A ball of curious workmanship (and other BOM wonders)

[skalenfehl]

Cool stuff!

I'm researching swords used in the time of Lehi and Laban and the ores available at the time. I plan to build my artistic version of the Sword of Laban next. I've found some interesting information so far.

Nephi's Jerusalem and Laban's Sword - Maxwell Institute JBMS
"The Workmanship Thereof Was Exceedingly Fine" - Maxwell Institute JBMS
http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/pdf....&type=amJtcw==
LDS Doctrine: Metal and the Book of Mormon
LDS Doctrine: Steel, Tools, and Temple
The Israelites - Google Book Search
Ancient Iron Ore Mine Discovered In Peruvian Andes (More)

For anyone interested, just Google "Vered Jericho Sword". Of course you may find little more than I have here.

[Elgama]

I hope you don't mind I used one of the photo's in my daughters quiet book if you object message me and let me know the one of it in your hand is perfect to go with keep the commandments if you want an acknowledgement in it let me know how you want it done.

-Charley

[skalenfehl]

No worries. This project was for everyone's benefit. If you would like I can even post a picture "tutorial" of how I built it. Anyone can build one. I took that image against a flat wall so that I could photoshop an ocean background. I can just imagine Nephi holding it up against giant waves slapping the shoreline and wondering what lay ahead.

[Elgama]

thanks I know she is going to love it - I needed to do the last few pages of her book I did most of it for Easter but was stumped for last few pages - would love a how too I couldn't do it but I have a talented husband

The phrase listen to your inner liahona gets used a lot in our home so it would be nice to have one rather than the stone ball I think of lol maybe I'll get the stone ones out of my head,##

-Charley

[skalenfehl]

I'll post pics tonight! Thank you for being interested.

[skalenfehl]

It took me a few weekends to build it:

Stage 1:

I stopped at Hobby Lobby (It's like Michael's but Wal-Mart sized) and found some really cool items at big discounts.

I bought a decorative ball that I'll be cutting open and I also found a few misc. items to build my Liahona. I spent $15 total, which I think is good. I'm sure I can build this for under $20.

Okay, here's a quick pic of the parts and pieces that I found at Hobby Lobby. I decided to keep it simple:

-decorative ball (original price $7.99. Marked down to $4)
-candle holder (original price $4.99. Marked down to .99)
-small wooden spindles $1.47
-medium size rosette ($1.99)
-gold leaf rub 'n buff ($3.99)



Hobby Lobby had a huge clearance sale yesterday so I was lucky to find what I did when I did. I will dremmel the ball in half and fasten the rosette to the bottom half. I'll mount some kind of hardware underneath to move the spindles around like a clock or a little rotating mechanism from those glass covered clocks that have a motor to spin a decoration around clockwise and counterclockwise. Whatever I use will be simple.

I originally planned to use a smooth disc of some kind, but this rosette reminds me of the face of a compass so what the heck. I'll use one of the small wood spindles for the top of the Liahona. As for the candle, I'll remove the glass part and use the bottom half for the stand.

I've yet to get some other misc. items but this is a good haul for one weekend. My only regret is that the ball is 4" in diameter and not 5" or 5 1/2", which is what I was hoping for, but that's ok.

Stage 2:

Ok, here's today's progress so far:

The ball of curious workmanship:


Some tools to work with:


Used a coping saw to carefully cut the ball in half:


The rosette is a little too big:


Nothing my handy coping saw and some sandpaper can't fix:


It took me about 20 minutes to cut the ball in half with the coping saw. I cut above the equator at the horizontal design. The blade of the coping saw is much thinner than the cutting disc on the dremmel plus I wanted a more precise result. Past experience with building props has taught me that a dremmel can go off course creating unwanted mistakes.

I just need to fashion a "seat" underneath the rosette so that it can sit flush and immovable when I'm done. I'd also like to install some kind of clock or gear motor underneath to move the spindle(s) randomly. So far so good.

[skalenfehl]

Stage 3:

I'm about 95% finished. Just need to add a little weathering and some fine details.

I cannibalized an old clock from the D.I. (local thrift store). It was only about $3. I drilled a hole in the center of the rosette and glued the rosette to the clock mechanism. I fit it into the bottom half of the decorative ball. Oh! I put some clay first underneath to give the Liahona some weight and to make it easier to stay upright in its stand.


Here are all the parts and pieces primered. Actually I accidentally used a high gloss gray enamel paint, but it gave the final look a nice shine.


Pre-drilling a hole in the spire to accept an axis spindle:


Drilling safely:


Perfect fit to a 3/16" dowel (not yet measured and cut to length:


Drilling the top of the ball to insert the axis:


Several layers of gold metallic paint from Wal Mart:

[skalenfehl]

continued:

Some pics of the finished product:

As you can see the dowel was cut to length, glued into the spire and inserted to sit on the clock hands to move them around the axis for demonstration purposes:



The Liahona had two spindles or pointers which worked together to ensure the direction Nephi should go:



Sorry about the blurriness. I have to figure out how to take close-ups without losing focus. What's not shown is how I mounted the clock mechanism underneath. I glued the rosette to the box making sure that the center hole was larger than the clock gear spindle to allow free movement by the clock hands. I put clay at the bottom of the ball to give it some weight and help keep the ball upright. I hot glued the mechanism/rosette down into place and I placed the hands or "spindles"/"pointers" afterward. The hands were trimmed to look identical. I then glued the top half of the ball onto the bottom half at the equator with super glue. Then I hot glued the bottom tip of the spire/axis and inserted through the top hole of the ball and onto the center axis of the clock hands and pressed in place. This makes it so that I can twist the spire and move the spindles around for demonstration/teaching purposes.

-----

That's it!!

[GhostRider]

truly amazing work! As an amature archelogist i would love to be able to talk to u about your studies!
oh yeah..i want one too! as a woodworker they look awesome!

[skalenfehl]

Anytime, my friend. Shoot me a pm whenever you wish.