I am planning on doing a Neptune cake for someone next week. I have 8" ball tins. This is my first time doing a ball cake and I am wondering if a bigger ball is harder than a smaller one or does it not make much difference? Should I rush out and buy 6" ball tins?

I just read in another post that you need to dowel the bottom. Just wondering also how widely the dowels should be spaced, as in how much of the bottom should be flattened. Also, should I cut the bottom flat or just let it sit and settle flat?

Finally, is it a bad idea to torte the half sphere to get some filling flavor in there?

Thanks for any help!