Thread: Slotted balls

Don't know of anyone else that offers the service, but its not a difficult job, and I'd expect any decent machinist should be able to do it for you (I've even done my own in the past in the drill press).

You might struggle to get someone who hasn't done it before to finish it by the weekend though, and likely find they load the price accordingly.

Steve

I have a pair of slotted balls that are surplus to needs: Swivel Balls that is! and I am in Melbourne.

You could do them yourself with a round file and a few hours. Seriously.

Originally Posted by POD

You could do them yourself with a round file and a few hours. Seriously.

I doubt it....... Seriously!

Originally Posted by POD

You could do them yourself with a round file and a few hours. Seriously.

Possibly, but you'd also need a few large buckets of enthusiasm.
You'd also want to make sure that you protected the ball well or a few good pokes from the end of the file would gouge the chrome.

IMO, the easiest way to do them yourself at home would be to get a couple of rings of 12mm steel laser cut with holes to match the existing holes in the ball flange. Sit the ring on the ball, rotate the holes to the desired position and tack weld the ring in place. Drill through the ring to give the holes in the new location, grind the tacks off and finish the slots with a die grinder.

If you really wanted to do them with a file I'm happy to come over and document the process with a couple of beers, but guaranteed I won't be driving home afterwards

Steve

Originally Posted by steveG

Possibly, but you'd also need a few large buckets of enthusiasm.
You'd also want to make sure that you protected the ball well or a few good pokes from the end of the file would gouge the chrome.

IMO, the easiest way to do them yourself at home would be to get a couple of rings of 12mm steel laser cut with holes to match the existing holes in the ball flange. Sit the ring on the ball, rotate the holes to the desired position and tack weld the ring in place. Drill through the ring to give the holes in the new location, grind the tacks off and finish the slots with a die grinder.

If you really wanted to do them with a file I'm happy to come over and document the process with a couple of beers, but guaranteed I won't be driving home afterwards

Steve

You must be a very slow drinker for just a couple of beers for a job like this

Originally Posted by rangieman

You must be a very slow drinker for just a couple of beers for a job like this

Per hole

Steve

When I did the caster correction on my last car, I took the swivel housings to a local engineering shop, the bloke who owns the shop, whom I know reasonably well, said that if he were to take the job on, he would set his apprentice to it with a file rather than use the mill. Lamented about how filing is getting to be a lost art and everyone wants to do everything by machine, etc....explained how with a job like this it takes longer to set up in a machine than it would take to do with a file- also about $100 per hour more expensive.

I did mine with an end mill in the drill press, cos I'm just as lazy a git as the rest of you lot. It was very hard on the morse taper of the drill press as they are not intended to take side loads.
I think SteveG's suggestion would result in drunken holes as well as a drunk observer, as the drill would cut into the guide in an unpredictable manner. Might work with an end mill with flutes shorter than the thickness of the guide plate.
My next set are going to be done with a milling arrangement in the lathe, using the jig I fabricated for the drill press arrangement. I could offer to do Duarte's but no way I would be able to spend the time to do a job like this within the next several weeks.