I made this at least ten years ago, maybe 15. I had those four heavy duty casters laying around for a while just begging to be put on a piece of furniture. Each wheel is rated to hold 1500 lbs, and there are grease fittings on the axles and the caster bearings. I paid something like $5 each for them at a salvage store. New they cost a few hundred dollars each. I’m heavy duty, but these rollers are way heavy duty. The chair is of course silly, but still funny to me. Stainless steel 11 gauge seat and back, gun blued cold rolled half inch steel bar, and quarter inch steel plate make this rig quite heavy. At least it’s on wheels!
I made this when I was working in a sheet metal shop in a shipyard. Why? I do not know, but it probably had something to do with “the man” getting on my nerves and me reacting by doing a little “goverment job.” This ball is made of 16 gauge stainless steel. Two discs were cut on a circle shear. Then they were taken to a spinning lathe where the disks were shaped against a hemispherical steel mold. Before the two shells were TIG welded together I decided to put a large steel ball, maybe 1.5 inches in diameter, inside. Then they were welded along the seam and the center holes were carefully filled. Finally, the ball was ground smooth(ish) on a belt sander.
In hindsight I wish I had tried to partially fill it with water instead of a steel ball. Although that would have made the welding difficult I think it would be more interesting. Still, when you hold it there is a compelling urge to whip it in a circle to feel, and hear, the internal ball whirring around. But it’s like playing the drums — fun for you and irritating for everyone else.
