Square block with round steel balls inside

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

I am stuck indoors still recovering from a operation so I'm a bt bored at the moment so asking this question. In the early seventies my father who was on maintenance at Vauxhall motors Luton was in the apprentice school and he told me at the time that a competition with Opel Germany , how many balls in a square block can be turned. By all accounts Luton won I think six balls, if this is true is there a web site that can explain the process.

Bob

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

I have not seen balls machined in a square box but this is a Youtube link to a Turners Cube, cubes turned inside of cubes

**LINK**

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

Thanks Paul, it was a long time ago so my memory got it wrong.

Bob

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

I had the "pleasure" of making one of those cubes as Paul's photo when I was at Worcester Tech on my block release while doing my apprenticeship. I remember it was pretty straight forward until I got to the last side of the cube and the tutors insistence on accuracy of both bore size and depth became apparent, I remember when breaking into the other bores it was a bit scary!

The block was put on show at the college, I was promised that I could have it when I finished my course but that didn't happen. I wish I had bothered to collect it as it probably went in the scrap bin…

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

I have seen one ball inside a cube and several cubes inside a cube, done by woodturners

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

If my memory is good I recall a great many years ago the couple Armand & Michaela Denis had a programme showing some “indigenous people” in a far flung land using the most rudimentary tools on probability a pole lathe turning balls within balls within balls from — horror of horrors Ivory I think ? So possibly somewhere on or close to the Indian sub continent? The balls were subsequently engraved or carved on the outer surfaces.

Anyone else remember this ?

John

edit spelling!

Edited By JohnF on 16/10/2020 16:17:26

[Dave SParticipant @daves59043]

My father has such an Ivory Puzzle ball. I think it came from China, but my family has some connections with India, so maybe it’s from there.

Dave

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

This was done some years ago when the article appeared in the Digital Machinist mag, final cuts had to wait until a suitable 45 deg dovetail cutter was available, final cuts still not done many years later.

Emgee

.

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

I made mine on a lathe, was that done on a CNC mill Emgee?

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Yes Henry, using a HSS 2flute 3/8" cutter at 2000rpm, the max spindle speed.

Emgee

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

In woodturning Chinese balls can be turned by using the David Springette set of tools made by Crown. I doubt they would be strong enough to turn metal.

http://www.axminstertools.com/crown-springett-chinese-ball-tool-set-111065

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