Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

[BadDog]

Very good point. Along that line I'll add that if Z space is an issue, dedicated horizontal rotabs are much shorter (thinner) and can provide most everything you desire for that orientation (i.e. not when you need to use a key seat on a shaft, or flute a cutter, etc). Maybe not as convenient, fast, and error limiting as an indexer, but absolutely doable. I'm not generally short for Z space for my work on my full size 2J, but I do have a somewhat light duty 8" horizontal (only) rotab that is only about 2" thick. It's also MUCH lighter than my 12" V/H and matching cross slide (gotta be 150+ lbs and maybe 9" tall), and both shorter and lighter than my 6" V/H indexer.

[4gsr]

Yeah, I have a older Well Index 645 mill with about the same Z clearance as a J or 2J Bridgeport without riser bolck. I have a 10" compound tilt R/T that weighs 210 lbs! It reduces my Z by almost 10". So far it has done well for my needs. I'm afraid to hang it out on the end of the mill table. Remember the "Flintstones" where the waitress brings a rack of ribs to the car. It tips over. That's what I'm afraid of. I now have a 8" rotary table I got from my brothers shop which is much easier to handle. If I need to do simple indexing I have a B & S style equivalent to a zero size. Built a riser block for it to give me more swing when I need it. Oh, I use the R/T more than I do the dividing head which is zero times. Still have a gear I need to cut in my future, if I live long enough to do so.