# Drilling Spheres [again]



## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

A friend gave me a bag of billiard balls. I figured I'd make some coat racks out of them.

Holding them to drill holes to insert dowels can be a challenge. A quick check returned several good solutions. At first, I had elaborate designs in mind for the means of holding the balls, but items already setting on the drill press table presented a quicker solution.

A piece of plywood I use under material and for drilling test holes had a hole, which was a good size for holding a ball. Another piece of ply near it, for the next drill job needing a clean backer, was perfect for raising a clamp holding the ball.

A quick twist or two and I was ready to ruin billiard balls, and gain a coat rack.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I drilled a few for shift knobs and used a metal lathe. The headstock had a 3" hollow shaft so chucking up the balls and looking down inside the headstock allowed me to center up the numbers allowing me to drill at the exact opposite.


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