How I Weld Accurate Angles for Rolling Ball Sculptures

My friend Bill Bethke made me several custom shop tools that I still use regularly when building rolling ball sculptures. These aluminum jigs hold 1/4-inch stainless steel round rod at precise, repeatable angles while I TIG weld the pieces together.

The jigs have grooves machined at several different angles. I don't use the unusual angles very often, but the 90-degree jig gets plenty of use. When I need two rods welded at a perfect right angle, the grooves hold everything securely in position while I make the weld.

Bill made these tools for me in February and March of 2009. Over the years I've used them for a variety of parts, including supports and structural elements for wall-mounted rolling ball sculptures. Having a simple jig that produces the same angle every time makes fabrication faster and keeps the finished sculpture accurate and consistent.

These are the kinds of small, specialized tools that become invaluable when you're building kinetic sculpture by hand. Many of the tracks, supports and mechanisms in my rolling ball sculptures require individually cut, positioned and TIG-welded pieces of stainless steel.

Bill passed away on June 30, 2012. I still use the tools he made for me, and I'm grateful for the craftsmanship he contributed to my shop.

Welding accurate angles consistently is important when building rolling ball sculpture frames, tracks and mechanical components.