RoseQuartz Sphere 800 lbs.

This is my Friend Mike Helmer engineering the heck out of a large slab of rose quartz.
He made this round 800 lb sphere from material starting at 1700 lbs or so. about 1/3 of the total mass was removed to accomplish this.
Mike has said that a chunk this large tends to fracture before it is finished so great care is taken not to take off too much material in a single blow or grind.

[@SkyeRangerNick]

I am sure you do not need me to tell you this is astounding ~ the determination and perseverance... lots of applause.

[@stratocaster1greg]

Sir you are an artist and a genius as far as Im concerned. I am amazed at what talented, motivated people can do. God Bless.

[@michaelhelmer4600]

To Superfluities,This project took overall about 3 years , many things had to fall in place all at the same time for me to have done this , its a long story . The only way that the sphere has been listed is on U tube and reads like this ( 800 pound rose quarts sphere )

[@michaelhelmer4600]

Sorry it was painful to watch . Please understand that that everything you saw in the vidio was made by me from junk found at the dump , and scrap iron yard , including the vidio camera that made this vidio . What people just through away in this country is astounding .

[@fairybeliever5599]

Your determination to make this possible is heart warming. And to think that you used scrap. Blows my mind. Congratulations Sir. I just started with hand carving stones. And I have yet to create something worth showing. But I’ll keep self teaching myself and do projects that make me happy.

[@nannesoar]

few people even have the tools to be in the market for a quartz that big lol, thanks for sharing

[@nunyabisnass1141]

A surface mounted rotating grinder...i was wondering what cleverness someone would use to tackle a project like this. Good on you, i wouldnt have thought of it.

[@bigclivedotcom]

I love the way the sphere undulates randomly on the grinding setup. I thought you did this for a living when I saw all the equipment. I didn't realise it was all made for a one-off. Are you not tempted to manufacture some as a little extra sideline?

[@donaldasayers]

Hello Clive, small world.

[@jbtechcon7434]

How big do you think the market is for giant rock sphere grinders?

[@andybaldman]

@@jbtechcon7434 That clive guy isn't very smart, apparently.

[@69uremum]

@@andybaldman he could be talking about making large stone spheres for yard art....

[@x9xcodm545]

You gius would be surprised. I've been in the gem and mineral business for almost 15 years and large spheres like this made from rose quartz, amethyst, Smoky quartz, jade ect sell for 10s of thousands of dollars at the Tucson gem and mineral show every year and they'll sell every last one of them, usually before the show even starts. I've seen ones this size sell in multiples from 25-50k every single year. It's big money, im working on my own set up currently.

[@crappo8459]

Beautiful absolutely beautiful nice job

[@renroth1]

Mike himself will be here to reply to you guys. He is an artist as well, and has some sculptures made from granite.

[@thetwiztedsnowman]

Back in the ol’ Anhydrous days eh? When a guy could smoke a foiley and stay up a week sifting through a mountain of dirt for the “shiny” one’s.

[@IARRCSim]

where did the ball go? Did it get sold? It would be neat to see the ball hit some bowling pins or get shot from a canon.

[@rileygibson242]

I would cry.

[@Nigh_Blithe]

What year was this?

[@Indrid__Cold]

Here's a question. How the hell did you avoid having your neighbors complain about all the racket? Mine call the cops if my dog barks!

[@michaelhelmer4600]

Yes I did have some trouble with a neighbor , in regard to the noise . The neighbor and I talked things over and I agreed to only work on this while he was at work . But then he kept asking , how long will this take , having never done anything even close to this , I had no answer for him , it took overall about 3 years .

[@1inspect0r1]

Ну привет из 2023)

[@billyjimbobjr]

i want 4 of these in my house

[@MorganDC420]

I want it!

[@michaelhelmer4600]

To Morgan C , Morgan you can have it , everything is for sail , I would love to make another sphere however unless I sell this one I'm stopped , dead in the water . At this time I have know place to work, and myself, plus about 300 people are about to be evicted from a mobile home park that is going to be sold for the construction of 80 luxury condos . They call it progress, I've lived here for 18 years , got no place to go , and no $$ to go there !

[@MorganDC420]

Michael Helmer Oh wow, I am very sorry to hear. I don't believe I have the money for it!

[@SkyeRangerNick]

+Michael Helmer ~ I hope you were able to sell your quartz sphere Michael. It is an amazing work of art.

[@333whateverdude]

How much is it and what state is it in

[@Iz0pen]

Post another cool video please

[@chrisyu98]

that's what I want when I retire....a hobby that leaves the neighbors wondering "what's he doing back there??!??" Kudos! never stop...

[@michaelhelmer4600]

To Danial McCoy ;Thank you for your kind comments ! However I'm not to amazing , just a regular dude who was lucky enough to be in a position in life to be able to pull a sphere out of solid rock, even though I'm the guy that did this, most every time I see the sphere , I'm amazed and say to myself wow I wonder how and who did that , it's beautiful ! believe it or not , the stone told me how to proceed, I was just a tool and I listened to what it wanted . Thanks Dan !

[@333whateverdude]

I’m a guy who loves all kinds of stone and I also own a landscape stone company and I spend a lot of time making stone patios and landscapes and it’s weird but on my best days working with stone I have to talk to It and ask where it wants to fit . If I don’t it won’t fit no mater how I want it To .

[@mukhumor]

I jumped forward 10 minutes and missed nothing! Awesome.

[@user-bb3kw8gx1n]

jim crow isnt technology grand

[@michaelhelmer4600]

If you jumped forward 10 minutes , how do you know you missed anything ?

[@StewieGriffin505]

I'll bet the neighbors just love this going on!🤣😂

[@rexdaily]

What am I doing sphere?

[@michaelhelmer4600]

Don't know , but I was told by several people that it should be valued , somewhere between $ 40,000 and $ 50,000 It took all and all about three years ,all the equipment had to be hand made and the stone itself cost over $ 3,000 Didn't know what I was doing , there was no instruction manual and there were many challenges along the way , I got lucky !

[@SkyeRangerNick]

I suspect that you could double those numbers. I just spotted a 17" stone and they wanted $48000.

[@flowinsounds]

i think 100-200k easy, sold to sand people. might be worth making a few of them

[@BarefootViking]

I doubt its worth that amount but if folks think it is ill make these for 2000 after cost of stone

[@nothinghere1996]

lol.. but you succeeded. price is irrelevant. Good job too.

[@SkyeRangerNick]

Here is a Facebook page showing the lighted sphere. facebook.com/horsenotocean/

[@sealio728]

Is this the massive sphere listed on ElegantCrystals for $65,000? Absolutely incredible. This ball should outlive all of us.

[@michaelhelmer4600]

Thank you for such kind words, at this time the sphere is setting on a very large ball bearing race , that was taken from a train engine about to be scrapped . The bearing under the sphere allows a person to rotate the 800 lbs sphere with very little effort .Also , there is now a flood light on the sphere , for viewing at night. The sphere has a diameter that is a little over 24 inches and light comes right through it . At night with the flood light on, this stone is absolutely stunning , light passes through it and it's like looking at something that is out of this world , I really can't describe it as I have never seen anything like it . So now what do I do with it ?

[@railgap]

+Michael Helmer how about a pressurized water-bearing base made of black granite, lapped with the ball...

[@nofaithjusthope8714]

How much is it worth? It's really beautiful it does remind me of something other worldly like the sphere that was in the movie The Day The Earth Stood Still with Keanu Reeves.

[@joehumphries4187]

Michael Helmer , are the cups, diamond lined?

[@cabinetstonecitytexas181]

Lined with diamond dust, not that you can find a particular use for it once it is removed from the pad. But that pad is pretty expensive.

[@valken666]

Many people, including myself, use diamond and silicon carbide dust for grinding.

[@MrScottwkelley]

I would be using 60 grit wet sander and creating slurry from hell

[@michaelhelmer4600]

To M2Field Thank you so much for your interest in my work, and I am always ready to answer the questions that come my way , if I can ? The cups have a 10 diameter and are made from a section of 10 inch pipe that came from a steel salvage yard The abrasive that I started with was sand that I got from the beach , just sand and water , in the beginning and then I switched to ? and after that I switched to ? and then I . I will post an Em address soon and give you more detail Thanks again MIKE.

[@chompers11]

Yo youre blowing my mind right now I'd love to be able to have a go at something like this

[@d4ngerd4n]

I wonder where this thing is nowadays, hopefully in one piece still

[@bhadghuy5123]

Nice ball. I want one like that. I'll keep it on the nightstand..............

[@MiscellaneousMcC]

that shere is astonishing! Amazing work, amazing man, amazing machine!

[@zipherdias420]

all the jumps remind me of king of the hill, I tell ya what.

[@Indrid__Cold]

It's interesting to see one of these made. The Chinese do a lot of really big pieces in Jade. Some even bigger than your sphere. They will create an entire scene with people, homes, trees and animals. Those can take up to a decade to finish and sell for 1/2 million and up. What is amazing about your project is the custom machinery you built. My compliments!

[@VODOOMthefirst]

Nice. A true master of tools

[@ImaLoneWolfintheWoods]

Wow that's a big chunk of rose Quartz !!!

[@poetalyrickom340]

If I only had your patients and the time to even attempt to make something this amazing, I would. Bravo Michael. 40-50,000? Don't know if I'd even sell it. The time, effort and beauty of a first time success is priceless. Like the first dollar saved you might see by the cash register at a place of business. They'll never get rid of it.

[@BarefootViking]

How long did this take? Thank you for sharing this

[@houdini178]

Thank you for sharing this video!

[@manbeefcake]

If I were God, I would make a floor or surface of quartz of the same smoothness to roll this sphere across. ...Or maybe a ramp.

[@ЛеонидОбъедков-й3я]

Какая общая масса кг была изначально, и какой массы получился шар❓Огромный лайк за проделанную работу и подписка. 👍

[@darrenmarchant1720]

very interesting thank you.

[@davidnash8586]

Fantastic indeed !

[@superfluities]

amazing! how long did it take? Is he listed under "giant stone sphere maker - will come to you"? give him my compliments

[@matthewcollins6316]

26:11 is how long it took.

[@cleanstreamrockhounding]

Gawdalmighty

[@christophvonknobelsdorff1936]

😮

[@ОлегВекшин-о8ж]

Круто. Сколько времени ушло на изготовление? Чаши шлифовальные с каким абразивом использовались?

[@andrewgibb8846]

Can you roll this down the worlds tallest water slide? I’ll pay 💰

[@robosmasher1]

This is amazing and I wish I had your engineering skills. However, rose quartz fades in sunlight and will turn a milky grey color after several years. It should be kept indoors.

[@Indrid__Cold]

It won't necessarily fade. The locality where the piece came from would dictate that. It's true that almost all of the rose quartz crystals will fade (a real shame as rare as they are) but this massive material is much more robust. I've seen pieces sit in a jeweler's store window for years that never faded.

[@johnnyv1982]

Wow, amazing

[@davidcleland8457]

Wow, amazing.

[@H5N14U]

Incredible.

[@bandplop6162]

real hard job !

[@michaelhelmer4600]

To M2Field . So , how are you doing , and I have a few questions for you , at least 1 question right now . Question (1) What is the material for the sphere that you are going to make ? , and about how big do you think it will be when finished ?

[@MisterFizz]

Mighty nice. Thanks 4 posting. Did it turn out sufficiently spherical to use it in a fountain like those made by Brahma Granitech?

[@michaelhelmer4600]

Of course , yes .

[@michaelhelmer4600]

Working on the sphere on and off , it took about 3 years .

[@leepu747]

Is cup cutter with univarsal joint?

[@Robster-Craw]

Maybe you can mail me some scrap i can tumble? :)

[@Muxi781]

Hello, there, brilliant! I m trying to create a machine of this kind quite smaller but still consequent, i cant find the grinding cups for a stone of 15inces diameter anywhere, maybe you cold conect me with Mr Helmer, thnks a lot! Brillant video you made my day

[@GradyHouger]

watching videos about sphere grinding, it looks like people often make their own grinding cups.

[@michaelhelmer4600]

That's true , I could not find grinding either , so I made them out of material that I got at a metal salvage yard , near by . The grinding cups were made out of a 10 inch steel pipe that I cut into three equal pieces . After the cups were cut I welded a half inch steel plate on to close one end of the 10 inch cylinder . After that I welded as close to center as I could , a two inch pipe nipple , and there it is a 10 inch grinding cup X 3 . Did this help , if you need it and can't find it , and no one knows what you are talking about , build it yourself , if you cant do it yourself , then learn too A healthy attitude will take you a long way . What I do to not get discouraged , and defeated before I evean start , is this . I told myself that I'm going to make a sphere out of a rock , it's just a rock , and how can a rock be smarter than I am . It's just a little pep talk I give to myself ,prevents me from stopping before I evean start . Also if you work slowly , and just put one foot in front of the other just do one small thing every day and it will get done

[@podboq2]

look at all that 'waste' material... what did you do with all that gravel?

[@Indrid__Cold]

Pink gravel driveway?

[@foxyauragems6146]

Keep it out of the sun !!!!!

[@gregorybratton6436]

What state are you in and where did the rose quartz come from? Thank you.

[@michaelhelmer4600]

The rose quartz came from South America , and I live in the San Francisco bay are .

[@SomeGuy13131313]

What is that machine you are using?

[@michaelhelmer4600]

The machine has no name other than , sphere maker , it was built by me and a retired welder

[@emiliaeastin9224]

@@michaelhelmer4600 insane

[@admiralbillom7559]

great!

[@M2Field]

I have so many questions it's crazy. What are the "cups" made of/from? What is the abrasive? Was the finish polished?

[@michaelhelmer4600]

The cups were made from 10 inch steel pipe , found at a scrap iron yard near by .

[@azmathkhan2797]

Nise nise

[@podboq2]

where do rocks like this even come from?

[@michaelhelmer4600]

South America

[@alarjak]

easy peasy...

[@mr88jmr88]

Does he sell these?

[@michaelhelmer4600]

He would like to .

[@itzzzsss]

They had this somewhere in southern california. meddled with it. it was on floating on a water bowl.

[@danhelmer1251]

no they didnt

[@johnmorales7415]

Where is the sphere now? Great job by the way .

[@TheIcool76]

John Morales im sure its at crystal castle near byron bay , Australia

[@phillcom3]

Engineering? You mean crafting use correct terminology

[@anti-antifa3656]

You gay

[@nofaithjusthope8714]

I hope when you sold this you got rid of your 1980's VHS camcorder and bought something better something up to date! jeez This was painful to watch