Sphere Design Notes

Description of Finishes

Machine Finish: This is a finish which is nearly directly off of the lathe. Due to the nature of superconductor (being two very different materials), there can be inconsistencies in the finish where copper streaks over the niobium. If you want to hand finish your own sphere, this is a good option. If you select machine finish with an acid etch combo, the streaks are removed. This finish will also hide scratches or dents the best in our opinion.

Satin Finish: This is lightly blasted with glass beads to create a micro-dimpled surface. If you already own a product of ours which is satin, they should match quite closely. Because niobium is much harder than copper, the niobium portion will look like it has a slightly different dimple depth than the copper, but that is normal. It should still be very consistent and look good. If you select an acid etch, the niobium will remain unchanged and the copper will dissolve. This is a very striking finish.

Mirror Polish: Copper and Niobium polish very differently. Because they are combined into one material, it is hard to polish each material independently optimally, since polishing niobium requires more polishing than copper (which can result in over-polishing the copper). We have to aim for a happy middle ground. Overall, this will be quite a shiny sphere on par with our typical polished finish. We expect slight variation between the copper and niobium. If you select an acid etch finish, the copper will change to a very fine satin-like finish, and the niobium will remain polished. This is a very striking finish we recommend.

Acid Etch Notes

No Etch: Your sphere will not encounter any acid.

Light Etch: This is a very light touch of acid, just enough to change the surface finish of the copper. There will be very little copper removed, almost not noticeable. This amount of etch is easily cleanable.

Medium Etch (formerly called Some Etch): The sphere is acid etched to remove around 1 mm of copper. This is enough to very easily feel the etch. The niobium will stick out just a little, and could pickup some dirt in your pocket, it should be still quite easy to clean if needed.

Ultra Etch (formerly called Heavy Etch): This is the maximum amount of etch without risking the structural integrity of the sphere. This will pickup dirt and debris more easily and will need to be more carefully cleaned.

AltDynamic Suggested Combinations

Superconductor’s party piece is etching and showing the difference between the niobium and copper. We think the mirror polish along with any of the acid etch options will be extremely striking.