PS_Bond
Elite Cafe Member
Mostly because I wanted to try some, but wasn't sure how much use they'd be.
Simply take....
1 pair of cheap pliers, 2 ball bearings of suitable size, a small piece of sheet brass (or 1/16 steel, whatever) and a lump of Polymorph or possibly even Thermoloc.
Grind out the inside of the jaws of the pliers until there is enough room to install the ball bearing & plate without the jaws being fully open. Centre punch & drill the top jaw to give a starting hole, then carve the inside of the jaw with carbide burrs to give a hemispherical depression to take the bearing. Braze the ball bearing into the top jaw and the sheet to the bottom jaw - I used Easy-Flo; I doubt it's critical so long as it sticks. Once everything has cooled off & is clean, polish the ball bearing, then soften a small lump of Polymorph and plonk it on the bottom sheet; squish the pliers onto the soft plastic, then take the other ball bearing & form a gradual channel in the plastic either side of the jaws. Let it cool, then form a strip of copper into a nice synclastic form...
I've made up a pair that handles about 1/2" sheet as that was what I had handy in ball bearings; I'll probably clean up a piece of formed copper so that it is smooth, then use that as a former to redo the lower jaw.
Simply take....
1 pair of cheap pliers, 2 ball bearings of suitable size, a small piece of sheet brass (or 1/16 steel, whatever) and a lump of Polymorph or possibly even Thermoloc.
Grind out the inside of the jaws of the pliers until there is enough room to install the ball bearing & plate without the jaws being fully open. Centre punch & drill the top jaw to give a starting hole, then carve the inside of the jaw with carbide burrs to give a hemispherical depression to take the bearing. Braze the ball bearing into the top jaw and the sheet to the bottom jaw - I used Easy-Flo; I doubt it's critical so long as it sticks. Once everything has cooled off & is clean, polish the ball bearing, then soften a small lump of Polymorph and plonk it on the bottom sheet; squish the pliers onto the soft plastic, then take the other ball bearing & form a gradual channel in the plastic either side of the jaws. Let it cool, then form a strip of copper into a nice synclastic form...
I've made up a pair that handles about 1/2" sheet as that was what I had handy in ball bearings; I'll probably clean up a piece of formed copper so that it is smooth, then use that as a former to redo the lower jaw.
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