August 2022 Turning Challenge — Still Rolling Along

[Bill Boehme]

We've had a number of monthly challenges involving things that roll starting with an egg, then a French rolling pin, an Easter egg, and a baseball. In the spirit of rolling along, this month's challenge is to turn a ball in a ball. For anybody unfamiliar with a ball-in-a-ball, here is Al Hockenbery's demonstration handout:

Ball in a Ball handout

Also, see Al Hockenbery's post below for more information. You are encouraged to be creative and put your own spin on this challenge.

There have been some rules changes from the legal department so be sure to read:

• Only one entry per person and only one photo of your ball-in-a-ball.
• Entries must be posted in this thread.
• The deadline for posting entries is midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on August 24, 2022.
• As always, this is a turning contest, not a "moldy oldie" photo contest, so in fairness to everybody, make sure your work is something you‘ve made after August 1, 2022.
• You may not post any photos of your entry in this month’s challenge in any other thread or in the gallery until the voting has ended and a winner declared.
• Voting will take place from August 25, 2022, through midnight UTC on August 31, 2022.
• Solicitation of votes will result in disqualification.
• The winner might have to pass a lie detector test before collecting the prizes. Good luck, have fun, make shavings, and let the chips fall where they may!!

When voting begins you are allowed one vote and once you have voted you won't be able to go back and change your vote. After you have voted you will be able to track the vote totals. The voting is secret (just like a real election) so nobody other than you can see who you voted for (not even the moderators/administrators). The voting will end at midnight UTC on August 31, 2022. In case of a tie vote, the forum moderators will gather in a virtual smoke-filled room to sort out the winner.

 

[hockenbery]

My ball-in-a-ball thread in the Tips & Tutorials forum has lots of extra information including a link to a video by Phil Pratt. That was included in the AAW 2010 techniques video:

https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/ball-in-a-ball.15698/

Also, there are other ways of doing the captive ball. See David Springett.

If you are thinking this is beyond your skill level, one turner did this as his first turning in a club workshop. He had only a little help turning the ball from the apologetic club members who said “I know we agreed on intermediate-level students….” These were friends. Amazingly to me, he hollowed the opening about the best of anyone with me just watching.

 

[Jean-Louis Meynier]

Bill, as you suggested, I put my own spin on this challenge and did a 12-pointed Star in a Ball in a Ball in a Ball in a Ball and in a Ball on a spiral support with 2 outside spirals, one square (4mmx4mm) and one rectangular (7mmx4mm) with a twisted spiral at the center.
The 5 Balls and the Star within are from the same piece of boxwood 65 mm in diameter. The support is hard maple dyed, 22mm in diameter and 100mm high and the base is natural hard maple.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Here is my spin on the challenge: an Egg within an Egg. Black locust for the large egg, Honduran mahogony for the small egg, and black walnut for the stand. Fun times!

 

[Bernie Hrytzak]

The "holey" structure and ball are made out of plum, size is 3" x 3" x 3 3/4" high. (6" with finial)
There are 5 holes displaced
72 deg. to each other in each row, and each row is 36 deg. off to the middle row. The ball is a light press fit to every hole in the middle row. (It was a challenge to make a ball to fit precisely after drilling the holes.)
Hole sizes, 1 5/8, 7/8, 5/8

 

[Bill Boehme]

The August Challenge is now closed to further submissions. The poll will be set up in the next few hours.