On Mon, 1 Sep 2008 16:25:08 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

Alright folks , I got the gear book (gotta brush up on my math !) ... and
I got some messed up gears on the lathe that need replacing . My research
indicates that the most flexible setup (though not the "best" for every
task) is a rotary table with indexing capability . My next decision is size
. My baby mill has a max of 18" table to spindle . The table is 9X32" and
moves 8X21" .
I'm thinking that 6" might be a bit too big , most of the gears are in the
2" to 5" diameter range ... but I don't want to limit myself to what may
come in the future . 3" is definitely too small , 4" is iffy , and I haven't
seen a 5 .
--
Snag
Decisions , decisions ...


Greetings Terry,
I have a 4, a 10, and a 12 inch rotary table. It seems that no matter
what I'm trying to machine it's something bigger than the table will
easily handle. So if you can get a 6 inch table that is low enough for
your mill that's the one to get. And make sure it's a
horizontal/vertical one. When you get your rotary table one thing
that's a BIG help is to make a longer handle for turning it. So you
will need to tap another hole in the existing handle wheel 180 degrees
from the existing hole. Then use a piece of bar stock to extend the
radius so that the handle is now at a 3 or 4 inch radius (or so).
Drill two holes to match the holes in the wheel and tap a hole to
match the handle you unscrewed from the wheel. Even though your hand
will now be travelling farther because you will be swinging it through
a larger radius the extra leverage makes it much easier to control any
movement of the table. And just like the gear reduction makes small
errors of indexing even smaller so does the extension handle.
Cheers,
Eric