Round things on a mill

[arcticfox46]

How do you make round things on a mill?

With a rotary table that's how.

This is the thing you use to make round or semi-round things on a mill.

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/tls/994373609.html

It also increases your working axis from 3 - to 4

Add a compound angle table and the things you can do are endless.

[TDHofstetter]

That's a pretty big one - mine's only 8". I've seen a 24" version - takes a chain hoist to get it on the table. :)

Not a bad price for the CL one, either - be about a hundred twenty pounds of iron.

You can also add a chuck to the rotary table, stand it on end, and add a tailstock for turning between centers.

EDIT: I've used mine for making sprockets, too - they EXCEL at making hole circles. All ya gotta' know is the (carefully figured) angle for each hole. Dial it in & go. An index plate often helps for that.

-- Tim --

Member of the
Robert "Limey" Bolton Memorial
International
Volunteer Mentorship and Assistance
Programme

[arcticfox46]

Yeah, 12" is pretty BIG.

Would be fun though.

[TDHofstetter]

Ya know... I don't think I'd ever considered mounting an X-Y table to a rotary table. NEAT idea - you could get some superb angled results outta' it!

I'd considered mounting one vertically on my mill, since it's not a knee mill. Sure be a booger to do, though. Heck, one day I'll just own a small knee mill (hire about four big strappin' laddies to move it into my shop for me) and be done with it. With that part of it. :) Ain't NO bein' done with finding more ways to get stuff done. :)

-- Tim --

Member of the
Robert "Limey" Bolton Memorial
International
Volunteer Mentorship and Assistance
Programme