Making a ball out of plywood

[Bobw]

Say what? Damn, it makes my head hurt just thinking of the math needed to get the number of pieces needed for the diameter of the ball and the correct angles....That guy has his tools tuned to the nth degree!

 

[TexasRaceLady]

Too much math for me. It's beautiful and some enjoy a challenge.
And he has the tools to do the job.

 

[Magnethead]

The angles actually aren't that bad to figure out. It takes 12 tiles to make a circumference- 8 hexagons and 4 pentagons. Each of those is made up of 2 pieces - so 24 pieces total to go 360 degrees. So each side is cut to 15 degrees (360 divided by 24).

 

[TexasRaceLady]

I just wonder how many times he had to experiment to get it right.

 

[Bobw]

Well, most woodworker have a saying. ''I cut it twice and it's still too short....'''
I got lost watching some turning video's, makes me wish I still had my mini lathe. Made a lot of pens, fun stuff to do.

 

[Magnethead]

Hardest part would be the exact dimensions for perfect equilateral triangles.

 

[TexasRaceLady]

It turned out beautifully --- no matter how many false starts he had.
Very talented.