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This sounds like a fun challenge!<br>
<br>
Reducing the diameter of the sphere might be doable with care but
it's possible to end up with a lopsided thing pretty easy if you're
doing it completely by hand. It can be done if you're persnickety
and "sneak up" on the shape with fine files. Then you'll need to
restore the polish after that.<br>
<br>
As for drilling - copper is really grabby material so you'd want to
be sure you have the sphere clamped very securely to the drill press
table. Also, because it's so grabby, especially with drilling,
you'll want to take a lot of care when presenting the drill to the
work. Being prepared for it to dive into the work can help but if
you have a quill lock on your DP, cinch that down just enough to
give you a fair bit of added friction. This will help your reaction
time if it does grab. I'd spin the drill slowly, too.<br>
<br>
As for cutting - You can cut many nonferous metals with woodworking
cutters. Since copper is so grabby, I'd be a little more cautious on
the bandsaw. I'd want to clamp the thing into some kind of captured
arrangement (like two pieces of sacrificial wood with a divot in
them to really clamp down on the part. Think tongs made of wood with
a screw that pulls the jaws together to really clamp down on it.
Alternatively, it's soft so cutting with a hacksaw would be a lot
lower impact and less risky.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">Jason Beam<br>
<b><a href="https://beamerweb.com">Beamer's Brands</a></b><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 3/30/2021 2:01 PM, chuck.steger---
via Woodworkers wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Hope
everyone is safe and healthy!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
I need some advice on working solid copper. I’ll give you
some context on what I’m doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
I designing and building a Heritage Box for someone.
Everything that goes into the design and construction will
have some elements from their cultural background. Their
mother and grandparents lived and worked in a copper mining
town in Chile and copper was a big part of their lives. To
bring copper into the design, I will attach the legs to the
box using copper rods. Since the legs taper, I will use
1/8”, 3/16”, and ¼” rods and leave a ¼” gap between the legs
and box. But this is subtle and I wanted to add something
else. So I want to add a copper sphere at the top of the
box. I drew up the design full scale and the sphere looks
good at ¾”. So, I started researching copper spheres and
what I found are jewelry spheres ½” and less or solid
spheres 1” and greater. I ordered the 1” spheres which are
actually used for plating copper.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
So here are some of my issues/questions/concerns:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraph"
style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Is
there any way possible to reduce the diameter? I thought
about some kind of holding contraption on a lathe and then
using files but that just sounds like a bad idea.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph"
style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The
sphere weights in at 3 oz. Now that may seem light but
it’s a little heftier that I wanted because I don’t want
it to tip the box over when hinged open. The box footprint
will be 8”x12” so it may be OK. I will build a prototype
as I always do so I’ll find out. Also with a prototype it
will be easy to see if 1” is too big. A ¾” hollow sphere
would be perfect but I can’t find that.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph"
style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Will
solid copper drill OK? I would like to drill a hole for a
rod to anchor the sphere to the box. I will epoxy the
sphere to a cradle but a rod would be so much more secure
IMO. And, given the weight, I would feel better.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph"
style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Here’s
another take …. Is there a way to cut the sphere in ½” I
only have WW bandsaws so even with a metal blade, WW
bandsaws run too fast, don’t they? The thought process
here is maybe I take the two half spheres and attach them
to the side of the box as an adornment. The design will be
mostly Asian so spheres might look good. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> So
you can see the design is in total flux. I’ve started
building the prototype out of pine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Brush Script
MT"">Chuck<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">_______________________________________________
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