Can anyone confirm what these are called?

[rs6mra]

Can someone please confirm whether the balls at the top of this plant support are actually called balls?
I would also like to know if they can be bought (like finials) or how are they formed. I want to recreate something similar as I have a heavy-duty bender and rebar but would need the round knob/ball as they are also there for safety reasons.
Thanks.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I bought them at a local steel merchants to make knock out bars for my lathe - I had to drill the holes, they were just balls. Two or three quid, iirc, but probably more now.

 

[niall Y]

Steel spheres - if you don't want to google ' balls of steel'

 

[rs6mra]

I did try google but the ones that came up with tiny ones

 

[ChaiLatte]

See:

https://www.fhbrundle.co.uk/groups/0513D__Steel_Spheres_and_Hemispheres
DC Ironworks will likely have them as well.

 

[TRITON]

They're designed to go round small trees and shrubs, to prevent vegans from eating them.

 

[Tony51]

Do you have a scroll former ? Will your rebar bender make small radius to make the ends safer?
Tony

 

[Davyc]

You could weld on nuts of suitable size, heat them up and then file them round if you can't find suitable sized steel balls.

 

[Agent_zed]

sorry I know this isn't what you asked for but if you can't find balls cheap enough, how about using 20mm x 60mm pieces of rod with the ends rounded so it looks like bullrushes. Just a thought

 

[Alpha-Dave]

I have bought them from DC Iron to make the ball-ends for vice handles. They are about 50p each for the size you want.

https://www.dciron.co.uk/products/sp30?_pos=58&_sid=36a22319b&_ss=r

 

[XH558]

Finials

 

[Henniep]

Can someone please confirm whether the balls at the top of this plant support are actually called balls?
I would also like to know if they can be bought (like finials) or how are they formed. I want to recreate something similar as I have a heavy-duty bender and rebar but would need the round knob/ball as they are also there for safety reasons.
Thanks.
View attachment 158382

Balls from an old bearing? Wouldn't be able to drill them, but do you need to.

 

[Owd Jockey]

I used to buy my metal stock from F H Brundle, they do a range of cast decorative stuff and have stores throughout the UK.

https://www.fhbrundle.co.uk/groups/0513D__Steel_Spheres_and_Hemispheres

 

[Inspector]

Searching eBay for iron balls got a number of hits.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16593983...Y/J02JrArFlqvQBXUm4moQQJG9Qi|tkp:BFBM9tOk-_xh
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18552203...1y8f2w3BACO0X/gXXQnawB+TPD|tkp:Bk9SR_bTpPv8YQ
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15324365...npaXpq0sUCJgrgxu9ueFCrpw==|tkp:Bk9SR_jTpPv8YQ
Pete

 

[Alan Southworth01]

You could weld on nuts of suitable size, heat them up and then file them round if you can't find suitable sized steel balls.

I would heat up the ends to cherry red and form small rings on the end .