I was looking up how to make your own ball vice (engraver's vice/jeweler's vice/etc.) and found an absolutely genius version in a video by Sweetgum NYC @sweetgumnyc7794 which you can see here: https://youtu.be/JWV8jHRm8t8?si=y5_EluIem31BYNz6. I watched the video a half dozen times and decided I could make my own. There were a couple details not covered in the video so I scrolled the video description and comments to try to find a list of parts I needed and details on things like what the particular magnets were called and where to find them. It looked like a lot of other people had asked these questions too and there weren't any answers so I set off to figure it out myself. After hours of scouring the internet and local stores and ordering a variety of different parts I felt like I had put a lot of time and effort in I wanted to make the information available to other people as well. I had spent so much time just trying to figure out what some of the parts were even called to be able to look them up. To be clear: I am not claiming this as my idea. @sweetgumnyc7794 came up with it. It's awesome. I just wanted to post exactly how to do it. This is the first and only video I have ever attempted to make so I apologize for the quality (and the aspect being vertical not horizontal). Head over to @sweetgumnyc7794 's video for a much better version.
This cost me about $88 to make, but there are plenty of opportunities to use things you may already have around the house or save money if you can find parts locally at a metal store. The best economy ball vice you can buy online is by Vevor and is about $120, give or take, and has to be retrofitted in order to effectively use it (there are videos and comments online about how to do this if you want). I didn't feel like supporting a company that creates crappy products that have to be retrofitted and I don't have $400 for a good one. Plus, I just wanted to prove to myself I could do this :)
List of parts needed:
• Magnets - I got these on Amazon ($6.95) -https://amzn.to/4aH0ZwD
• Shorter metric screws for the magnets - 4pk of M3 10mm screws from Home Depot ($1.98)
• Weights - Use steel nuts and bolts, anything heavy that fits down in the hemisphere (mine were free $0)
• 5" steel ring - https://www.ebay.com/itm/293624427609 - 5" tube ring - $1.75 + 3.75s/h = ($5.64)
• Two steel disc plates - at least one of them needs to be 5" - I bought one 4" disc at a local metal supply ($3.76) and ordered one 5" disc. Here are some options for where you can find them:
○ https://www.ebay.com/itm/172990135324?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=172990135324&targetid=1490630668460&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9031341&poi=&campaignid=19851828444&mkgroupid=145880009174&rlsatarget=pla-1490630668460&abcId=9307249&merchantid=6296724&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA3JCvBhA8EiwA4kujZm0R5pTgkZVhQ9B2V7F2X3lVGzO9AJKGfv1tXxoCxUPf6YH1Dv9hCRoC7TIQAvD_BwE - two 5" discs = ($11.50 including s/h)
○ https://www.etsy.com/listing/1025748950/116-steel-plate-round-circle-disc-a36?click_key=59e88fda634152ccd6d42cd4b0375c594a3aab80%3A1025748950&click_sum=fa721959&ref=shop_home_recs_23&frs=1&variation0=2102163365 - 5" disc ($8.47 incl shipping)
○ https://www.ebay.com/itm/172990135324 - 5" steel disc ($2.50 + $4 s/h = $7.24)
• Standoffs + nut and screw that fit x 4 - check Home Depot, Lowes, etc. for four "binding posts" or four "coupling nuts" and four screws that fit. I think this is somewhere you could find a cheaper combo than what I did. I used this combo from Home Depot: Binding posts - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-3-16-in-x-3-4-in-Aluminum-Binding-Post-with-Flat-Head-Slotted-Drive-Screw-815601/204274862 ($1.98x4 = $7.92) and you'll need four slightly longer screws that fit those binding posts. I used ones I found laying around the house and trimmed them down. Originally I had bought some #8-32 1" screws but they were slightly too long. I think a 3/4" screw might be right.
• One steel hemisphere, 4" or 5" - I bought one at my local metal supply store ($3.86) but you can find one here for $16.80 incl shipping https://txmetal.com/checkout/
Or try searching for a "Gazing ball", "stainless steel bowl" (if you're not trying to make the whole thing magnetic), "handrail end cap", "half dome", or "steel post cap"
• 5" table bearing - You can buy it on Amazon from a few different sellers. Cheapest one is $11.59 here - https://amzn.to/3U1ZnZ2
• Something to use as the base for your hemisphere - I used a sugar container from Target ($7.99). You can use the mortar and pestle idea too (here is the one I got on Amazon https://amzn.to/49ulGv6) just make sure to use resin instead of a water based compound and you should be fine.
• Resin - I used this one from Amazon ($12.59) - https://amzn.to/43MNBFk
• Pin vice (AKA Peg clamp) - I got this one on Amazon ($17.85) https://amzn.to/4ajs2hM