What size rotary table do you use?

[dickda1]

I have a Rong-Fu 45 mill.  I have bought, repaired and sold Bridgeports in the past, but these have always been too big to own personally.  Age is now tempering my delusions of grandeur.

I am trying to decide on a rotary table.  I have used 25cm (10") rotary tables, but they would be too big on my current machine.  A 20cm device would fit, but is hard on my old back, unless I left it in place.  Have a winch but is not readily accessible.

What size do you guys use (20 or 15cm or something else)?

-Dick

[spuddevans]

I use a 4" or 100mm (whichever is handiest  ) and my mill is a X2 (somewhat smaller than yours)


Tim

[Stilldrillin]

I use a 4" or 100mm (whichever is handiest  ) and my mill is a X2 (somewhat smaller than yours)

Tim

Same here! 

David D

[Bogstandard]

I think you will find that a 6" will be a perfect size for you, not too heavy, but plenty big enough for the smallish projects we normally get up to.

You can always add a larger plate if you need to make something out of the ordinary.

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=4825.msg53510#msg53510


Bogs

[xo18thfa]

I have a 4", it's too small.  Go with a 6" so you have more rooms for clamps to hold the work piece.  Otherwise you'll have to rig a face plate as Bogs shows.  Most 6" tables have a 2MT center hole which is handy for centering the table.

[Lew_Merrick_PE]

I have an 8 inch (202 mm) rotary table.  The cabinet where it, my 6 inch (150 mm) vise, 10 inch (254 mm) sine plate, and my tilting table is set-up such that the shelf upon which each of these sit are the same height as my mill table.  That way I only have to carry the load as I turn-about from one to the other.  Each of these sit in a custom opening into which a set of (ø1" or ø25 mm) acetal rollers are inset to make it easier to place and retrieve these heavy items.

The area below the customized shelf has drawers for cutters and shelves for other goodies.  There is a table area above the customized shelf with a rack above that for collets, mounted cutters, arbors, and the like.  The whole thing has a footprint of (approximately) 48" X 20" (1220 mm X 508 mm) which leaves me an effective table of 48" X 14" (1220 mm X 380 mm).  Pegs are mounted on the side of the unit to store things such as an indicol & indicator, vise drives, set-up screws, and the like.

After long days, I consider building a swing-arm to make passing heavy items from the mill (or lathe) to the cabinet easier.  I have not yet gotten fired up to actually do it...

[HS93]

 now just got an X2 and have a 4" table with Kwackers unit on it,I had it on a X1 before and there was a lack of hight problem this one is ok.

peter

[websterz]

I use a 4" or 100mm (whichever is handiest  ) and my mill is a X2 (somewhat smaller than yours)

Tim

Same here! 

David D

Make that three of us! 

[Chuck in E. TN]

I also have a 4" vertex RT on an HF X2 mill. I have made a copy of my 7X lathe's spindle nose on an M2 taper and can fit the chucks and face plate from the lathe on it.
I am building the Kwackers RT Controller for it, but currently bogged down in making the circuit board.
Anybody here from the US that can make PCBs?

Chuck in E. TN

[PekkaNF]

I have a 4", it's too small.  Go with a 6" so you have more rooms for clamps to hold the work piece.  Otherwise you'll have to rig a face plate as Bogs shows.  Most 6" tables have a 2MT center hole which is handy for centering the table.

I'll agree 100%. I have a HV6 (150 mm) rotab. I't not only the part size, but also very much required clampping space. Even with aprox. 100 mm dimension part you have to pay atention on clampping and margins are small. Pay atention also on T-slots, you'll most likely need a set of extra T-nuts, studs and clamps. Due to different t-slot size and more restricted clampping space I have noticed that I end up buildig more clamps for rotab and ever for a milling table. I many need to machine special T-nuts that will allow clampping closer to centre...you'll see what is needed when you get close to centre.

Very important feature is aforementioned MT taper center hole. I use it not only to center, but also for a chuck and ER25 chuck to hold smal parts. Then I use MT direct collets for holding a drill rod for centering purposes.

Pekka

[Davo J]

I have a 10 inch and it's pretty heavy, so I would recommend a 6 or a 8 inch one.
Everyone has different size jobs they are thinking of, so if you have a few jobs around cut out a piece of cardboard 6 and 8 inch round and see if they will fit on there with the clamps as well.
The other alternative as said would be to use a larger plate on top, but you have to watch it doesn't restrict you access to reading the vernier scale.

Dave

[arnoldb]

I'd also recommend a 150mm/6" for the RF45.  I have a home-made 120mm RT that I use on my RF clone and on more than one occasion wished I had that little extra size...

Regards, Arnold

[PekkaNF]

I mentioned the size of the table vs. size of the work and clampping, but I forgot to mention that least on my model the table "lock" protrudes too much and gets too close to T-nuts (if they come out more than a millimetre out of table....) and anything exceeding the table. Removed first the lock - big mistake - there is always some backlash and mine has excentric gear - can't adjust to very small. I needed to replace lever with cap screw. Note the "lock". This part is 100 mm * way more than 100 mm and thickness 32mm. Gives you an idea.

This rotab is othervice fine for it's purpose. Just probably not fit to accept stepper motor for indexing.

Pekka

[raynerd]

I also am a member of the 4" crew

[xo18thfa]

Pekka's rotary table has a great feature you really need.  The clamps that secure the table are important too. My 4" table has a single grub screw to lock the table.  It is not very secure.  Pekka's table has two clamps I bet, one on each side to secure the table tightly.  You want to remove as many things that can chatter as possible.

[Corvus corax]

I have a SOBA 4 inch one on my Einhell X2 clone.
I want to make an adapter for it to take my 9x20 lathe's faceplate.