How to: attach a piano wire to a ball bearing

[frugalangler]

Sounds like a throttle cable assy.

Similar, but I need very stiff wire vs. flexible cable, but the possibility of using a cast lead ball is viable. It'd be feasible to use a purchased ball head pin of the correct diameter with a cast lead ball to increase the size to my requirements, and the diameter of the pin is not critical, actually smaller is better to a point, so this is going to be one of my theories to prove out.

Thanks.

 

[Soundguy]

why not tell us what this is for? you can swage a lead ball onto a wire rope or rod easilly.

PS.. some throttle cable assemblies and choke cable assemblies are actually decently stiff wire. Anything that functions in a 'push' situation would have to be.

 

[frugalangler]

why not tell us what this is for?

Unfortunately, since the internet is so vast and easily harvested, my idea for a potential commercial product would not be private very long. My apologies for needing to be somewhat vague. I won't become a multi-millionaire but there is a small potential market I've identified.

you can swage lead ball onto a wire rope or rod easily.

PS.. some throttle cable assemblies and choke cable assemblies are actually decently stiff wire. Anything that functions in a 'push' situation would have to be.

I hadn't considered it being a 'lawnmower' type throttle cable, I was thinking more on the lines of a bicycle brake or motorcycle throttle made of stranded stainless cable, but the concept holds water!

I can actually make a small batch mold to cast lead onto a wire pretty easily, so again this is quite viable and a route I'd really not considered, so thanks to those contributing thus far, it's been quite helpful.

something that actually comes to mind is a cavity press that is a clamshell of 2 chunks of aluminum with a small channel for the wire terminating to a small cavity where I place a fishing split shot and pinch it down in my 12Ton press, it's worth an experiment.

 

[/pine]

ROUND LEAD WEIGHTS MOLD 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 DROP SHOT FLOAT LURE CARP FISHING MOULD | eBay

 

[zzvyb6]

Forget the ball bearing. Melt the end of the wire with a flame and clamp-cast mold it into a sphere. It would then be just one solid object instead of two.

 

[pmsmechanic]

If a lead ball is a viable option, how about casting one around a bicycle spoke. I believe spokes are stainless so aluminum would be a safer option.

The other thought was to stick the piece of rod in a high speed drill press and friction weld it to the ball.

 

[Stimw]

I would take a 1/16" welding rod, heat the end with a torch while turning it letting the metal melt into a ball. Similar to the way a glass blower handles a glob on a shaft.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Modern road bicycle spokes are threaded on the end that goes through the rim and a nipple nut screws on. Lots of shapes and sizes of nuts and spokes. Some have hammered ends for the hub but they are usually bent.

 

[TMGT]

Why not just use the tig to weld it to the ball? This is how I use to remove the little ball bearings that were pressed into the crank journals on engines so the passages could be cleaned, there were around 3/16-1/4". I would just weld the filler, usually 1/16" to the ball and the heat would cause the crank to expand enough to pull the ball out. Only concern with piano wire is it is hard and the welding might make it too brittle unless you controlled the cool down or annealed it.

 

[SpringHollow]

Sounds like you could use these and swage them on if the shaft does not cause you problems:

https://www.grainger.com/product/LOOS-Single-Shank-Ball-16X624?s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/16X623_AS01?$smthumb$

Always best not to reinvent the wheel if not necessary.

Ken