Collet for billiard ball

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I need to secure a ball... want to drill/bore a 1/2- 3/4” hole so it can be mounted on a cane. I have a spindle & cue lathe. Need suggestions how to safely secure it while drilling.
 

Ssonerai

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There are collets that will take objects like billiard balls, i have dozens of them. But for a one-time app, not exactly cost effective.

The simplest way to do one, is to do it on a drill press. Get a short piece of plastic Shed.40 drain pipe, coupler, or other short ring.. I know 1-1/2" will work, not sure if 2" will be too big (don't have any 2" here to check at the moment). Like 1/2" or 1" tall, whatever keeps the ball center from touching table

If you are in a hurry, place the ball in the ring, center it up by eye, and start drilling. You will be able to tell by where the drill lips (not center) hit first as you start in. Adjust accordingly so the lip is hitting the same all the way around the beginning hole..

*better* if you have a DP vise, put the ring against the back jaw and snug the ball in with something soft to protect the front. Drill as before. The added mass of the vise will make it easier to control.

If you have a DP with enough daylight so the head or table would not need moved: Clamp a nice parallel surface piece of wood across the table. Drill it with a hole saw, say 1-3/4" dia, but smaller will work. Don't drill through (to avoid scaring DP table) But use a chisel to pop out enough wood that the CB sets down tight all around the perimenter. Now it is centered (so long as your board is parallel).
Change the holesaw for your desired bit, and have at it.

If you have a faceplate for the lathe, find a washer or ring such that the center hole that will clear your intended drill/tap size by a good bit. Press the CB into the center hole/register of the faceplate, put the ring over it, and with your 3rd hand :thumbup: put some clamp bolts in the FP slots to hold the ring in place, retaining the CB sandwiched to the faceplate, automatically centered in the FP center hole.

Again on the lathe, if you have a big enougn chuck (tall enough jaws) obviously use that. If the chuck jaws are not tall enough and it takes top jaws (2 pc jaws) you can bore a tall set of soft jaws as necessary, using the lathe tools.

If this is production & your lathe takes 5c collets, you can get a deep series 2" or 3" with closer ($$$$) and bore it to take the CB. You can find these on eBay and often cheap at machine shop auctions. Just not when you need one this week....:rolleyes:

Attached pic is what the 5c deep series step collet ("emergency collet") and closer would look like (top left) the rest of the stuff is using shop made inserts in the bored collet for other projects. Sorry, this is the only photo i have that is fast for me to find. Hardinge sells the collets and the closers if you are in a hurry.

smt5cworkholding.jpg


smt
 
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Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yeah, drill press or mill is the right tool. If that`s impossible, cut out the shape in a square of plywood, slice it in two, and turn the jaws on your 4 jaw chuck "upside down" so you can hold bigger pieces and clamp the whole thing in that. Go super slow!
 

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Yeah, drill press or mill is the right tool. If that`s impossible, cut out the shape in a square of plywood, slice it in two, and turn the jaws on your 4 jaw chuck "upside down" so you can hold bigger pieces and clamp the whole thing in that. Go super slow!

No drill press but you gave me an idea.Will report back. Thanks.
 

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
There are collets that will take objects like billiard balls, i have dozens of them. But for a one-time app, not exactly cost effective.

The simplest way to do one, is to do it on a drill press. Get a short piece of plastic Shed.40 drain pipe, coupler, or other short ring.. I know 1-1/2" will work, not sure if 2" will be too big (don't have any 2" here to check at the moment). Like 1/2" or 1" tall, whatever keeps the ball center from touching table

If you are in a hurry, place the ball in the ring, center it up by eye, and start drilling. You will be able to tell by where the drill lips (not center) hit first as you start in. Adjust accordingly so the lip is hitting the same all the way around the beginning hole..

*better* if you have a DP vise, put the ring against the back jaw and snug the ball in with something soft to protect the front. Drill as before. The added mass of the vise will make it easier to control.

If you have a DP with enough daylight so the head or table would not need moved: Clamp a nice parallel surface piece of wood across the table. Drill it with a hole saw, say 1-3/4" dia, but smaller will work. Don't drill through (to avoid scaring DP table) But use a chisel to pop out enough wood that the CB sets down tight all around the perimenter. Now it is centered (so long as your board is parallel).
Change the holesaw for your desired bit, and have at it.

If you have a faceplate for the lathe, find a washer or ring such that the center hole that will clear your intended drill/tap size by a good bit. Press the CB into the center hole/register of the faceplate, put the ring over it, and with your 3rd hand :thumbup: put some clamp bolts in the FP slots to hold the ring in place, retaining the CB sandwiched to the faceplate, automatically centered in the FP center hole.

Again on the lathe, if you have a big enougn chuck (tall enough jaws) obviously use that. If the chuck jaws are not tall enough and it takes top jaws (2 pc jaws) you can bore a tall set of soft jaws as necessary, using the lathe tools.

If this is production & your lathe takes 5c collets, you can get a deep series 2" or 3" with closer ($$$$) and bore it to take the CB. You can find these on eBay and often cheap at machine shop auctions. Just not when you need one this week....:rolleyes:

Attached pic is what the 5c deep series step collet ("emergency collet") and closer would look like (top left) the rest of the stuff is using shop made inserts in the bored collet for other projects. Sorry, this is the only photo i have that is fast for me to find. Hardinge sells the collets and the closers if you are in a hurry.

smt5cworkholding.jpg


smt
Thanks.......
 

Ssonerai

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If your lathe carriage is big enough, take the tool post off, and use a strap or 2 with T-nuts or T-bolts, and bolt a 2 x 4 to the toolslide, on edge. Orient the wood so the face is parallel and perpendicular. Lock the cross slide and compound, and bore the wood block either with a boring bar in the 4jaw, a hole saw, or an offset boring head.

make the bore big enough the CB sets in pretty deep, but won't actually enter/go through the hole. If you don't move the cross slide or compound, the CB is now on center and it will also grip pretty well. Put desired drill in 3Jaw in the lathe spindle, and drill away with carriage traverse. :smile:

smt
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Yeah, drill press or mill is the right tool. If that`s impossible, cut out the shape in a square of plywood, slice it in two, and turn the jaws on your 4 jaw chuck "upside down" so you can hold bigger pieces and clamp the whole thing in that. Go super slow!

Screw that.
Just hold it and use a cordless drill!
What could go wrong ?


Seriously, my reversible chuck can accommodate a ball.
 
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SouthernDraw

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just an idea...

I don't know exactly what your build is. But, I would think that a full size pool ball would be awkward for using as a cane handle, at least from the end.

How about using a pool ball pocket marker. It is already cut in half and you can more easily drill and tap from the flat bottom. And maybe use it attached to a more ergonomic handle with the ball as a quasi-inlay.

Good luck and share some pics of your process and outcome!
 

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I don't know exactly what your build is. But, I would think that a full size pool ball would be awkward for using as a cane handle, at least from the end.

How about using a pool ball pocket marker. It is already cut in half and you can more easily drill and tap from the flat bottom. And maybe use it attached to a more ergonomic handle with the ball as a quasi-inlay.

Good luck and share some pics of your process and outcome!

HI. Cane will most likely be novel...sort of a piece of room decor. Currently I have something going ...will post later.

I like the idea of using a marker.
 

PRED

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Screw the cane, drill and tap by hand and put it on your AXA handle
 

kevoka

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I drilled a hole in a billiard ball with a hand drill. The key was to grin a small flat spot on the ball where the hole would go.

Worked great given the tolerance for true center line hole was not critical.
 

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I drilled a hole in a billiard ball with a hand drill. The key was to grin a small flat spot on the ball where the hole would go.

Worked great given the tolerance for true center line hole was not critical.
I think it’s the easiest. I did that before. Secured ball in vise and drilled freehand. This was a shaft from a cheap cue. Now a CueHorn
 

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GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Here’s my project with a handle. Will use a billiard ball next time. There’s nothing like a good piece of maple.... even if it’s warped.
 

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