Constructing a shape as near to a sphere as possible

[randyr]

I suppose the thickness of the wood would depend on the desired wall thickness...and the size of the sphere. The ones I make are from 4" to 8" dia and don't take all that much wood.

Hot melt glue works well for temporary hold-downs. It's generaly easy to pry an object loose and if prying/sraping doesn't work, just soften it up a bit with a heat gun.

Here's a pic of an icosahedron sphere, about 4" dia.

randy

[Soapyjoe]

Hi Randy,

The sphere is quite fantastic....
Will be making some trials myself later today.... I will let you know how I get on with the chamfer gadget

Joseph

[Soapyjoe]

Hi Randy,

Did a trial this morning but the results are a little disappointing

The Chamfer on the edges of the Pentagon cut out O.K. but the finish on the edges (against the grain) was poor.

I was using a sharp carbide cutter with a very low step over.

What sort of cutting parameters would you recommenced ?

Joseph

[randyr]

Well...I don't really have an answer for ya. You'll just have to experiment. Maybe the wood you are using is just not appropriate. Harder woods work best. I've tried soft maple and get the same results...some edges look nice...others are fuzzy... whereas something like purple heart does well on all sides.

I hate to say this on a CNC forum...but...sometimes other tools are more better. Table saws work really well for cutting straight. And lathes for making spheres.

Randy

[Soapyjoe]

Thanks Randy,

I had arrived at a very similar attitude to yours.

When I have finished this sphere I am making I will send you some pictures,

Joseph