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  • Australian Wood Review

    Fire Ball

    Aug 17, 2021 5 minutes
    Photos: Suellen Turner

    Some years ago I made a hollow carved sphere like the one shown here and was asked if I could make another for a collector. This provided an opportunity to talk through the process used to achieve the final result.

    Make a template for the sphere

    When turning a sphere, the most crucial thing to bear in mind is that it has to be a sphere. To assist with this fundamental aim, make a template out of any thin material, in this case, 3mm MDF. The easiest way to do this is to cut out a 210mm diameter rough round shape on the bandsaw. I marked the centre with a centre punch, and then drew a 160mm diameter circle with a compass.

    Using a faceplate with some sort of friction drive, hold the MDF circle in position with the tailstock and then true the

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