Results 1 to 13 of 13
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Charlestown NSW
    Age
    65
    Posts
    1,669

    Default Rotary table ID?

    Gday Everyone.
    Now that I have my mill to a useable state after not being able to use it since early 2009, I've turned my attention to some of the other stuff I have for it.
    I have a 300mm dia rotary table that was given to me by an old bloke who was downsizing his stuff a few years ago. Its really a little on the large size but beggars and chosers and all that.
    So yesterday I dragged it out to have a better look at it. Its a heavy thing. I near busted myself lifting it onto the bench. (I understand now why it was given to me). It appears to have not been used for quite a while and is covered in grime. Its missing the hand wheel and doesnt have any indexing plates.
    I cannot find any branding or names or anything else on it.

    The interesting bit is it has an extra gear train at the back of it with a parallel shaft at the back at 90 degre to the worm shaft. This shaft has a keyway in it.
    There is a lever on the side and this allows the back shaft to be engaged with the pinion shaft. It also allows the back shaft direction of rotation to be change in relation to the pinion.
    Ive never seen a rotary table like this before but that doesnt mean much. I am assuming that its orginal purpose was for some sort of production setup where the back shaft was perhaps driven by the machine.
    I'm thinking about removing the extra shaft and gears etc to try and reduce the weight a little bit. Will still have to modify my dividing head lifter to lift it onto the table though.
    When I took these pics I managed to only get half of it in one of them
    Any thoughts?

    peter

    rotab 001.jpgrotab 002.jpgrotab 003.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    N.W.Tasmania
    Posts
    1,407

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bollie7 View Post
    Gday Everyone.
    Now that I have my mill to a useable state after not being able to use it since early 2009, I've turned my attention to some of the other stuff I have for it.
    I have a 300mm dia rotary table that was given to me by an old bloke who was downsizing his stuff a few years ago. Its really a little on the large size but beggars and chosers and all that.
    So yesterday I dragged it out to have a better look at it. Its a heavy thing. I near busted myself lifting it onto the bench. (I understand now why it was given to me). It appears to have not been used for quite a while and is covered in grime. Its missing the hand wheel and doesnt have any indexing plates.
    I cannot find any branding or names or anything else on it.

    The interesting bit is it has an extra gear train at the back of it with a parallel shaft at the back at 90 degre to the worm shaft. This shaft has a keyway in it.
    There is a lever on the side and this allows the back shaft to be engaged with the pinion shaft. It also allows the back shaft direction of rotation to be change in relation to the pinion.
    Ive never seen a rotary table like this before but that doesnt mean much. I am assuming that its orginal purpose was for some sort of production setup where the back shaft was perhaps driven by the machine.
    I'm thinking about removing the extra shaft and gears etc to try and reduce the weight a little bit. Will still have to modify my dividing head lifter to lift it onto the table though.
    When I took these pics I managed to only get half of it in one of them
    Any thoughts?

    peter

    rotab 001.jpgrotab 002.jpgrotab 003.jpg
    As you had thought Peter, that shaft and gear train would normally be driven by the machine leadscrew. I'm no expert on this myself, but my understanding is that this feature would be used when cutting helical gears or worm gears, where with the proper selection of change gears, the gear blank would rotate the correct amount as the table traversed for a cutter in a fixed position to generate the desired tool form. Kearney & Trecker Co. - Publication Reprints - Model K Universal Dividing Head - Brochure | VintageMachinery.orgThe link is to an example of such a dividing head, and the brochure explains the features far better than I could. That site has many other indexed pages with plenty of explanations if you have lots of time on your hands.
    Rob

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Ballina N.S.W.
    Posts
    644

    Default

    Hi bollie7
    I would not be lifting that table, it will end up doing your back in. I have a 250mm one and it is around 70kgs, looking at yours it is quite a bit heavier. I made up a set of four small chains with a ring on one end and the other end have eye bolts that screw into fittings that slip into the four "t" slots in the table and I lift it with an engine crane.Makes life a lot easier.
    Bob

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Charlestown NSW
    Age
    65
    Posts
    1,669

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ropetangler View Post
    As you had thought Peter, that shaft and gear train would normally be driven by the machine leadscrew. I'm no expert on this myself, but my understanding is that this feature would be used when cutting helical gears or worm gears, where with the proper selection of change gears, the gear blank would rotate the correct amount as the table traversed for a cutter in a fixed position to generate the desired tool form.
    Rob
    Thanks for the link Rob.
    Ive seen gear trains set up on dividing heads but Ive never seen one on a rotary table though. What is interesting is the shaft at the back with the keyway doesnt appear to have any way of fixing anything to it. Which makes me think that whatever went on there might have been a sleeve with an internal, matching keyway or possibly a bush or something with a sliding feather key in it. As this table cant be used on its side like a dividing head (at least not without bolting it to an angle plate) the only thing I can think of where you would want the table to travel as the table rotated would be if you were making a scroll like in a three jaw chuck.
    I can't figure out how you could even use the setup to make an open face centrifugal pump impellor.
    Interesting stuff.

    peter

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Charlestown NSW
    Age
    65
    Posts
    1,669

    Default

    Bob
    I also have a big dividing head (No 5 morse taper in the bore) Back around 2008, I made a stand with a boom and a winch for lifting it onto the table. Works quite well but Boof Head here didnt really think it through at the time. At the moment I can only use it for the Dividing head so a redesign might be in order. I cant see me needing to use the rotary table in the immediate future so I wont be rushing into it. I was thinking of a similar lifting rig to what you have desribed.
    I probably dont need a rotary table this big but if I was to sell it I would be lucky to get $150-$200 for it and I cant justify the extra outlay for a smaller table when I probably wont use it all that much

    Peter

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Laidley, SE Qld
    Posts
    1,038

    Default

    I have a 12" rotary table, it sits on one end of a mobile work bench that I made to suit my mill. The top of the work bench fits right up to the mill table and I slide the rotary from one to the other.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    201

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bollie7 View Post
    Back around 2008, I made a stand with a boom and a winch for lifting it onto the table.
    I can't help with IDing your rotary table, but I'd be very interested in more details and/or photos of your boom lifter.

    I have been collecting accessories for my two mills, and like you have found that I can't man-handle the rotary table nor the big old Victoria dividing head that I have. I've been agonising about whether to build an overhead rail system with a block and tackle, or maybe some sort of mobile lifter. It's not convenient for me to get the engine stand near to the mills, and a simple trolley won't work because I need to also move the heavy accessories up or down to slide into to some sort of covered storage cupboard or shelf.

    Graham.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Charlestown NSW
    Age
    65
    Posts
    1,669

    Default

    Graham.
    I'll see if I can dig out some pics or take some new ones. I built the lifter back around 2008. At that time Ihad a big shed with lots of room. These days I only have a 6MX3M shed so space is at a real premium. I couldnt use teh engine crane even if I wanted to.

    If I dont post some pics in the next few days then please remind me.
    peter

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Charlestown NSW
    Age
    65
    Posts
    1,669

    Default

    A couple of slightly blury pics of my dividing head hoist. I made this from stuff I had laying around at the time. At the time we had bought 4 of those big cantilever outdoor umbrellas. They came with a plate to bolt them down or a cross piece to use them with weights to hold them down. I had used the plates and bolted them to the concrete. I used the cross pieces to make the crane.
    The winch is one of the old TAFE 3rd year F&M student projects. I fished this one out of the bin at work years ago. There was a problem with it but its been that long I cant realy remember what it was. I think one of the gears was not concentric or something as I remember I had to relieve some of the teeth on one of them a bit to get it to work. Wouldn't like to use it as a boat winch but for this its ok.

    So, its approx 1550 high to the centre of the top pulley and the boom is approx 400 between centres of the pulleys. I have no idea of the angle of the boom, I just made it so it did the job and looked ok.
    I'm thinking that I might have to make a stand for the rotary table that is high enough that I can roll the crane under it with the divding head still onboard. Having the space in the shed is going to be the biggest problem.

    peter
    Attached Images Attached Images

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    201

    Default

    Thanks for posting those photos Peter, much appreciated.

    That's a really neat idea to store the dividing head in the base of the crane. I have similar space limitations and every spare square foot of floor area is valuable. I'll have a think about a similar design that would incorporate dividing head, rotary table, and the big vice. Maybe the pillar and boom could also fold down.

    Thanks again,
    Graham.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    201

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bollie7 View Post
    The winch is one of the old TAFE 3rd year F&M student projects.
    And this was a jolt from the past. I made one of those too in my TAFE days. I remember cutting the gear was a big deal. But I have no idea where it is now, I think I donated it to someone else's trailer 45 odd years ago.

    Thanks for the memory.

    Graham.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Charlestown NSW
    Age
    65
    Posts
    1,669

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Oldbikerider View Post
    Thanks for posting those photos Peter, much appreciated.
    No problem

    Quote Originally Posted by Oldbikerider View Post
    think about a similar design that would incorporate dividing head, rotary table, and the big vice. Maybe the pillar and boom could also fold down.

    Thanks again,
    Graham.
    Thats going to be my issue now that I have the rotary table and a decent machine vice. (At least I'm hoping its ok, I havent used it yet. Havent even had a close look at it since I bought it) Everything is pretty tight in the shed. I might end up totally modifiying the crane.
    peter

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Charlestown NSW
    Age
    65
    Posts
    1,669

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Oldbikerider View Post
    And this was a jolt from the past. I made one of those too in my TAFE days. I remember cutting the gear was a big deal. But I have no idea where it is now, I think I donated it to someone else's trailer 45 odd years ago.

    Thanks for the memory.

    Graham.
    I made one as well. Whilst it certainly wasnt perfect, it was better than the one I have on my crane. My brother has had mine on a bike lifter for the last 35 years or so. I dont think hes actually used the lifter for the last 20 years either. Maybe I should ask for my winch back.

    peter

Similar Threads

  1. TSL Rotary table
    By Poloris in forum METALWORK - Machinery, Equipment, MARKET
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 9th Jul 2017, 02:01 PM
  2. rotary table
    By tanii51 in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 24
    Last Post: 9th Jun 2014, 07:34 PM
  3. Which rotary table??
    By xr6t in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 5th Mar 2010, 09:22 AM
  4. Rotary Table
    By graemet in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 26
    Last Post: 8th Oct 2008, 09:34 AM
  5. Rotary table
    By graemet in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 6th Apr 2008, 09:50 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •