Ball Turning Device

All discussion about lathes including but not limited to: South Bend, Hardinge, Logan, Monarch, Clausing and other HSM lathes, including imports

Moderators: GlennW, Harold_V

earlgo
Posts: 1794
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:38 am
Location: NE Ohio

Ball Turning Device

Post by earlgo »

It is nice being able to make stuff instead of repairing stuff.
Here is a ball turning device I have made. No immediate use, but I have wanted one for a long time, and I couldn't figure out how to put one on the apron, so it clamps to the ways and is pre-set to center whenever it is installed. Just tried it out on some delrin and am looking forward to trying it on some real material.
in action
in action
overall assy
overall assy
bearing housing
bearing housing
I recycled the front wheel bearings from the KIA Aspire for this one.
The tool holder (compound) was made by my dad for the Sebastian and May lathe back in the '70's.
--earlgo
Before you do anything, you must do something else first. - Washington's principle.
JackF
Posts: 1616
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 3:56 pm
Location: Caldwell, Idaho

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by JackF »

That wouldn't be the 1870s would it? :roll: :wink: :lol:


Jack.
User avatar
SteveHGraham
Posts: 7788
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by SteveHGraham »

Neat. What did you use to make the drawings?
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
earlgo
Posts: 1794
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:38 am
Location: NE Ohio

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by earlgo »

SolidWorks 2008. My license runs out at the end of this year and I don't know if buying an upgrade for several thousand dollars is worth it again. I do appreciate its capabilities though as I used it in industry for 11 years.
Maybe I can find a student who would help me purchase a student edition.
I tried Cubify and it wasn't too bad, and may be the answer.

About the ball turning fixture, after I got it set up I made a ball that was 1.491 at the equator and 1.492@45°. The nice thing is that once it is set on center and the adjusters locked, it is no problem to pull the fixture off and store it. Next time you want it, it is all set except for the axial position and the tool position. No fumdiddling around trying to find center again. I made it to straddle the rectangular ways on the ATLAS, but with a little imagination one could adapt it for a 'v'-way bed. I also made the long bar that holds the compound tool holder from cast iron to help absorb any tendency to chatter.

--earlgo
Before you do anything, you must do something else first. - Washington's principle.
RSG
Posts: 1541
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:59 am
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by RSG »

That's a slick looking unit Earlgo! I need to make one for a project I am doing next year so I might be incline to borrow the concept :wink:
Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be.
earlgo
Posts: 1794
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:38 am
Location: NE Ohio

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by earlgo »

It is too hot today to work outside so I took the opportunity to turn another ball on the slick little device. Setup in about 3 min and turned this ball in just a few more.
small ball small.jpg
I was pop-riviting a drain together and wondered if I could turn a ball on the throw-away stem. Seemed to work ok. The ball itself is .106 in diameter. :D
--earlgo
Before you do anything, you must do something else first. - Washington's principle.
RSG
Posts: 1541
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:59 am
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by RSG »

Very cool!
Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be.
whateg0
Posts: 1114
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:54 pm
Location: Wichita, KS

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by whateg0 »

Looks like that works well! I've been "planning" to make a radius turning tool for my lathe for some time now, but I too don't have much room above the compound. I had considered removing the compound, or even replacing the topslide with the tool, but that hasn't happened. I adapted a Schaublin turret tailstock to my old lathe, and figured then I would just make the ball turning tool fit the inside ways, too. Nice to see somebody else was able to do it. Now that I'm getting my 10ee up and running, I guess I'm glad I didn't spend much effort to get it done for the "old" lathe. Gonna have to do something soon as I have stuff to make!

I recently switched from MasterCam X to Fusion 360. It's received a lot of hype, but they do seem to have good support, especially for us hobbiests who don't have to pay anything for it. There are some things I miss about MCam, but there are other things that it never did well, anyway. Biggest reason for switching was that it's on my XP computer and who knows how much longer that will live. I didn't want to be mid-project and have to start over.

I have a friend using Catia who tried out Fusion 360 and he wasn't impressed.
spro
Posts: 8016
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by spro »

It is difficult to follow all these systems now. Regarding ball turning, I was lazy and used a cross slide from an ancient lathe. It already had a compound on it. The Atlas and the South Bends use a tapered "spud" to secure the compound. One stands up and the down but either way, this fit. The lubed brass, angled tips against the steel taper work in occasional use without wearing anything. I machined a bushing for inside the slide and that could tighten another tapered spud for the other. I expect "why don't you just loosen the compound, if you do it that way"? Because it not the same. This was an adjustable fixture with another slide which could be rotated. All manual, of course, dished concave or convex.
Ironman1
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 6:36 pm

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by Ironman1 »

I had built and used a typical ball turner for years, and when going through my stored machining info I came across a very nice idea, and wish i had done this instead. No idea where I got this pic from, but glad I saved it.
Attachments
QCTP ball turner using boring head.jpg
Formal education will make you a living;
Self education will make you a fortune.- Jim Rohn

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison
Magicniner
Posts: 532
Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 4:40 am

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by Magicniner »

I built something to the design Ironman1 has posted, I used a 1" parallel OD MT2 sleeve in ball races which allows me my to pop out the boring head with a wedge in a moment ready for other duties, it does work very well.

- Nick
pete
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: Ball Turning Device

Post by pete »

J. A. Radford in his book Improvements and Accessories for your Lathe and a slightly reworked version of that design is also in George Thomas's The Model Engineers Workshop Manual of about what your picture shows Ironman. Although they built the whole thing including the slides and feedscrew it's pretty much a boring head just like yours shows.

And great idea Earl. I like that it's permanently adjusted for the balls C/L. No playing around refinding center each time.
Post Reply