Sold 2 Lignum vitae bowling balls

[Blister]

£15 each or £25 the pair + postage

86081AAF-D906-48E6-91F6-852C531271F2 by Allen Wells, on Flickr​

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34ADF4D1-D4C3-4394-BC9B-7B97EDB504AC by Allen Wells, on Flickr

 

[akirk]

If you are happy to sell to me again, then I would love to buy them, but if you would prefer to sell to someone different, I am happy to waive my place in the queue!

 

[Blister]

1st come first served , No problem , I see I have a PM , will look at that and respond, Thanks

 

[Blister]

Now Sold subject to payment , Thanks.

 

[sams93]

@akirk I assume you are planning to cut these up for bandsaw blade guides, on the off chance, i'd happily pay for a small amount of one you cut up to make some guides for my small bandsaw. Would only need a very small amount

Not offended in the slightest if not!!

 

[sneggysteve]

@akirk I assume you are planning to cut these up for bandsaw blade guides, on the off chance, i'd happily pay for a small amount of one you cut up to make some guides for my small bandsaw. Would only need a very small amount

Not offended in the slightest if not!!

pm sent

 

[akirk]

@akirk I assume you are planning to cut these up for bandsaw blade guides, on the off chance, i'd happily pay for a small amount of one you cut up to make some guides for my small bandsaw. Would only need a very small amount

Not offended in the slightest if not!!

No defined purpose yet - I am collecting a few for a possible future project where they will probably become turned bowls or other objects… but if and when I do, I would be more than happy to pass on some small pieces… though hopefully there may be an alternative answer for you above?

 

[Blister]

They also make excellent carvers mallet heads.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

They do indeed.

 

[Lons]

Sam
I might have some bits if you can't get any otherwise a good source at reasonable price is to buy a pen blank as they're usually a minimum 150 x 20 x 20mm and just a few quid.

I think I have some lig Vi bowling balls I might be persuaded to part with as I have half a dozen mallets and more than enough turned bowls (says my wife ) I'll look later and post a for sale if I have in case anyone else is looking.

 

[Yorkieguy]

To risk sounding pedantic. the correct term for them isn't 'bowls' or 'balls' - it's 'woods'.

They quite often pop up in charity shops.

To be used competitively in bowling they used to have to be checked and certified at intervals as the shape and weight varied with humidity. At the end of the woods, the white (originally ivory) disc was removed to reveal lead, the weight of which had to be adjusted to balance the 'wood'. For many years there haven't been any firms left who certify them, quite apart from which neither ivory nor lignum vitae are permissible materials as they're protected by CITES. (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Modern ones are made from plastic composites or melamine.

Yes, LV ones do make nice mallets.

Attached are some pics of one that I made, which is quite persuasive.

I've referred to it as a 'bowling ball' as that's what most non-bowlers seem to call them.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

They quite often pop up in charity shops? Not around here they don't.

 

[sneggysteve]

They quite often pop up in charity shops? Not around here they don't.

You can pick up bargains on e bay. I recently got 8 for £22 plus £10 postage. I turn them.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/32563056...rentrq:b8c2026c1870a4b712f235b2fffe4224|iid:1

 

[Lons]

To risk sounding pedantic. the correct term for them isn't 'bowls' or 'balls' - it's 'woods'.

Not once they're mounted on a lathe when they become "balls" that are turned into "bowls", (or mallet heads).

 

[Yorkieguy]

I notice in eBay offerings, quite a few are 'lignoid' by Taylors of Glasgow. I wonder if 'lignoid' is lignum vitae, but is a plastic material, the name of which was chosen to have allusions to lignum? I say that because 'Lignoid' bowls by Taylors are in current production so cannot (in any quantity), be made from Lignum Vitae due to CITES:

Taylor Bowls

The mallet I made was one of a pair - I made a second on for a friend. The 'bowls/balls/woods' came from a charity shop in my village @ £10.00 the pair, but that was back in 2011 so equates to about £15.00 today. I've seen others over the years, and have tipped off fellow woodturning club members. Some slice them in half and make two desk clocks by inserting a quartz clock mechanism into the flat face, and make a 'flat' at the base so that the clock will stand on a desk, angled up slightly.

I think for woodcarving with any finesse, the mallet head would need to be smaller than the one that I made.

 

[Lons]

I think for woodcarving with any finesse, the mallet head would need to be smaller than the one that I made.

Spot on unless you're carving large pieces as there's rarely a need to whack the chisel, mostly just light taps. I have at least 6 lig vi mallets but my favourite for carving is actually a small one piece in beech the head of which is only about 50mm dia and I use it by holding at the neck rather than end of the handle. The secret to it is that I drilled a 20mm dia hole in the end slightly widened at the bottom to a dovetail and poured in some molten lead, a quick clean up and it's perfect.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I think for woodcarving with any finesse, the mallet head would need to be smaller than the one that I made.

The larger of mine is too heavy for most uses.