Tools and materials I propose:
This is a simple ball making jig for your lathe. I used 9mm plywood, 6mm threaded rod, washers, nuts and an old woodturning scraper to make it.
First of all I made a prototype. Knowing that the basic idea worked, it was time to make the final version of the jig.
I begun by cutting all the parts for the base on the table saw.
I used the live center of the lathe to align the jig with the center of the lathe.
Then I glued and nailed the pieces of the base together.
I cut the curved sides on the bandsaw. I used the first cut piece as a template for the other one.
I glued and nailed the sides in place but I also reinforced them with screws.
To make the cutter I used an old, cheap woodturning scraper.
I roughly shaped it with the grinder. Water helped me keep the tool cool. Then I tilted my grinding wheel’s tool rest a by few degrees and sharpened the edge of the cutter.
I made a groove on the table saw to keep the cutter in place. I added some material on the bottom of the cutting mechanism so the cutting edge was just under the center of the lathe.
A piece of steel and a couple of threaded rods with nuts and bolts keep the cutter in place.
To make a knob for the top I silver soldered a butterfly nut on a 6mm threaded rod.
At this point the jig was ready for a test. First I prepare the stock so the jig can reach as far as possible. Then I tried it out. I did shallow passes instead of deep fast cuts.
It worked nicely. I hope you’ll find my ball making jig useful!
See you soon with a new project video!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
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