Machining a ball

mac · 2010-01-24T21:36:42+00:00

My Garmin NUVI 500 for my bicycle uses a ball mount. The one that Ipurchase from a third party is hollowed plastic and broke fromvibration. I adapted the broken piece to my light bar and it brokeagain at the ball.I toyed with several methods. One buy a ball turning tool, two find aball and mount it to a post. The ball was .670 inches and I didn'tfind any one that size.I decided to make a form tool for a section and move around the ballshape. The critical section is smooth as the female move up to themajor diameter and that the major diameter size is maintained. Thedown side also needs to be smooth for a short distance.I Machined a rectangle piece of aluminum leaving the head 3/4 inches,in three direction. The post section is 3/4 X 1/2 inches. Pictures arehere.

Machining a ball

Jan 24, 2010 24 Replies

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aslub 16 years ago

This is a good e-mail also. I'd appreciate a copy. Love to see neat ideas like that preserved and explained.

Karl

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Bill Noble 16 years ago

I made a mount for my Nuvi using a standard ball bearing for the ball - heated it up to remove some of the temper and drilled it and threaded it, and then made a shaft to fit and appropriate mounting bracketry to hold it where I wanted it. I can't imagine any reason to make the ball - you can order bearing balls in brass or various other materials as well off of ebay or any of the usual suppliers

snip

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Don Foreman 16 years ago

Done

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Don Foreman 16 years ago

I've done that too. Sometimes I don't want to pay $7 shipping and wait a week for something I can make in less than an hour. Being retired does tend to change one's attitude about time vs $$$.

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wmbjkREMOVE 16 years ago

Here's why I made my own ball - turning an aluminum ball to the accuracy needed for this job is fast and easy. I made the entire mount from scraps I had in stock, in about 2 hours, and that included a lot of getting in and out of the car for test fitting. The mount is an

1/8" plate about 2" square and curved slightly in both dimensions. Welded to that at an angle is a 3/8" coupling nut drilled and tapped for a locking screw. The ball shaft telescopes in the coupling nut. The plate is attached in the perfect spot with two-sided tape to some dash plastic.

Wayne

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