Bearing Ball with Flat for Vise work...?

[jbolt]

... I have the balls and the surface grinder if I want one or more at some point.

 

[EmilioG]

I agree Bob. Unless it's a part that really needs the help of a special set up/tool holder a la Quadralels.
I just use soft wire or brass cylinders on 3 points. If I had a surface grinder, I would probably make those flat bearing balls.
So I use what I have. Seems to work.

 

[Bob Korves]

I don't really like the idea of hard bearing balls or quadrilaterals against hard vise jaws. The friction there is minimal. My BP vise has shop made jaws from 1018 steel. They grip much better than hard jaws, and are still pristine after years of usage. They are finish machined in place. If I crash the soft jaws at least I have a chance to save the cutter. If you crash hard jaws you will ruin both the cutter and the jaw.

 

[KBeitz]

Use a cement bit to drill bearings ...

 

[C-Bag]

There were a series of really simple DIY fixes for the same idea posted by members of another forum, one Toolmaker51 is a member here. The other is Frank S.

Toolmaker51's first fairly simple, the second really cool but not so simple:

 

[C-Bag]

Frank S contributions:

 

[Mitch Alsup]

I keep a few drilling chips around for this purpose. Takes up the irregular surface, cost=0, ...

 

[Millalot]

I have no difficulty in preparing a flat on a ball bearing with a hand grinder, in operation the ball self centralizes.
I have not made cuts on very light structures which could distort under cutting load but have used it mainly to square up blocks it works just great.

 

[hman]

I don't know if it's what you have in mind, but I've seen a couple variations on this theme:

View attachment 233524

If you can find a large nut to hold a 3/4" or 1" SS bearing ball. I imagine nuts in this range are fairly expensive. Good idea. I've seen it posted here by someone.

Many of those "solutions" take up way too much lengthwise space in the vise and are fussy to install at the same time as the part.

I've used a flatted ball (with sandblasted flat surface against the workpiece) and a short length of suitably sized steel pipe (against the vise jaw). You can cut the chunk of pipe pretty short. As long as it holds the surface of the ball off the vise jaw, it won't cause a dimple. I'd suppose you could add a small rare earth magnet inside the pipe to help hold the arrangement together while closing the vise (making it a bit less fussy). It's not a perfect solution, and Bob does raise a couple more valid points. But the pipe-and-ball method is also quick and easy, and will accommodate larger part variations than squishable wire will.

 

[Bob Korves]

I've used a flatted ball (with sandblasted flat surface against the workpiece) and a short length of suitably sized steel pipe (against the vise jaw).

Great idea, John! I like it, and will try it.