Ade's GREAT BIG.....

[Divided he ad]

Shiny gear lever top thingy     


So, the story starts with  a PM....  Ade, "What's the biggest ball you can turn on your equipment? Could you turn something about the size of a gear knob, for example?"

And it finishes like this....

One bucket o bits. Ade had already made an arbour and drilled/threaded a 31/2" lump of ali bar.
Ade's GREAT BIG.....

The threaded end was pre-sized and then it was screwed onto the arbour.

Ade's GREAT BIG.....

The radius cuts were started....
Ade's GREAT BIG.....


Ade's action shot....

Ade's GREAT BIG.....

Mid way...

Ade's GREAT BIG.....

A little curve added to the neck.

Ade's GREAT BIG.....

Ade's action shot..

Ade's GREAT BIG.....

Finished convex cut.

Ade's GREAT BIG.....

The little flare turned off and a little bit of blending with some emery. Another Ade's action shot 

Ade's GREAT BIG.....

Finished!

Ade's GREAT BIG.....



And then a pic of it in it's new home....

Ade's GREAT BIG.....



Well, that's that one. Been in the 'puter for a few weeks now. Been back at work. No spare time or ridiculous late nights any more 



For ref, ball size ~ 50mm.





Ralph (and Ade)   

[Brass_Machine]

Nice job Ralph! I am sure Ade is a happy camper with that. One question though... why is the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car??

 

Eric

[websterz]

Nice job Ralph! I am sure Ade is a happy camper with that. One question though... why is the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car??

 

Eric

Looks fine to me...



 

[AdeV]

I'd like to thank Ralph for turning out a really nice big shiny ball - and the gear knob was pretty good too! 

Eric - I've no idea how you guys change gear right-handed... every time I've had to try driving on the wrong side of the road, I end up opening the door or winding the window down! I guess that's why you all drive automatics? 

The biggest problem with a solid aluminium ball is the speed with which it sucks heat out of your hand on a cold day - not to mention the bare aluminium seat which does likewise, brr.

[andyf]

... Eric - I've no idea how you guys change gear right-handed... every time I've had to try driving on the wrong side of the road, I end up opening the door or winding the window down! I guess that's why you all drive automatics? 

I drive a bit in France, in left-handed hire cars. What embarrasses me is striding confidently from a crowded cafe terrace to the car parked at the adjacent kerb, climbing in with a flourish and then finding I have to get out again and go round to the driver's door  .

Andy

[krv3000]

well dun 

[Fredbare]

Ralph, your certainly the master of the balls.http://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/kranke_200-1.gif

John

[Divided he ad]

Glad you like the work chaps 


Ade,  it was a bit of fun, and we talked a bit of general carp while we worked.... So all's good 


Funny, the only thing about that flipped pic' is my ghostly tag on it is backwards.... Other than that you'd struggle to tell it'd been flipped!


Only driven on the wrong side once, a weeks holiday with a LHD astra. My left knuckles kept getting bashed with tying to change gear in the door pocket!   

The brian's an impressive tool but it'll go wrong all week when you're trying to change the programming! 






Ralph. 

[DMIOM]

.....The biggest problem with a solid aluminium ball is the speed with which it sucks heat out of your hand on a cold day - not to mention the bare aluminium seat which does likewise, brr.

Ade - is perchance the big / cold / (heavy?) gear knob for when Mr C.V. is driving and then swap for a lightweight plastic one when Mr. A.V. is driving? 

Dave

[AdeV]

.....The biggest problem with a solid aluminium ball is the speed with which it sucks heat out of your hand on a cold day - not to mention the bare aluminium seat which does likewise, brr.

Ade - is perchance the big / cold / (heavy?) gear knob for when Mr C.V. is driving and then swap for a lightweight plastic one when Mr. A.V. is driving? 

Dave

Hehe, hadn't thought of that....

Actually, the problem we were trying to solve was the old gearstick used to foul the cutout when going for 4th gear, so it didn't always snick in. But as it turned out, even with the old plastic one cut away & the new shiny aluminium one in place, the problem remained; it turned out there wasn't enough movement in the ball joint... so the final fix was to cut the gear linkage (seen at the bottom of the bucket in the first pic, the bronze coloured item with a sticker on it) in half, and weld it back together 1/4" longer... that fixed it a treat

I prefer the look of the ali ball over the original item, I have to say...