Rolling Ball - Wire former

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Hello Guys, I am just about to get into rolling ball scultpures, I have done a search on wire benders / formrer without much luck, have any of you built one, I saw one of a RBS site but the photo was a bit dark.Thanks.Ed
Reply:Hmmmm, 'Rolling Ball Scuptures'... Qu'est ce que ces't?Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:Hello JMANNot really sure what that translates as, only hid 1 year of French in high school and that was some decades ago!!, but have a look at this  I have only ever seen one up close and personal and it was mesmerising,  but like most on this site, the journey is what I'm interested in.Ed
Reply:Ohhhhh, Ok.... now I see!  Yeah, that's 'Pretty Awesome'!I think a 'Bender' would be 'ok', but I've seen a LOT of people with WAY more success using 'JIGS' for 'that type' of a project, especially ones made from wood...The one in particular that stood out in my mind, was a stout 20"x20"x2" thick wooden block.  I think it was some type of Glued Oak, much like a cutting board, although I think 2 glued sheets of 1" plywood,(or thinner if you like) would likely work just as well...  Anyway, it went something like this;-Board was measured out and 3/16" holes were measured and drilled vertically and horizontally at 1/2" increments.  The Holes were also numbered with a sharpie...-Depth of the holes was (if I remember..) around 2/3rd's of the way into the wood.-The guy then took a single 3' stainless steel 3/16" rod and cut a bunch of 'steel pegs' (1.75" long,  I believe..) from them, that then could be inserted into 'any' of the many 3/16" holes that he had previously drilled out.-There was an attachment that was fitted under the block that held it into place onto a pedestal, but I would assume that it would be just as easy to make an 'attachment' that would fit into a 'Vise'.Now by placing the pegs into different numbered holes, before and DURING the project, he could 'accurately' control the bends and 'reproduce them' (due to the numbered holes..) and had no problems bending up to 1/8" TIG rod and wire of many different sizes...  It made a FANTASTIC "BENDING JIG" and was used in Art Projects and 'Wire Forms' to make everything from Ultra Modern Concrete benches to 12' high Sculptures!  IT was pretty cool...Honestly, I think the above could be 'easily modified' to suit your needs.Lastly, I came across a number of other 'strange objects' that were likely used for bending as well..  I found everything from LARGE pieces of PVC pipe and cylindrical / spherical things like buckets, Pipes, etc, to dozens of different sized semi-circles made from plywood that would screw down to a wooden work table with a small piece of metal angle that you could 'clamp' your wire / rod to so that it could easily be bent.Seeing some of those gave me an idea for a bending jig that I needed for varying diameters of circles using 8 ga. copper wire.  I decided to make one from a 'Road Pylon'.  I filled the Pylon with sacrete, plugged the top hole and let it set, upside-down....  It made an unbelievable bending jig and didn't 'mar' the surface of my copper when I was bending it around the Pylon...  Eventually the rubber on the pylon did wear away, but it is STILL used as a bending jig for RG45 TIG rod!  For the life of me I cannot find the Bloody link, but if you do a search for 'bending Jigs' or 'Wooden Bending Jigs', you might even come up with the individual that I described above!Cheers Man,/J...Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:You may have already seen this site but here ya go.http://rolling-ball.com/blog7.php/2010/09/15/title-1Like JMAN said......The bending jigs shown on the site could be made with scrap steel.  You could also make some wire bending jigs out of wood. Attached Images
Reply:Do a search over here,http://www.metalartistforum.com/maf/ .Don't forget to keep us posted on your progress!200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:Hello & Thanks JoeThat's a good start ( the four metal ones - not sure about the wooden one though - you sure you don't practice the black art, wwodwork?? ) BTW I am a woodbutcher by day, builder!I was thinking more along the lines of a variable radius roller, two fixed and the middle roller moveable so the radius can be altered in what is being rolled, but I like the metal ones, I'm guessing they would be very fast.Thanks for your help.Ed