Rotary table!

[dgjessing]

Kind of an impulse buy w/ 20% off coupon - a HF 3" rotary table ;D I don't really know anything about rotary tables (other than that I wanted one) but it seems like pretty nice little gizmo so far.

I want to be able to mount the 3" chuck(s) from my mini-lathe on it; what's the best way to do that? I was thinking about an aluminum hub with a raised cross milled in it to match the slots in the table and then a central hole for a bolt to hold it down. Unfortunately there is no precision central bore in it, only a 6mm threaded hole...

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

 

[radfordc]

I did the same thing. Here is how I did it:
- Mill four 1/8" slots in the 3" chuck
- Make clamps that slide in the T-slots and engage the slots in the chuck.
- Mill a hole centered in the top of the RT. Clamp the RT to your mill table and s det it so that you can plunge an endmill into the table. Then rotate the RT 360 degrees so as to cut a perfect hole.
- Make a centering disk that fits the base of the chuck and has a pin that fits into the hole in the RT. This centers the chuck.
- Lock the chuck to the RT using the clamps.

 

[dgjessing]

Thanks! I like your idea better than mine - making the little clamps right now ;D

 

[dgjessing]

OK, wait a minute - I changed my mind :

First of all, a while ago I spent considerable time making little spacers to go at the bottom of the mounting stud holes in both my lathe chucks, that make it so the studs can be tightened down and left in place, just the right length. If I went with the clamp method I'd have to remove the studs, the little spacers would fall out, and then I'd have to screw around getting everything just so when I wanted to put the chuck back on the lathe.

Second, I'd rather not modify either the chuck(s) or the rotary table...

So I went with the original plan. Here's the equivalent of three thousand words to describe it:

 

[Diy89]

Nice Job! I'll be copying that, with one question...The hole in the middle of the RT, it that there or did you put that there?

 

[dgjessing]

Nice Job! I'll be copying that, with one question...The hole in the middle of the RT, it that there or did you put that there?

It's already there - 6mm threaded hole.

 

[Diy89]

Thanks!

 

[jct842]

After having made a 1/2" thick adapter plate to install a 3" 4 jaw to my 4" low profile rotary table I had second thoughts. I could use that extra 1/2" height with my micro mill. This week end I used the table to drill 4 1/4 holes in the sides on the chuck and made clamps to screw into the t-nuts I made for it when I got it.

I also did some work on the table. seemed when I went to lock the table with the brass screw on the side the table changed position. I centered the table top in a 4 jaw on the lathe and skimmed off a few thousands off the bottom as well as the rear of the part that goes into the ball bearing to seat it deeper. after tightening it all up the problem seems to be gone. I have found you can go only in one direction with the hand crank if you want repeatability. I lock tighted all the screws holding it together and when I use it again hope the slop won't come back. john