Mounting a rotary table

[hosinsky]

I have never used a rotary table and I have a doubt about mounting the one I bought. I have a Chinese lathe with a side mounted mill, the cross slide is used as the table for the mill. The cross slide can move 110 mm and is what I use for milling. The saddle can of course move more, but it has no gibs so I cannot adjust it for a stiff movement, using it easily leads to vibrations.

The table is 4", 100 mm in diameter. If I center it on the cross slide it can be moved so that the mill is 5 mm outside on each side but then I have problems with siting the mounting holes. If I mount it where I can easily make the holes the cross slide, it can be moved so, that the mill reach 30 mm from center in one direction and 40 mm outside of the table in the other direction. This to me seems the most logical way to mount it, but as I have had no experience in using such a table, I am afraid that I might miss something important and would be thankful for advice.

Goran
Canary Islands

 

[prof65]

Hi Goran

It's hard to help you without a couple of pics of the cross slide and the rotary table...

Roberto

 

[kvom]

You need be concerned only with the movement in one direction, since the longest offset defines the longest radius you can mill or drill. So as long as you can position the spindle on the center hole, you're free to secure it any way you want.

 

[steamboat willie]

Hello Goran!
Have you thought of making an adapter plate such that the rotary table attaches to the plate, and the plate then can be attached to the milling table where convenient? ie holes drilled into the adapter plate to coincide with the mounting opportunities afforded by your mill. A piece of 5mm aluminium could be a suitable material to use to make the adapter plate out of.
Just a thought...
Steamboat Willie..

 

[hosinsky]

Hello all,
I was going to do an adapter plate but I am worried about it introducing one extra error in the tramming of the mill. When I found that I can mount the rotary table directly to the cross slide I saw that as a better solution. Kvom thanks, you answered my question.

Problem resolved.
Goran

 

[metal_magician]

Bolting it to the cross slide table directly is good for most milling drilling operations, like others said, depends on the radii you are trying to achieve. The trick to it all is tramming the rotary table parallel to the spindle axis and perp to the ways of the lathe. Make sure that the centerline of spindle matches the centerline of the rotary table. This can all be achieved with a little bit of indicator work and some tapping with a soft mallet until is all squared up. Also remember that rigidity is key in all set ups so keep that in mind. Hope this helps!

 

[lensman57]

Hi,

Following the recommendation from Steamboat willie, have a look at the Sherline rotary table angle bracket attachment, not very difficult to build and really expands the capabilty of your RT, the plans are available on the net and you can adapt it to your RT.

Reagrs,

A.G