The Home Machinist!

Finally got around to making a ball/radius turner for my lathe. This thing is so handy I can't believe lathe manufactures don't make this a standard tool when you buy a new lathe.

This ball turner is based on Steve Bedairs design and moddifed for my lathe.

Everything I do seems to be straight from my head so lots of trial and error happens along the way. The base simply mounts the same way the compund does, it uses 2 wedge type slugs to wedge the base to the cross slide. The top part is machined with a lip that fits pefectly into a matting ridge on the base. I ended up making a custom screw to hold the too pieces together because I couldnt find the perfect screw for the job. I put a grease zerk in the base so I can grease it without having to take it apart. I ended up ordered two types of inserts and the one in the pick is the first ones to arrive and they are TNMG 322. I ended up making the hold down screw from a 6-32 capscrew. I scribed some index marks in 1/4" increments so I can quickly set the radius. As you can see in the last pic I broke the tap in the back part of the slide so I will not be using this one for making concave parts. The handle is titanium rod with my first turned brass ball end.

All in all this was a great project and it works perfect and I already see many things that are going to have a nice round ball on the end.

Countinued

A nice job ! Good pics of the process to see it transform . A titianium handle WoW $$$

Nice design. Looks very solid.

Steve

Coal Miner, I get titanium tube and bolts from work that we have to change out for wear which in many cases can't be seen with the naked eye and would otherwise be thrown in the trash. When I got my lathe I started keeping anything I feltI could use to make stuff. I have tons of these titanium rods and tubes and use them all the time for stuff like this. The bolts that I keep cost $1000.00 each when they are new and to think we have thrown thousands of them away before I started hoarding them. Titanium has such a awesome finish when it is machined plus it is very strong and light.

SteveM, Thanks for the kind words. The turner seems to work excellent. I am looking forward to converting lots of cylinders into spheres

A Ti flashlite ! !

I have already been thinking on that. The problem is I only get 2 sizes of titanium tube so I need to do some measuring and see what is available.

nice looking project and i hope it works as well as it looks, i need to go look in the scrap collection pretty shure i got a bunch of those bolts tucked away.

That looks like a fine job in both design and workmanship. That broken tap should not be much of a problem. Pounding on it with a well fitting hard punch and a really big hammer should either loosen or shatter it. Of course there are lots of other methods for removing broken taps. I haven't tried it but I like the idea of etching it with acid enough to loosen.

Do you have plans for the ball turner as I have a 10" atlas and would like to make one??

I made one similar for my 12x36 Craftsman lathe, sans the titanium handle. Used the center bolt to hold the two pieces together too.

No plans just eyeballed everything & it works great. I do have to re-make it though, I want to use 3.5" steel rod instead of a 3" piece. And make the bit holder a little longer.

Nice job.

Rennie, I do not have any plans but can take more pictures and send to you if you need them.