Ball turner for Jet 10x24

kvt

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Ok Have a need for a ball turner to fit on a Jet10x24. Looking for suggestions/ plans for one that I can build. Have a little Sherline Mill do I do not have much to work with. Also limited on funds, as have spent my major funds and will be low for a while again. have some scrap metal and plan on hitting the local salvage for more if I can find any. would prefer once that I can use with the AXA tool post, rather than having to remove it to mount one. Would also like it to be able to make concave items as well,
I have a project that have been working on and now need to do this before I can go any further. I rounded one area by hand but was a pain and with this one needing to be on the end of the item would be very hard to do without the turner.
Any suggestions etc
ken
 
Steve Bedair's ball turner has to be one of the most cited and copied on the net: http://bedair.org/Ball/ball.html

I'm sure you can alter the drawings to suit your lathe.

Sorry, I don't own one of these things; I use a graver.
 
I made the ball turner that Steve has on his site and it works great. When I made mine I set it up to do concave but haven't used it like that yet.Another Ball Turner This ball turner was not to hard to build as I only have a 9 x 20 4000 lathe and mini mill but the build still went well. If the link doesn't work just search Another Ball Turner and photos will be there for you to look at just get to CM
 
I made a ball tuner using my boring head on a 3/4" straight shank, mounted in an AXA 104 3/4" quick change boring bar holder, with a handle clamped to the rear of the shank to rotate the boring head.
(One of these days, I'll get around to making a proper handle.) BTW, also on my Jet 1024.

IMG_4198.JPG IMG_4199.JPG
IMG_4200.JPG

Similar ones have been posted to HM.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/new-ball-turner.61524/

Here's a video I found showing the use of a boring head as ball turner:

Hope this helps.
 
Saw something about using a boring head, but do not have one will have to check flea bay and see what cheep I can find. How big of a ball can you do with it.
 
It depends on the size of Boring Head and the amount of offset you can get. I believe on mine I can turn up to about a 2" diameter ball.
 
Sorry, I don't own one of these things; I use a graver.
I though about trying that, but do not have any gravers, or know how to grind a HSS to work as one. Looked at using my spare boring bar holder and a piece of 3/4 hardened bar as a rest as would also like to couture some of the Cannon barrel I'm working on.
 
I though about trying that, but do not have any gravers, or know how to grind a HSS to work as one. Looked at using my spare boring bar holder and a piece of 3/4 hardened bar as a rest as would also like to couture some of the Cannon barrel I'm working on.

Easy. Look at this: http://www.nawcc-index.net/Articles/Smith-gravers.pdf

The most useful gravers are just 1/8" square or round tool blanks; I prefer cobalt blanks. Grind a 60 degree angle on one end and sharpen on an oilstone. They are used with the ground face facing the work, with the cutting point at the lathe centerline. They allow you to turn almost any shape you want very quickly.

Mr. Smith is unfortunately no longer with us but he left a legacy behind that I will be forever grateful for.
 
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