Rotary Table Alignment: Part III

Discussion on all milling machines vertical & horizontal, including but not limited to Bridgeports, Hardinge, South Bend, Clausing, Van Norman, including imports.

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Jose Rivera
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Post by Jose Rivera »

seal killer wrote:toastydeath and spro and Jose and All--

toastydeath, I printed your instructions and will put them next to the mill. The first chance I get, I will give it a try, although I am not positive I understand everything you wrote. (I know it must be clear to others . . . but we are talking about me, here. <g> )

spro, gee. After reading your post I went ahead and scrapped all those heart valves except the one I am saving for Jose.

This is kinda off-topic, but I suppose it makes absolutely no difference whether the perimeter of the rotary table is circular or not. It could just as well be square. In fact, it might be better if it were square.

--Bill
Thanks Bill, I think I am going to need it :lol:

I did not understand diddle either, so this makes two of us.

Everyone else seen to understand it, but I have never been good in class,
did not understand diddle either :shock:
There are no problems, only solutions.
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toastydeath
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Post by toastydeath »

Maybe some pictures would help?
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toastydeath
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Post by toastydeath »

Part deux.
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9.jpg
10.jpg
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seal killer
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Post by seal killer »

toastydeath--

I love pictures!

Thanks!

--Bill
ps I wrote the above before I logged in. Obviously, you posted some VERY helpful pictures . . . which I will use.
You are what you write.
SteveM
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Post by SteveM »

10 pictures are worth 10,000 words. That makes it much clearer.

Thanks.

Steve
Jose Rivera
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I get it

Post by Jose Rivera »

Now I get it!

Thanks toastydeath, I appreciate your effort.

Using Solidworks I see, that is the package that I use.

I am almost finishing this model that I plan to make drawings of and build it at 1/20 scale.

I have to many irons in the fire!
Attachments
fg-501-iso view.jpg
fg-501-lk-down.jpg
fg-501-side view.jpg
fg-501-rear view.jpg
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Retired journeyman machinist and 3D CAD mechanical designer - hobbyist - grandpa
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seal killer
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Post by seal killer »

toastydeath and All--

I trammed my rotary table the toastydeath way. Here is a picture of my setup . . .

Image

And here is a picture of the piece of crap I bolted to the table. I used a t-nut, 3/8" threaded stud, some big washers, a 1/2" double-nut to get some height, a 3/8-16 clamp nut to tighten it down and I topped it off with a 3/8" shaft collar which is the actual piece of crap I used to indicate off.

Image

And, here is the final table of results, after all the adjustments I made. (But, I can say that it is now pretty easy for me to count turns!) . . .

0* 0.00375" on the DTI
90* 0.00375" on the DTI
180* 0.00375* on the DTI
270* 0.00350* on the DTI

I don't know what happened at 270*. A huge 0.00025" dent in the piece of crap or maybe I indicated a millionth of inch this way or that way.

I am convinced this works and that with practice it will work quickly. After I eat a bit of lunch, I am going to look at my copious notes and see how much I had to correct after using the collet-3/4" steel-MT3 adapter setup. I will continue to use that manual setup because it saves an enormous amount of time, at least for me.

Thank you, toastydeath.

--Bill
You are what you write.
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Harold_V
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Post by Harold_V »

seal killer wrote:I am convinced this works and that with practice it will work quickly.
Once you've gone through that exercise, I suggest you then dial the bore of the table. Your indicator would be held in the spindle of the machine, and rotated while the rotab remains static. It should be true------if the table is worth it's salt. That's what the bore is for------setup. Assuming it is, indeed, concentric, you'll find that setup of the rotab is much faster by simply dialing the bore.

The system recommended is excellent if it is not.

Harold
Jose Rivera
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Home shop style!

Post by Jose Rivera »

Here are two pictures that can end up having excellent results.
Attachments
composition.jpg
Quick and dirty.JPG
There are no problems, only solutions.
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Retired journeyman machinist and 3D CAD mechanical designer - hobbyist - grandpa
AusDan
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Post by AusDan »

Harold_V wrote:
seal killer wrote:I am convinced this works and that with practice it will work quickly.
Once you've gone through that exercise, I suggest you then dial the bore of the table. Your indicator would be held in the spindle of the machine, and rotated while the rotab remains static. It should be true------if the table is worth it's salt. That's what the bore is for------setup. Assuming it is, indeed, concentric, you'll find that setup of the rotab is much faster by simply dialing the bore.

The system recommended is excellent if it is not.

Harold
I don't think the bore has anything to do with set up...I thought it was for mounting a 3jaw chuck on morse taper in the bore (for horizontal or vertical applications)

As was said in other post, some of the RT don't have a hole

I also found toastydeath, explanation and pictures of great value for setting up a RT

cheers Mate
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seal killer
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Post by seal killer »

Harold--

I MEANT to get back into the shop and indicate somewhere off the top 0.125" of the MT3 pilot hole. Maybe tomorrow. Company dropped in.

I have learned a tremendous amount from a lot of people on this thread. I wish to thank all of you.

--Bill
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GlennW
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Post by GlennW »

Hello Bill,

I would suggest thst you check it again with the procedure toastydeath described before you try what Harold is suggesting. I would be surprised if it is still where you think it is tomorrow. Things sometimes have a habbit of crawling around overnight. :wink:

Glenn
Last edited by GlennW on Wed May 07, 2008 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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