Replies

1. 
   JohnWW | Dec 22, 2006 01:42am | #1

   Do you have a bandsaw?

   John W.

1. 
   woodbutcherbutch | Dec 22, 2006 01:46am | #2

   yes i have a good band saw

1. 
   JohnWW | Dec 22, 2006 02:12am | #3

   I'd screw or use holt melt glue to attach the balls to a block of wood and then do the cutting on a band saw.  If you use hot melt glue, the glue joint will break with a sharp rap.

   Stand the wood on edge, the wood block should be 3/4" thick, around 2 inches wide, and maybe a foot long.  Put a spot of glue on the ball and press it against the wood strip, while both the ball and the strip sit on a bench top.  If you want to be fancy, drill a 1" diameter hole in the piece 1" up from the bottom edge to form a socket for the ball to sit in.  Use the glue sparingly so the clean up will be easier later.

   Now place the wood and ball assembly against the fence, with the wood block's 2" wide back face against the fence.  Adjust the fence to saw through the middle of the ball and go.  The saw blade won't touch the block so it can be reused repeatedly. 

   If you can tolerate a screw hole in the ball, drill a shallow 1" diameter hole in the block, again to form a seat for the ball and screw through the block, in the center of the socket, into the ball to mount it.  Make sure, of course, that the screw won't reach far enough into the ball that the saw blade would strike it.

   I'm sure there are other ways of doing this, but this would work without spending a lot of time making a jig.

   John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine

   Edited 12/21/2006 6:23 pm ET by JohnWW

1. 
   woodbutcherbutch | Dec 22, 2006 05:59am | #4

   Thanks, With that info I will procede and will write and tell how it goes. Thanks Butch

2. 
   woodbutcherbutch | Dec 22, 2006 07:45pm | #5

   Took a 1 by 6 and drilled a 1and 1 1/4 hole in from edge 2 inches ,1 half inch deep 3 inches from end and hot glued the ball in the hole set up table saw fence so the center of the hole was with the blade  and used a very thin blade and went very slow. Both halfs came out great. I needed these to put on the end of 2 inch round hand rails. Had to have 20 off them to finish the job. Used your ideas on the holes and board and hot glue. Thanks Butch 

2. 
   mudman | Dec 23, 2006 03:04am | #6

   I got married and that took coare of mine.

   Heh heh, Just kidding. I couldn't ask for a better wife.

    

   Pardon my spelling,

   Mike

   Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.

3. 
   BilljustBill | Dec 23, 2006 08:19am | #7

   Butch,

      I'd get a 12" long piece of 2" PVC.  Drill a hole so the edge of the hole is 2" in from the end of the PVC.  Slide a 1/2-3/4" dowel into the hole and superglue it in place so the ball won't go any deeper into the plastic pipe.

      Line up your bandsaw fence so you are Resawing down the center of the 2" diameter pipe with the dowel standing vertically so you see the round dowel end.  Press you Maple ball into the end of the pipe and against the dowel.  You might consider how you want the wooden balls' grain to run before you press it into the PVC tube.  If it's loose, use some tape on the inside of the tube to tighten the wooden ball.

     With a fine tooth blade, resaw the PVC and wooden ball just barely into the dowel, the back out.  The saw kerf will let the wooden ball halves come out very easily.  Repeat as many times as you need making sure you don't resaw deep into the dowel.

      Let me know what you think,

       Bill

   
   

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   Edited 12/23/2006 12:22 am ET by BilljustBill