Advice on Van Norman dividing head

[Glenn Brooks]

There is a really nice looking Van Norman 7.5" dividing head on eBay now, but it only mounts horizontal axis work (no vertical mounting that I can see). So I wonder if this dividing head is all that useful for contemporary vertical milling machines?

Also are there any idioscyicrosies with the style of divine head - I know about van Normans proprietary, hard to find collets...but are there known issues with the design etc...

It would be nice to own a great looking old tool, but a I really need something that works with my modest Grizzly bench mill.

Thanks much!
Glenn

[spro]

I have one of those. They are sturdy small heads, yet there are a few things. There is another one on ebay also and the pics of that will help explain some differences.

[spro]

The one in question has a chuck and I went that route myself. I made a new spindle. The reason I made a new spindle was because I never came across that "C" 5V collet. If you look at the thread of the other ones spindle, you see it is for that drive dog. That is a finer, shorter thread than I knew a chuck to take. I didn't want to destroy the original spindle so I made one 1 1/2" for a lathe chuck so I could remove turned work from the lathe by screwing the entire chuck on the dividing head. Even then, there is more "set out" than the collets. This one has a tailstock and that is going to be necessary.
There is the quick divide plate in back and swivel base. You have to envision what kind of work you need one for. Some may say that it is only for horizontal milling. That's no more true than the other type being for vertical.

[Glenn Brooks]

You have to envision what kind of work you need one for. Some may say that it is only for horizontal milling. That's no more true than the other type being for vertical.

Thanks SPRO, I do have a need to drill bolt patterns in vertical flat plate so was hoping to find out if there is a way to mount these Van Norman heads vertically. So far, doesn't seem to be a way to do that, and still clear my milling head. I,have a medium size Grizzly bench mill, so can only raise the head a foot or less.

The Van Norman looks like a nice dividing head, but some of the others rotate vertically 90 degrees, which I think I would use as much as in the horizontal axis.

Just hoping to learn some way to use it vertically, if that is possible,

Glenn

[Harold_V]

Just hoping to learn some way to use it vertically, if that is possible

One of the negative aspects of attempting to use that type of dividing head in a vertical position is the added distance needed to clear the plate assembly.
There's no reason why it can't be attached to a large angle plate, assuming the loss of depth isn't a problem.

Harold

[Glenn Brooks]

Just hoping to learn some way to use it vertically, if that is possible

One of the negative aspects of attempting to use that type of dividing head in a vertical position is the added distance needed to clear the plate assembly.
There's no reason why it can't be attached to a large angle plate, assuming the loss of depth isn't a problem.

Harold

Yep, I was thinking that, except I don't think I would have clearance on top to mill the work, as my quill doesn't travel very high vertically.

Think I am gonna try some dividing plates attached to my rotary table. only $35 plus shipping versus $400.