RE: [GrizHFMinimill] Re: Rotary table mounting on the mini mill [4 Attachments]

[Attachment(s) from gerry waclawiak included below]

Hi Tim,

sorry for the delay whilst I organised a few piccies.

The two blocks I made are identical other than the tongue that fits into the slot on the rotary table. On one of the blocks the bottom of the tongue is slightly lower than the table slot so that when the cap screws are tightened it pulls down the rotary table firmly onto the mill table.

On that marked "front" the bottom of the tongue tapers slightly from front to back such that the front is slightly higher than the slot and the back lower. This block is firmly tightened onto the table and the rotary table slid along the table so it wedges onto the tongue.

The second block is then slid into the slot on the other side of the rotary table and then tightened down to hold the rotary table firmly in position.

I made the "front" block with the taper because (as is apparent from the photos) I had made the blocks with counter-bores to suit cap screws I had handy in the scrap box and then discovered that in the vertical position the chuck does not allow space to access the Allen screws to tighten down that block afterwards to pull the rotary table down onto the mill table!

With hindsight that was a design error on my part and it might have been better to use ordinary hex bolts and slim down the ends of the blocks to allow space to swing an ordinary spanner and have both blocks identical.

In practice the Mk1 version works OK so I did not see any point in remaking them.

Hope this gives you some idea

Gerry
Leeds UK

To: GrizHFMinimill@yahoogroups.com
From: metaling1@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:35:43 +0000
Subject: [GrizHFMinimill] Re: Rotary table mounting on the mini mill

Thanks for the reply Gerry,

I have thought about your reply and am imagining several configurations in my head but doubt any of them are correct. I am thinking I need to make something to specifically fit into the little table pockets like you describe but can't quite visualize the wedge. Any chance of a photo (even just the parts laid out) or a crude mspaint drawing even may jolt my grey matter.

Thanks once again,

Tim
NZ

--- In GrizHFMinimill@yahoogroups.com, gerry waclawiak <gerrywac@...> wrote:
>
>
> Hi Tim,
>
> I too purchased a Vertex HV4 several years ago and have been very happy with the accuracy and quality. It was quite a bit more than some "no-name" types on offer but I think it has proved a case of the quality remaining after the price is forgotten.
>
> I had the same problem in mounting (both positions) and I made some custom mounting blocks to use the "pockets" cast into the table body from scrap aluminium as a little mill project .
>
> I started with scraps of 1" square aluminium bar and cut two lengths to the width of the mill table. I then milled a rebate in each the height and width of the pocket so the bottom of the tongue formed was sightly lower than the base of the pocket on one and slightly tapered from low to high on the other (to form a Wedge arrangement to the pocket)
>
> I then took two "T" nuts (also a mill project) and then drilled the blocks to take 8mm Allen cap screws rebated into the top. When the blocks are fitted either side of the table by mounting the wedge block and tightening it down and then sliding the table into it (the cap screws are not accessible on one block with the table in place) the other is then slid into position and tightened down with the cap screw to clamp the table in position. The blocks were given a brush finish using a medium carborundum/rubber block
>
> You can mount the blocks wherever you like but they can be fitted at the very end of the T slots to give the maximum work envelope
>
> Gerry
> Leeds UK

Attachment(s) from gerry waclawiak

4 of 4 Photo(s)