Homemade engraving "vice"

[nhcowboy1961]

Hi all, until I save up for the real deal, a tip from a friend of mine has worked surprisingly well for me. I got a "duck pin" bowling ball for free at my local bowling alley. A hole was drilled into the top and I cut a scratched and drilled palte (to secure that hardening putty that's a God-send), welded that onto the pin and glued all into the top of the bowling ball. Resting the ball on a roll of duct tape works well and it can be rotated surprisingly easily as I engrave. Previously I used a smal lazy Susan and hot glued my mounts onto that to engrave my work-having to stand to engrave.
It won't win any prizes for looks but the quality of my work has increased by using it, and it's a good in between step until I get my nice ball vice to use-Hopes this might help someone out.

 

[carl bleile]

good idea, about 1970 there weren't many ball vices around so i made my own in about the same way. i used a piece of wood for the base aprox. 1.5 thich cut a hole and polished the edges, if it was to fast i would put a thin piece of leather between them (2x2in.) for more drag. my first work was done standing up useing a standard swivel metal vice, i still do it sometimes today on special jobs like shotgun or rifle barrels useing mostley hammer and chisel, but over all i think the ball vice is much easyer and faster. keep thinking of new ways to work it could help us all !

 

[Guarnera]

I have a vise I got with a home engraving course. Its a bowling ball cut in half, sitting in a small tire from a toy ( scooter, or wagon, don't really know ), it just has to be the right size, with a drill press vice bolted to the flat side. Works pretty good.

 

[monk]

nice ! i made a bowling ballvice before i could afford the real deal. believe it or not, there are certain jobs that i still use it on. i has a perfect weight for certain flat plate work that i do. esp when i cut templates for my pantograph.

 

[monk]

good idea, about 1970 there weren't many ball vices around so i made my own in about the same way. i used a piece of wood for the base aprox. 1.5 thich cut a hole and polished the edges, if it was to fast i would put a thin piece of leather between them (2x2in.) for more drag. my first work was done standing up useing a standard swivel metal vice, i still do it sometimes today on special jobs like shotgun or rifle barrels useing mostley hammer and chisel, but over all i think the ball vice is much easyer and faster. keep thinking of new ways to work it could help us all !

sir: are you any relation to c. roger bleile ?

 

[carl bleile]

bleile brothers

yes, Roger bleile is my brother we talk on the phone and get together frequently. it's nice to have someone to show and bounce ideas off of plus we exchange any new methods we are trying to let the other work with it.