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My new set of balls

chamuco69 said:
Yup. Silicon balls.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't glass have been cheaper and easier? Last time I tried to get a chunk of silicon, the best I could do was semiconductor-manufacturing grade, and the smallest quantity that could be had was a 37 ton hopper-car-load. Settled for walking down the train tracks near Dow Chemical Company in Midland and picking up a few spilled chunks. Never did figure out a way to work 'em into ball shapes... The stuff is ungodly brittle, and most tools and abrasives seem to chuckle feebly before giving up and either disintegrating into dust, or dulling so fast that it's a lot less about "carving" and more about "resharpening the tools". I wonder if carbide tooling might have worked? Didn't have access to any when I tried, so I'll likely never know...
 
UR20Z said:
Wouldn't glass have been cheaper and easier? Last time I tried to get a chunk of silicon, the best I could do was semiconductor-manufacturing grade, and the smallest quantity that could be had was a 37 ton hopper-car-load. Settled for walking down the train tracks near Dow Chemical Company in Midland and picking up a few spilled chunks. Never did figure out a way to work 'em into ball shapes... The stuff is ungodly brittle, and most tools and abrasives seem to chuckle feebly before giving up and either disintegrating into dust, or dulling so fast that it's a lot less about "carving" and more about "resharpening the tools". I wonder if carbide tooling might have worked? Didn't have access to any when I tried, so I'll likely never know...
Click to expand...
Don't grind it, grow it!
Ouch: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silicon_single_crystal.jpg
Better try this one:
commons.wikimedia.org

File:Silicon sphere for Avogadro project.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org
 
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