Making Ceramic Tooling Balls for Reverse Center Grinding

This video shows the building of Ceramic Tooling Balls that we use with our reverse centers to O.D grind parts in a Harig spin fixture. (Re-posted to fix low volume.)

[@charlieromeo7663]

Your mill turning reminds me of the VTL machines in our machine shop where I work. They have tables that are 30 feet in diameter. We have 4 of them. They are amazing.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@DudleyToolwright]

Man Steve you Liptonated (urban dictionary) me. I ordered some ceramic balls and now am looking for the microscope. Watching you videos is getting expensive.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Sorry! Steve

[@shaolinshaotse]

Hi Steve thanks so much for all you do. For lint free media I would recommend PEC Pads. I use them to clean camera sensors as well as the inner optics of lenses. As those types of cloths/papers go, they are the absolute best.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I will check it out. Thanks

[@homemadetools]

Nice tool build. We featured this video on our homemade tools forum this week :)

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Awesome! Thank you! Steve

[@bcbloc02]

Very precise grinding.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks Brian. Steve

[@alexcroteau8726]

Great stuff Steve! Was looking forward to see some Bridgeport Lathe action and was not disappointed hehe. The cinematography is awesome as well, I can see the mic reading over your shoulder!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Glad you enjoyed it. steve

[@alexvonbosse5090]

Hello Steve, what an excellent video. It is inspiring me to give it a try to make my own ball centers. (Fingers crossed) I just came across your channel when you posted your last video. I did not know how sick you were but sure am glad you are feeling better again. Thank you so much for sharing this video and keep up your great work!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thank you and you are welcome. I had a very hard year especially with fatigue and drive. My whole system was way out of balance. I am feeling better every day now. Steve

[@outsidescrewball]

enjoyed...great video production/discussion/demonstration

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Glad you enjoyed it! Steve

[@James-fs4rn]

👍 good to see you. Hope your still feeling better. Could you just run the ceramic balls dry? I thought that was one of the reasons for using ceramics. A least for ball bearings it is. Thanks Steve!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Hi James, I don't know if you can run them dry or not. This stuff is new to me. What I do know is that I can feel the difference when I rotate the part dry or with grease. With grease it feels smoother rotating the part by hand. Steve

[@infoanorexic]

"fiddly to the n-th degree." Perfection. It makes my head hurt when I try it, but it sure is nice when I land on it.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I know what you mean. Steve

[@HanstheTraffer]

Thanks for sharing ...absolute Gold....

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. Steve

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Very nice job Steve. Quite the job to make one.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks Randy, it actually goes pretty good when made in batches. Steve

[@kimber1958]

Great job

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks you. Steve

[@CatNolara]

I don't trust super glue too much anymore, it just breaks down too easily. I think it's better to use some epoxy based glue. Takes a little longer to set usually, but it holds your parts together very securely.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I may have to play around with this and see what works best. I know this glue works great on Turcite for way repair and withstands that environment well. Steve

[@SuperAWaC]

Kimwipes are your standard lint-free wipes.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Yes, but i don't have any. i was surprise at ho much the blue towels left behind. I knew the white ones were bad. Steve

[@SuperAWaC]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc Yeah unless they are specifically advertised as lint free you can expect them to leave loads of fibers behind

[@Randallvgc]

Another video packed with great information. Hope your feeling better. Do you think you can make it to the BarZ Bash this June? I would love to see you there.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thank you. I don't know if we will be there this year. We would love to go but thing are tight right now and I don't know if I can get the time off from my part time job. They have a new Tusgami CNC Swiss lathe that I am helping them with that needs to get going full blast as soon as we can. I would love to see a lot of KZbin friends again. Steve

[@warrenjones744]

Good stuff as always Steve. I think I have mentioned this before, but it's worth it again. While the Bridgeport is already a amazingly versatile and capable tool. Your turning ops caused me to look at it in a whole new way. I have not done any real turning on mine yet other than messing around with the concept., However it's in the back of my mind and one day I am sure a project will come up where I can do so. Edit: Steve I missed why you are using ceramic as opposed to another material like carbide. could you fill me in please?

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Hi Warren, Ceramic is not porous like steel and carbide and much harder. As such, it will be much better in wear resistance also less friction build up. With the ball center you are riding on a tangent point of the ball and the angle in the reverse center which is a very fine contact point so you want as little wear as possible there. You will not get galling on ceramic like you can with steel or carbide. Steve

[@warrenjones744]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc Thanks Steve, I learned something here. 'preciate it.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

@@warrenjones744 You are welcome warren.

[@adamsblanchard836]

Hey anyone knows or understands what it means to kill a watt?

[@marknelson7451]

Could you post some info on the microscope you are using? Really admire your work!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks, it is and Andostar AD407 www.amazon.com/Andonstar-Microscope-Adjustable-Repairing-Soldering/dp/B07VK52X9C Steve

[@pontoonrob7948]

So does that become a tool that slips into a part you want to grind on the spinning fixture? You might slip one into each end of a part and spin it similar to what you just did?

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Exactly, this is why I want to have a set from .249"-.251" by every .0001 so that it will be able to factor hole variations from reaming and heat treat. Steve

[@davidl.579]

Pick up a nice used hardinge lathe for the price of a new spin fixture and you'll never look back!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

They are 2 different tools. One is for grinding and the other for turning. You can hard turn in the lathe but not to the same precision. Those lathes are nice and I would love to have one some day. Steve

[@tced2858]

Hey Steve, good video...I get to be first today.... :)

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Congrats. Steve

[@garym1550]

lint free wipes are available.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Yes I know but I didn't have any. It would be interest to see just how lent free they really are. Steve

[@johnson2207]

even kimwipes make some lint.