've said before that I'm working my way up to thes4e things. ) not fully functional sphere-turning tools as such, but exercises in the methods to succesfully make 'em. And, to an extent, use 'em.

I've yet to successfully make one of his winged hole-cutters for the "common" holes in his interlocked spheres. But I'm working on it. One day, one day...

Y'all have a neat looking "ball cutter" made right in yer own back yard called the Leady Ball Cutter (He even makes a good looking lathe) >> http://members.ozemail.com.au/~kjeev...ball/ball.html
I would like to own one of those ball cutters, as I have been considering turning a sphere from every species of wood that I find. Sorta like Al makes his wooden eggs.
The Chinese ball tool looks complicated, but maybe Chinese balls are unlike ours.

The Leady Lathe looks a strong piece of gear. And that off centre chuck looks like something young Skewy would use.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

...I've yet to successfully make one of his winged hole-cutters for the "common" holes in his interlocked spheres. But I'm working on it. One day, one day...

Would not the "common holes" be best cut, with lathe at rest (obviously lololol) then use one something like a modified stepped drill bit?

Stepped drill? Nar, I think you misunderstood me. They'd probably do for the normal chinese balls, but the tool I'm thinking of is for the "interlocked" pair of balls. They're the ones that need the really "esoteric" tools; from memory, six really wierdly profiled scrapers & the hole cutter(s).

The cutter (or pair, actually... you need a LH and a RH one for each hole) is more like the cheap adjustable-sized hole cutters that have a pilot drill in the middle and a cutter on the end of an arm. Except the arm is arced into a 'U' shape, to get behind part of the other sphere and the tool's rotated by hand 'cos it won't go full circle. (The other sphere is in the way. )

I'm pretty confident I could turn out a passable, if very plain, set of the chinese balls with what I already have to hand, don't really need any super-specialised tools for them. Just have to build up the nerve, find a suitable blank, wait for a propitious astological alignment and then tender some burnt offerings to the workshop gods. I believe the next suitable planetary alignment is only 25 years from now?

Skewy, just think of yourself as Mr Creosote and me as the waiter

If it makes you happy. Got a mint handy?