wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 16:57:10 GMT -5
Yeah, it's a bit of a pig, but I figure it can handle a 12" sphere You have enough adjustment to move the cups that far back? That's pretty cool! I can actually fit a 24" sphere, but would probably turn the thing into a pile of splinters from the weight!😳
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 16:52:45 GMT -5
I've had a request for details on my sphere machine. It might take a bit to get enough pics and measurements, but here's a start. I'll update when I can. I started with 3/4" piece of plywood, cut a 36" circle out and layed out the three heads at 120 degrees. I had an old aluminum saw guide/straight edge that had a piece that slid in to connect them. I cut three pieces of the guide at about 16", and three pieces of the connection piece(about 8" each). I screwed the guide part on each of the three head locations. I had a few pieces of Ironwood decking that I used for the carriage cut to 12". I cut a 3" piece and screwed it to the front of the carriage to gain some height and better purchase for the hinge screws. I drilled a 3/8" hole through the block to allow for the carriage feed rod. I attached the connection piece of the guide to the bottom of the carriage and added a strip of Ironwood to stabilize the carriage. I made a threaded bracket that mounted at the back of the carriage for the feed, and a bracket at the front on the table with a double nut/washer/bracket/washer/locknut assembly. The carriage feed is a really great feature and saves a lot of headaches. I made the motor/arbor box out of 3/4" plywood. Base, 8"x12". Side, 12"x12". Front, 8"x12". I cut three 18" pieces of 5/8x11 threaded rod for the arbor. I got the six 5/8" pillow blocks from a local store, mounted them flush to the top and as far apart as I could. Put the rod though the blocks to mark the hole on the front and drilled it out. I drilled two holes for 1/4" bolts at the back to land on the carriage and used some stiff springs for the tension on the heads. I find this a better option than the bungee cords on the top as it provides a more consistent and unobtrusive pressure. I used three 5" bearing hinges for use on steel/heavy doors. I found these had little to no lateral play which is essential for alignment. Attaching the hinges was a bit tricky to make sure everything lined up. The arbor needs to be centred on the layout. I used a 3" wedge of Ironwood under the hinge to allow the head to tilt back with applied pressure. I used t- nuts on the underside of the motor mount after postponing the motor to fit the v-belt. I used an 1-1/2" drive, and 6" driven pulley for a 1:4 reduction. 1725 rpm down to about 430 rpm. The motors are 1/4 Hp furnace blower motors and can be found just about anywhere for cheap. An 8" driven pulley would bring it down to 325 rpm. Ill have to make a part 2 for more pics.
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 14:37:34 GMT -5
And nice build by the way. Seems large, but definitely beefy. Yeah, it's a bit of a pig, but I figure it can handle a 12" sphere
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 14:36:07 GMT -5
I reduced the rpm down to around 400, little fast for the rough preforms.... So what sort of cups do you run for the rough grind at that speed to keep things under control? For my larger spheres, 4"+, I use a set of 4" cup wheel grinders to get them round. Usually about 5 minutes. Then switch to the diamond pads. I keep the pressure light, and with angle on my heads pointing up slightly, it usually stays in place fine. Once they round out, I increase the pressure. Smaller ones I just make sure the preforms are fairly round and haven't had any issues.
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 10:43:19 GMT -5
I made an adjustable preform jig for use on my tile saw. Here's a pic, I'll make a video next time I use it. Works from 3"-9". I made a similar one for the 2" core samples. I can make the 2" preforms in under 5 minutes with it.
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 10:12:54 GMT -5
Wow! Great find at an even greater price. I'm working on making a 14" saw so I can cut some bigger preforms. Right now 7" is the max with my saw(with a lot of flipping and cursing) and still have to break and grind the cut off.
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 10:02:09 GMT -5
You know how some people take a pile of slabs and glue them in a stack and then cut them into a preform just like a solid chunk of stone? What do they use for glue? Gorilla Glue makes a clear epoxy. Works great for filling/bonding rocks. I used it to fix a 7" preform I'm working on.
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 9:55:16 GMT -5
Here's a 4" Serpentine sphere
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 9:25:09 GMT -5
A few of my 2" spheres
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 9:10:40 GMT -5
Well, that's pretty nice there wader ! What backer you using for the granite pads? Rpm looks like, perhaps, 300ish? Thanks for sharing and I hope you know, teasing, mostly..... Thanks again! Got the diamond pad sets on eBay with 5/8x11 Velcro backer pads, really easy to switch out. I modified them and the pads by slicing from the centre to 3/4 out to allow for the curve. I reduced the rpm down to around 400, little fast for the rough preforms, but once things smooth out it's about 10-15 mins a grit, depending on material. I made smaller cups from pvc reducers and ground a radius on the front. Hot glued some Velcro on and use segments of the diamond pads.
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 0:08:30 GMT -5
Here's a quick vid of my machine in action on a 3" rose quartz sphere
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 6, 2017 0:07:53 GMT -5
Here's a quick vid of my machine in action on a 3" rose quartz sphere
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 5, 2017 23:59:21 GMT -5
I can't get the video to upload. I'll try something else. Here is a screenshot
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 5, 2017 23:56:10 GMT -5
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 5, 2017 22:15:26 GMT -5
That is an amazing find!
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 5, 2017 21:48:56 GMT -5
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 5, 2017 21:45:55 GMT -5
A friend of mine works for a mining company, and told me they were getting rid of a bunch of old core samples to make room for new ones. They were using them to fill a hole on the property. Lol. I grabbed as many as I could. I'm trying to get a piece of this core sample that looks like Jupiter. I'll try to post the picture.
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 5, 2017 19:58:19 GMT -5
After I got a truckload of core samples, I wondered what I could do with them. I probably should have thought about it first, but then I probably wouldn't have made my machine. I made a jig to cut the core samples into sphere preforms with my tile saw. After making a bunch of 2" spheres, I started making larger spheres from local stones I've collected. This is the latest. It's a 6" sphere.
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wader
starting to shine!
Member since November 2017
Posts: 39
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Post by wader on Nov 5, 2017 19:12:09 GMT -5
Hi all!
My my name is Wade, and I'm from British Columbia, Canada. I know next to nothing about geology but am learning everyday. A friend of mine introduced me to a geologist who gave me a truck full of core samples. I do a lot of rock and tile work for a living, and started looking for things I could do with them. I came across some YouTube videos of sphere machines and kugel fountains and was hooked. I built my own sphere machine and am steadily making larger spheres to make a kugel fountain. Work and life have gotten in the way of playing with rocks, but I'm still trying. I'll be posting pics of my sphere machine in that section soon.
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