"Michael Koblic" wrote in message
...
snip---

1) I trammed the table and it is level to within 1/1000" - I checked it
again just to make sure.

If that operation was accomplished by placing an indicator point on the
table, then traversing the table, the only thing you determined is how
closely the table surface tracks with the ways. If that's the test you
performed, it was a waste of time.

Why do I get a queasy feeling that you may have located the holes by moving
the saddle instead of the table, with the vise jaws parallel to the table
front and back, but the part mounted in the vise such that it was at a right
angle? If you held your part by the ends instead of by the sides,
that's your problem. If you did not, ignore this comment. Do not ignore
the one about the indicator and the table surface, however.

In order to determine if the spindle is at a right angle, you must spin an
indicator from the spindle (slowly, by hand), sweeping the table surface.
Does that make sense to you?

2) The vise is on a base with two slots and rotates. Mindful of the advice
in the MIT clips I did just that - gradually tightened the screws that
control the rotation and gently tapped the vise with a dead blow hammer to
make the corrections.

Unless you have need for a rotating vise, you'll find you will achieve far
better success mounting your vise directly on the table. You gain head
room, and often a greater degree of precision. I've seen far more vise
bases gathering dust than I've seen in use on machines. They are generally
avoided by those of us in the trade.

3) I cannot stop the spindle rotating, even in the lowest gear.

It's not necessary to do so. If your spindle that is left free isn't steady
enough to use for an indicator, your setup is suspect. In all my more
than 50 years on the machines, I've never had need to lock the spindle.
I do advise a decent DTI for this application, however. A Starrett last
word is not amongst my recommendations. I own one, along with several B&S
BesTest indicators. The Starrett never gets used because it lacks the
necessary precision. So you'll understand that I'm not bashing Starrett,
my toolbox is almost entirely Starrett-----my only complaint is the Last
Word, which is a disgrace.

Harold