Thread: Rotary Tables

Originally Posted by Dave J

Hi Simon,
For your size mill I see this question come up a lot on forums over the years and the recommendation is always buy an 8 inch table, I also think it is the way to go.
It will depend on what your doing with it, but try cutting a circle of paper out 6 inch round and cutting out the shape of clamps, then try to mount what ever your thinking of on the table. You will soon realise you have run out of room for clamping.

I originally bought a 12 inch table but returned it because of the weight (now I have a crane ) and bought a 10 inch. I am going to put a sub plate on it because for some jobs I run out of room for clamping. A 10 inch would be pushing it for your mill but an 8 would be fine.

Dave

Simon,

Whilst my comments about a home built table may not have been worth considering, I would agree whole heartedly with Dave about the advantages the larger table has. With a 6 inch table you all too quickly run out of room and as Mark says, the three slot table can ( will ) foil a number of clamping setups. You would quickly forget the additional expense after realising the convenience gained.

Bob.

I have the 8" Vertex and it only has 3 slots as well.

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Simon,

Whilst my comments about a home built table may not have been worth considering, I would agree whole heartedly with Dave about the advantages the larger table has. With a 6 inch table you all too quickly run out of room and as Mark says, the three slot table can ( will ) foil a number of clamping setups. You would quickly forget the additional expense after realising the convenience gained.

Bob.

I concur with both you and Dave in regards to the 8 inch over a 6. Your comments about the home built table were much appreciated and I did go to the HPC gears web site and got scared when I saw some prices. Admittedly I had little idea what to look for other than a 90T gear and matching worm. Would not have a clue what modulus to choose!

Cheers,

Simon

There is a 8" one in last years CDCO catalogue .... $256 ... I haven't a clue as to its quality ..it would be Chinese

MIKE

Originally Posted by simonl

I concur with both you and Dave in regards to the 8 inch over a 6. Your comments about the home built table were much appreciated and I did go to the HPC gears web site and got scared when I saw some prices. Admittedly I had little idea what to look for other than a 90T gear and matching worm. Would not have a clue what modulus to choose!

Cheers,

Simon

Don't worry, we shared the same shock!

From memory the combination of worm and wheel was about 180 dollars and then when I cocked up two of my home made tables prior to the one photographed, you understand why I suggested the Vertex.

BT

I have the 8" Vertex and yes only three slots . I almost bought a 6" ,I'm glad I didn't.
I bought mine at H&F three day sale through thier agent in Darwin.
I got the freight free to Darwin so paid the same price as the sale price in Sydney .
Just drove up for work and picked it up .

Happy camper.
Kev.

Hi Kev,

I'd be a happy camper with that deal too!

Another option for me or anyone in my shoes would be to purchase a casing kit from this crowd.557 - 6inch Rotary Table Kit

For someone who wants to have a play and and make part of the table, you can purchase the castings and the worm and gear. I reckon I could probably do a half decent job of that!

It's only a 6 inch but if the shipping was cost effective then it would be a good proposition.

Simon

Originally Posted by simonl

Hi Kev,

I'd be a happy camper with that deal too!

Another option for me or anyone in my shoes would be to purchase a casing kit from this crowd.557 - 6inch Rotary Table Kit

For someone who wants to have a play and and make part of the table, you can purchase the castings and the worm and gear. I reckon I could probably do a half decent job of that!

It's only a 6 inch but if the shipping was cost effective then it would be a good proposition.

Simon

Do it Simon. You will enjoy making it and we can watch.

BT

If your into electronics go that way instead of dividing plates. I will go that way when I get around to CNCing the mill but until then I will use the plates.

These threads might be of interest to you. John Stevenson from that forum converts the 6 inch tables over and sells them, and he has done hundreds if not thousands of them.

EasyPIC-6 Development Board by MikroElectronica - Take"2"

4" Vertex Rotary Table CNC conversion

Another 4" CNC rotary table

Rotary (4th) axis for my cnc mill

Another manual RT to stepper control


Dave

Originally Posted by simonl

Hi Kev,

I'd be a happy camper with that deal too!

Another option for me or anyone in my shoes would be to purchase a casing kit from this crowd.557 - 6inch Rotary Table Kit

For someone who wants to have a play and and make part of the table, you can purchase the castings and the worm and gear. I reckon I could probably do a half decent job of that!

It's only a 6 inch but if the shipping was cost effective then it would be a good proposition.

Simon

It looks like a nice kit.

Dave

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Do it Simon. You will enjoy making it and we can watch.

BT

Thanks BT. I have shot off an email to them for a price on shipping.

If only they did a cast for an 8 inch base. All I really need is the base and the gear/worm. I have the material for the table, as I have a 40mm slab of steel (unknown grade) about 8 inches square just itching to be used. It's been in my possession for about 4 years lying in the backyard. My father in law gave it to me but until recently I never had the capacity to do anything with it. It nearly ended up on the trailer to the tip several years ago, got sick of looking at it! I'd be kicking myself now.....

Not sure how to go about reducing it down to a useable dimension. Do I just mill it down, slowly? Can you trepan on a mill using a boring head?

Simon

Have you got a metal bandsaw, if not you need to buy one of those as well. LOL
Once you have one you will wonder how you did without it.

Dave

In laws have one in their factory. I could use that if I really had to. Bit of a pain. I hate asking for favours and prefer to be self sufficient!

Necessity is the mother of invention... Something like that. I'm sure I could get around it somehow......

Anyway, I think that block of steel is safe for sometime yet. Much stuffing around and planning will take place before I start cutting. I have a few other projects on the go at the moment. I'm still making cupboards and draws in the shed in between making mums pergola. Pergola nearly finished!

Also have to make another stand/table for the mill as I don't like the one it came with. Then some adjustable feet. At the moment the mill rocks from side to side depending on what X position the table is at. It ##### me so much, I have given up any mucking around on it until I set it up properly. After the above mentioned projects are completed. At least I can have the projects sorted out mentally in my head, even if I can't quite start them yet!

Simon

I've been watching this thread with great interest.

Year before last, I built a 6" rotary table - without the benefit of the combined wisdom of this forum - but it works OK. Just luck I guess.

I wanted to have dividing capability but found the use of a friend's dividing head tedious and sometimes confusing. On CNC zone I found the open source development of a digital diving controller (CNCzone.com-The Largest Machinist Community on the net! - View Single Post - Rotary table indexer) and built one in a single small metal case.





It has the capability to turn any angle - and repeat that as often as required, any number of divisions, jog 10 deg, 1 deg and 0.1 deg, as well as turn continuously - all in any of 5 speeds. It can also be programmed to do a mixture of all these (beyond my needs). It also have a very clever backlash compensation.

My rotary table started life as a commercial full ball bearing 30:1 worm gear box in a cast aluminium housing that was externally damaged and discarded at my S.I.L.'s workplace. I mounted this to a welded steel base and side and bolted a top plate to this angle bracket. A piece of aluminium became the mounting for a stepper motor and housing for the drive connection.
Once the table spindle and table was turned and fitted, I used the controller to true the table edge and top and mill the T-slots into the table.
I've used it successfully for a number of projects, bith dividing and milling curves.
Now that I look, I can't find any photos of the completed setup. Will add one tomorrow.

Joe