Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

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wally318
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 1:06 am
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia

Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by wally318 »

Hello all.
Just wondering if any of the members have experience/thoughts on these?
Basically looks like there are 2 types. The B&S and Hofmann style copies.
Ant diffferences between the 2?
Richard_W
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Location: Molalla, Oregon

Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by Richard_W »

You might want to read this thread from a few months ago.

http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... =Richard_W.
wally318
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 1:06 am
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia

Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by wally318 »

Thanks. I did a search first, but nothing came up.
spro
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Location: mid atlantic

Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by spro »

Reading back to the older post, I mentioned that there was 1/8" or less clearance to remove the chuck from its backplate while on the head. That would be a stupid thing to do as the backplate and chuck were already aligned for low runout and they are a unit. I didn't make that clear. They would be removed as an unit as described.
spro
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Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by spro »

There are different chucks and some are "CNC" etcs and some Yiyuan. Maybe the same or not. Review is welcomed.
I will say that the Yiyuan 5" chuck has a lot of mass. It must have a heavy scroll inside. It is heavy like a Cushman or Union and earlier similar size but the jaw's ways are not thick to where they bear on the scroll. I would think that is an important feature and that is why the earlier steel chucks survived. I could be wrong but nope, the pics show the outside end of the jaws. The top side is large in comparison. I'm not familiar with jaws or reason where the inside slides would wear down during use. I think we need to look at this another way. There was a decision made to reduce those inside ways to 1/16" . I can't believe it. Why would they do that? The scroll pressure is bearing on those ways.
I'm completely reversed on my opinion . I will no more recommend this chuck over estimated life span of user.
spro
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Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by spro »

There is a different topic somewhere and it isn't here. I would only make it worse. The inexpensive items received from China come with a price we don't see. You can feel it. Maybe not.
spro
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Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by spro »

I'm really confounded about this. In short time the inner ways are worn and the scroll be riding on the outer tips of the jaw's teeth. I hate to say say it but this looks like an earlier way to confound the consumer or industry. The ratio would be the same and at some point, break.
Let somebody come here and explain any justification for this.
spro
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Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by spro »

Proof in the pudding. Perhaps the other chucks are better. I'm not colluding with the Chinese, am I ? Get the best one one with your DH now.
pete
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Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by pete »

By Hofmann are you meaning having the ability to connect the dividing head to the mills X axis feed screw, or do geared compound indexing Wally? If so then yes there quite a difference between what's known as a plain indexing head, semi universal and a true universal dividing head. B&S made all 3 types I believe, and Vertex as just one example still make them as well. A plain indexing head won't easily do a lot of the high prime number divisions the geared semi and universal dividing heads can. 127 tooth imperial to metric transposing gears would be one example.

So deciding on what you need is mostly about what you want a DH to be capable of and the work you think you might be using it for. The original B&S heads and older Vertex universals used I think the B&S no.9 taper that isn't always easy to find today. Afaik all the new Vertex universals now use the much more common MT 4. I'm unsure of what there smaller heads are using or what the Hofmanns used. My Vertex came with a standard 3 jaw lathe chuck and that type of chuck is imo is pretty much worthless for accurate DH work. A good set tru or even 4 jaw independent would have made much more sense. Machinery's Handbook has fairly good details explaining what the various types of dividing heads can and can't do for divisions and how to calculate the set ups on the geared heads. If it were me I'd study that before deciding on which type of head to buy.
wally318
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 1:06 am
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia

Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by wally318 »

By the name Hofmann I'm not referring to semi universal/universal type.
The Asian copy thats being discussed here and at the other thread is a
Brown & Sharp copy. The other asian style is a Hofman/Walter/Elliott
style copy. The B&S body pivots on dovetails and is all bare metal.
The Hofmann style pivots inside of clamps and most of the unit has paint on it.
Both are available as semi and full universal.
Any members have experience with the Hofmann style copies?
Google a pic if you're not that familiar. You'll know what I mean right away.
wally318
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Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 1:06 am
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia

Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by wally318 »

Like the one in this pic:
Attachments
Milling-Machine-universal-indexing-dividing-head.jpg_350x350.jpg
Milling-Machine-universal-indexing-dividing-head.jpg_350x350.jpg (24.12 KiB) Viewed 9860 times
alco2350
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:20 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Re: Asian/Chinese made Dividing heads

Post by alco2350 »

Can these dividing heads be used as rotary tables (provided you can hold what you need to in the chuck). I have neither, but would rather have the dividing head for obvious reasons. I was looking at this one here: https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/ ... idinghead/

Thanks,

Britt
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