Woodturning - Bowls Ball To Box (Lignum Vitae) 

“Bowls Ball”…lol I think this fella is British. That’s probably how they refer to what we Italian Americans call a bocci ball…. A lawn game somewhat akin to horse shoes here in the U.S. and curling from Canada.

Mate, you answered that question so much better than I ever could have thank you. Yes Margaret, just what mercoid said. 😊 Thanks for watching guys

Pa'tonq in Caribbean and other parts of the world.. it's a cool game it's also known is lawn bowling but the object of the game is to get as close to the smaller colored balls without touching them. Your playing against yourself more than anyone else.

A ball for playing the game of crown green bowling. The grass playing area is an incredible thing in itself. The crown is the raised central area of extremely finely cut grass on a play area about 30-60 yards square, the central area rising 6-12 inches higher than the edges. The balls are turned on a lathe in such a way that one side is more eccentric than the other, this is called a bias. they can come in a variety of weights and bias. Each player plays with 2 balls, the object being to get nearest to a smaller white ball (a jack). Often the course of a bowled ball will be curved due to the ball bias and the slope of the playing crown green, amazing to see some played balls take on an incredibly wide curve to the location of the jack and can, with great skill, end up touching the jack. Many of the Lignum wood balls are no longer used (much to the wood turners delight) now replaced by a plastic ball.

Haha thanks Will. Glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻😉

Thanks Axeman. It is an interesting wood to turn. Thanks for watching 😁👍🏻

@@JackMackWoodturning new sub, cheers. Look forward to watching your previous videos. 😀

🥳 Should be a new one dropping this evening buddy. 😊

Apple burl if I remember correctly. I redid this video recently, part two has a book matched spalted inlay. You may prefer it 😊👍🏻

I dropped it. It is no more 😭

@@JackMackWoodturning For real? :O

Thanks Mark. I dropped it after filming and it cracked 🫢

@@JackMackWoodturning 🙃 aww that sucks.

We call them conkers! 😂👍🏻

😊👍🏻

Much appreciated Mandy. Thanks for watching 👍🏻😉

Why thank you 😘

Cheers Paul

Thanks Paul, glad you enjoyed it 😊👍🏻

Thank you Carl. 😊👍🏻

Thanks for watching. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 😊👍🏻

Thanks Harvey . I appreciate you watching 😊👍🏻

@@JackMackWoodturning I have an old set of bocce balls! May have to try this!! LOL! Again, thanks for the inspiration! Take care.

What is a buckeye?

@@JackMackWoodturning LOL, For a better understanding of it you will have to Google it. But in a nut shell, it's a tree that grows in Ohio. They drop these brown colored pods with the seed in them. We also make cookies that look like them, with peanut butter in the middle covered in chocolate. It's also the mascot for OSU!!!

😀… I’m really glad someone noticed that. That you Steffen, i felt it was right to give it back some of its identity 👍🏻 Thanks for watching

@@JackMackWoodturning you past the woodworker stage my friend, you are creating art!

Thanks J. I think they are becoming harder to find these days. 😊👍🏻

Cheers Gaz, thanks for watching 😊👍🏻

Cheers Randy

Thank you Allen. Much appreciated. 😊👍🏻

Thank you. 😀

Thank you for the kind words Brian. I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊👍🏻

😊 thanks Ingrid Glad you enjoyed it 😊👍🏻

Thanks Neil. I’m glad you enjoyed it Thanks for watching 😊👍🏻

Thank you Kelly. I appreciate you watching 😊👍🏻

Cheers John, glad you enjoyed it 😊👍🏻

Thank you Rebecca. 😊👍🏻

Thanks 😊

Thanks terrie. They are fairly common on eBay. Lovely wood to turn too

Thanks Joyce. I appreciate you watching 😊👍🏻

Cheers Beverly, thanks for watching 😊👍🏻

I like the way you think Niklar. It must have had an interesting life 😉👍🏻

@@JackMackWoodturning If it was sentient, yes. .

Nice one Kev. Much appreciated 👍🏻😉

Nice one Axeman. Thanks for watching buddy 👍🏻😉

Thank you. I appreciate you watching 👍🏻

Thank you 😊👍🏻

Cheers Stuart, I appreciate you watching 😊👍🏻

Thanks Donna, really glad you enjoyed it 😊👍🏻

Thanks for watching Alan, I’ve not experienced that with the ones I have turned. Maybe your balls are a bit wet from being in a moist environment for some time ??

It is so oily and dense, they used to use it to construct bearings for heavy machinery in days gone bye.

It’s a really lovely wood to turn

😊👍🏻

Thanks julee 😊👍🏻

Nice one Expresso! Glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻😁

Thanks for watching Laster. The wood is lignum vitae 😊👍🏻

Hey F. Your support is very much appreciated. ❤️

Thank Dave. The lathe is an Axminster trade 2030 thanks for watching

@@JackMackWoodturning Gm from the US Jack. Thanks for your response, and my question for you is, can we get Axminster Tools here in the States? As a cabinetmaker I really appreciate the the quality + technology used in the making of these tools. Non the less, thanks for all your interesting videos, we learn something every day. All the best

Haha, cheers Jed. On the burl inlay I sanding to 600 then burnished woth fine wire wool. In the rest of the piece I mostly got away with just burnishing as the wood cuts so beautifully.

I was wondering the same....

For 90% of my work my favourite hollowing tool is a 5/8 bowl gouge with a swept back grind.. for deep hollowing I use the Simon hope pro hollowing tool with the extra long handle.. I use the straight and hooked tips depending on the shape of the form and I do finishing cuts with the Simon Hope 8mm Heavy Duty Straight Hollowing Tool www.oliverswoodturning.co.uk/product/simon-hope-8mm-heavy-duty-straight-hollowing-tool/ www.oliverswoodturning.co.uk/product/simon-hope-hollowing-tool/ www.oliverswoodturning.co.uk/product/simon-hope-deluxe-quick-release-handles/

🤣🤣🤣… thanks Al

Hey . Do you mean at 10.54 ??

@@JackMackWoodturning yes

@@JackMackWoodturning So what was it?

Lignum vitae is in the mulberry family

Ok , thanks

As I understand it Lignum Vitae is native to the northern coast of South America and the Caribbean. The bowls balls I use are over 100 years old and were turned in the uk, the old turners would start with branches from the tree that were approximately the same diameter as the balls this is why the balls always have the pith or core in the centre of the ball and a sap wood ring around the outside. I should note that the antique balls I use to make these boxes have been used and abused for decades and therefore no longer have any value as antiques, it’s also why most of them have stress fracture from being bounce of other balls thousands of times. 😊👍🏻

Thanks for the info, thanks for taking the time to answer Jack. 😀

Your welcome, thank you for taking the time to watch my videos 😊👍🏻

This is the clubman Chuck from Axminster tools.. All chucks should be like this these days, I would still have to use screws but instead I buy a set of runners for each set of jaws meaning I can change jaws just by winding the Chuck all the way until the jaws come out and then just insert the next set of jaws. It’s a little pricey but as I’m a professional woodturner it’s money we’ll spent as it’s saves me a lot of time over the year.

Thank you very much!!

@@JackMackWoodturning can you put a link to the runners mentioned please

www.axminstertools.com/axminster-evolution-sk114-accessory-mounting-jaws-106819

If only Axminster tools paid me to do all this promotion 😩😆 Hope that helps mate 👍🏻 Thanks for watching

Thanks Luke.. the ball is made from lignum vitae

Thanks jules. The inlay is turned from a piece of silver birch burl 😊👍🏻

This was one of the hardest woods I have turned. Definitely need some sharp tools! 😉👍🏻

Hi Margaret. Sadly it fell off the bench and cracked 😭

@@JackMackWoodturning I'm sorry to hear that. It was very beautiful.

This piece sold not long after I uploaded the video. If you are interested in buying any of my work you can email me at Contactjackmack@gmail.com Thanks

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