Sphere Cups, How to Make Them REVISED

[@richardmccann4815]

Excellent content! Subscribed!

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Thanks Richard.

[@rustybennett1729]

I use the pads as well except I use a knife and cut from the center out 3 squares deep where the squares line up straight. I glue Velcro to the cups and put the pads on that. The cuts let the pad flex. Haven’t done many spheres at all so still learning. Appreciate your thoughts on the way I am doing it.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

If you find they need more flex room then go ahead and cut away. There are many ways to accomplish what we need. Do you show your work anywhere? Would love to see it.

[@johncrable3349]

I made some cups using pvc reducers. I filled the center with an epoxy putty - then pressed in a sphere covered with a plastic stretched tight. I found it gave much more area for gluing velcro. Feel free to contact me if there are any questions. Thanks for sharing and have a happy day

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

I love that there are many ways to do this. I am currently working on using pvc for some larger size cups.

[@nedchandler1446]

I did the exact same thing except I used that spray foam insulation inside the cup and velco to make the bevel. That foam sticks to everything so the Velcro is permanent and never comes off.

[@Araileo]

Excellent informative video. Was just what I was looking for. I am in the process of finding my motors, then i will start the cups. Thank you.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Thanks and good luck with the build.

[@brunonikodemski2420]

You could use the standard electrical resistor color code for marking your grit sizes. Using stripes allows you to go 1-grit to 100-million grit using only the standard colors. Easily done. Also, leaving an occasional flat spot on spheres is actually useful, since it avoids to buy a holder for the sphere. We ran into this with our kids projects.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Thanks. I am always rattling ideas around in my head.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

I use 105.7 rpm motors. They can rarely be found on eBay. But you could use from 50 to 200 rpm just fine.

[@yvanvan3729]

Great video, thank you very much for taking time to make it and sharing your knowledge ! I wonder, wouldn't it have been better to glue another Velcro on the cup ? Then it should be easier to add or remove the pads with different grit ! Have a wonderful day.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

That is certainly one way to do it. I use that method on my larger sized cups (bigger than what you see on the video.) Hope to have a video out on them by end of summer.

[@Darkice77]

I just use a ball the size i need like a softball or baseball to press the pads down. That way its symmetrical to the round shape your going for. If your angle is off it will still make a ball but it will take longer because some of the pad wont be making contact.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

I hear ya. That is a good method too.

[@williamgolden5500]

Awesome ! Watching this content makes my day!

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Glad you are enjoying the videos. I am making spheres as I write this.

[@gemstoneslapidary682]

Thank you so much, very nice idea with the clamping of the pads to the cup during the glueing process

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Thanks. It creates a more consistent piece and really let’s the glue do it’s job without it getting too thick.

[@garypomreinke5694]

Do you use a final leather polishing set of cups? I built a set using ABS couplings, bushings and pipe and used the plastic pipe caps (blue or orange) available by the box at Home Depot. I pre-form the caps in hot water to cup them inwards, then glued leather circles by the purpose built “ears” onto the caps. Continued use will form them to the spheres. I have accidentally ran them dry and the leather burns through, but with practice, the spheres get a nice deep shine. I can send pictures if you like?

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

I have some cups awaiting leather. Just have not got around to it yet. Would love to see some pics of your set up. [e-mail]

[@JamokaJoe]

Awesome tutorial... thank you for sharing your research!

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Happy to help out the sphere makers. And those who just live spheres or mechanical processes.

[@haroldmedalen6757]

Great video, thanks for all the valuable information, I have subscribed.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@WaltHaas]

Those look like very low RPM motors. What kind are they and what's the RPM's. Great video by the way

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video. The motors are 105.7 rpm motors. They come from old, outdated, copy machines. They work great and occasionally are available through eBay or other places.

[@huntingrocks]

Im going to have to build my self one of these , I want a sphere maker for some of the minerals I find but no way do I want to pay the price when I have every thing but the pads at home (and it cuts into my rock hunting adventures ) , great video very informative

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Thanks, enjoy the build!

[@alan67530]

Great information you shared

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Thank you.

[@chrislilly1463]

Super cool man. I love stone spheres.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Thanks mucho!

[@olheghtt]

I can't find those grinding pads, Amazon has something that looks like them but they're all polishing grits. Are they on Amazon and did I miss them. What are they actually called.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

The grinding cups are a separate beast. There are a few places that sell them. www.hplapidary.com www.sphereheaven.com wwwsphereproducts.com and also Covington. If you can braze or know someone who does they can be made in a home shop by brazing the diamonds to cast iron pipe reducers. The polishing pads are available from many places as they are used in the flooring and countertop industries.

[@olheghtt]

@@DirtCleanerVideos thank you 👍

[@paulmanhart4481]

You should have three perpendicular axis and randomly vary the rpm of each motor to eliminate any periodic structure from the grinding process. This will give you the best sphere.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Agreed. Just can’t change the rpm of the motors. But I have found it works great as is.

[@metoo1604]

@@DirtCleanerVideos What RPM motor is needed?

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

@@metoo1604 From 100 to 200 works well. Some machines spin quicker.

[@ravenburns3539]

What size cups correspond to what size spheres? And is it the same 22 degree bevel on all of them that you find works best? Love the video thank you for helping me start out in this kind of stuff.

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

The best I can tell you is what Highland Park Lapidary publishes: 1" 25mm 1" to 1.4" 25 to 35.5mm 1-3/16" 30mm 1.3" to 1.6" 33 to 40.5mm 1-3/8" 35mm 1.5" to 1.8" 38 to 46mm 1-9/16" 40mm 1.75" to 2.1" 44.5 to 53mm 1-3/4" 44mm 2" to 2.6" 50.5 to 66 mm 2-1/4" 56mm 2.5" to 3.1" 63.5 to 78.5mm 2-1/2" 63mm 2.8" to 3.5" 71 to 90mm 3" 75mm 3.4" to 4.1" 86 to 104mm 3-1/2" 90mm 4" to 4.9" 101.5 to 124.5mm 4" 102mm 4.6" to 5.5" 117 to 140mm 5" 127mm 6" to 8" 6" 152mm 7.25" to 9" 22 degrees is good. However I just made mine somewhere close to that.

[@ravenatorful]

@@DirtCleanerVideos thank you tons, you just made my day

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

@@ravenatorful Thanks.

[@alan67530]

I'm not following the measurements. In inches, what diameter cup would you suggest to make 3" to 4" spheres? Do you have any video of showing process from raw stone to the point where you put it in the machine?

[@kevinkaszyca3267]

David, do you have any videos of making spheres out of a large petoskey stone?

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

I have not. The process would be nearly the same. I may skip a few polishing steps due to the softness of Petosky stones. As soon as come across a suitable one for sphering I might do a quick video.

[@shaikhabdulrasheed7488]

Hi.. David i want grinding cup can you explain me how to make a grinding cup

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

The grinding cups can be made a fewe different ways. I use diamond embedded brazing rod and braze the diamonds onto the cup. Or you can get 'segments' and braze them on. HPLapidary.com might have the segments. I hope to make a video in the future on this.

[@007DarthMan]

@@DirtCleanerVideos Do 'segments' work better? Worse? why choose to braze over that?

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

@@007DarthMan I don't believe there is much of a difference. Both need to be brazed on. both have diamonds in them. I have used segments on my Highland Park High Speed Sphere Machine and they work quickly. BUT: it is a much faster machine. I would use what I could more easily get.

[@shaikhabdulrasheed7488]

Wow awesome 👌

[@judithliebaert]

David, are you selling your spheres? I'd be interested in purchasing. Edited: Found your Etsy shop!

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Lots to pick from!

[@iantherealg]

Do you need me to send you a dial indicator to help you center the cup? 😆

[@DirtCleanerVideos]

Turns out it is not that critical. Being just a bit off of center helps with the random turning of the sphere.