Hydroforming Sphere with a Pressure Washer

How to make perfect spheres from sheet metal, without an expensive hydraulic press or metal spinning lathe. This method can be used for spheres and other rounded shapes of all sizes, which I will continue to explore by creating bespoke pieces for products and sculptures.

#hydroforming #metalworking #sphere

[myfavoritemartian]

When tuning 2 stroke race bikes, we used to make custom expansion chambers the same way, But we used a "Port-o-power" foot pump and hydraulic oil. It made 10, 000PSI. and did a great job. It could repair race damage too!

[adamschaeffer]

That's why the Empire was so interested in Kamino. They needed a lot of water to inflate the Death Star

[johnnymnemonic]

Crazy how it doesn't violently explode like it would when filled with air

[Beschaulichkeit]

The pressure washer method was critical to a very successful project I created a year ago. I was just reminded that I first found your method quite some time ago and that planted some seeds. Thank you for sharing your work!

[spinafire]

I first saw this from Colin Furze making stainless steel pulse jets. MacroMachines did a similar idea with just a grease gun for anyone without a welder or pressure washer interested in making steel domes. Great demo with excellent end result!

[MikeOrkid]

I like how you left the welds on the finished product. Always awesome stuff from this channel.

[kexcz]

Amazing usage of knowledge- pressure in a closed space is equal in all spots, resulting in a perfect sphere . Great one!

[DanteYewToob]

You never disappoint. Always something interesting and cool to look at!

Could you maybe to a video about this process? Like prep, and clean up… how you get the insides dry and avoid rust, etc for those of us interested in trying the process.. you must’ve done a ton of trial and error and learned a lot by now, it would be cool to share info and maybe come up with a few simple projects to try.
I’ve actually been wanting to make a fuel tank for a dirt bike using this technique… I just haven’t wanted to try it since I’d be starting from zero.

Either way, that sphere looks great… I’ve seen people botch this before and end up with a crooked mess. Damn good job!

[Cacowninja]

0:00 When you first start 3d modeling.
0:32 When you get really good at it.

[BunkerSquirrel]

crazy cool man. Almost looks like special effects when it "blows up" like a balloon. Much talent!

[orangequant]

Fascinating- thank you! So it had tiny leaks rather than explode, interesting. How about inserting a balloon inside the structure and sealing balloon's open end to pressure washer nozzle?

[K_End]

I was expecting it to instantly pop into shape, it just looks like a balloon

[Dovorans]

That would make a great ornament for the a town square's Christmas tree!

[der_pinguin]

Wait, hold on. You mean to tell me you're gonna post a video on the Internet without giving us 14 minutes of an unnecessary tirade about the difficulties of finding the right material, that nobody understands the complexity of hydroforming, and annoying us to no end?

Two thumbs way up.

[features]

Got here from colin furze. I never knew this could be done so easily. Mindblown.

[shaddoty]

People have been doing this for ages, still blows my mind

[Aviannauts]

its like a real life subdivision surface modifier!!

[Jianju]

I love this so much that my mind is racing for uses of spherical steel tanks...

[MartinMaat]

I am impressed/surprised to see how seemingly perfect it ends up. The steel must be quite soft. But still I would expect it to spring back a bit once the pressure is removed yet it rolls like a perfect ball.

[josephwheeler]

It's not really surprising that some of the weld joints failed considering in order to hydroform you have to push the metal past its failure point. I know the welds are supposed to be stronger but obviously there were some imperfections.