Thread: Vertex Rotary Table - HV-6

This table is many years old and has done many jobs.
Got a Dividing Mechanism for it a couple of years ago, and I am setting up to cut a 63 tooth gear for the lathe.
The dividing kit has the usual 3 plates, stepping fingers, setting plunger and and an axial spring.

The axial spring, item 53 in the exploded view in the manual, doesn't seem to do its job.
It is of sheet metal with a typical cupped shape and is considerably thinner than the shaft slot provided.
There is a tongue protruding that may engage something.

Can anyone comment on their experiences with this kit ?
Am I doing something stupid, have I lost an intermediate part, or is this a recognized deficiency ?

Dividing Mechanism compr.JPG

The news in Sydney tonight is not good,
Stay well out there,
John.

The protruding tongue is just so that you can slide it out (something to get a screwdriver under). All the spring is doing is holding the sector dividers against the dividng plate (so plate is screwed on, dividers put in position, spring slid on and then indexing pin attached)
The technique I normally use is to unlock the table then with my left hand hold the end of the sectors onto the plate (and against the pin). Use my right hand to pull the indexing pin back and rotate the pin to where it is meant to be. Relock the table and carry on. The sector arms need to be able to move relative to the dividing plate, so no need for anything more than firm pressure. If you have not got that, then gently bend the spring a little bit to improve.

(if that is not clear I can do some photos tomorrow)

Michael

Thanks Michael.
The method you described is what I follow.
The problem is the lack of friction due to the weakness of the spring.

The groove in the housing is 3 mm wide, the spring 0.5 mm thick.
When everything installed, there is a gap left of 1 mm.
Crying out for a 1 mm thick circlip.

I tried modifying the spring by bending it as you suggested.
Note that as supplied, the spring bend is in the same direction as the tongue.
Tried a bit more bend, and tested installation with the tongue towards the plate, and away from the plate.
Experimented with holding the spring with the tongue clamp screw, and rotating it to various positions.
Best seemed to be tongue towards the plate and the tongue close to the clamp screw, and held by it.

Operation is good enough for the current job, but really needs improving.
I will mark each hole as it is used so that I can easily check that the advance is correct once selected.

Keep well,
John.

I have an old Paradisi dividing head bought second-hand and missing that C-shaped spring clip. The clip should have a marked wave-washer-like bend in it that applies the friction pressure to the fingers, your clip appears in the photo to be flat. I never could find one that fit my d/h, instead I found a short conical coil spring that is retained by the crank and bears on the fingers, it works well.

Have you got a 63 hole plate John? If not give me a call. I can possibly fix you up with a plate for the Vertex rotary table/BS0 div head.

Otherwise, you can borrow my dividing head which has a 63 hole plate.

DH

Hi John, Guys,

My Vertex HV6 is exactly the same !

I have one of those plastic foam rings from the top of a box of blank CD's it fits nicely behind the spring clip and provides plenty of support for the arms. You will have to adjust the hole size to fit. I made a punch to cut the hole to size.

There is nothing wrong or amiss in the items supplied, there may be an issue know that you have played with the retaining plate.

After you place your sector arms on to the spindle or before, loosen the small grub screw in the knurled ring on the shaft, just before your plate. This little nut moves back and forth creating or reducing the gap for the retaining plate, this is used to adjust tension on the plate and sector arms, after setting your desired tension, lock the grub screw.

The tang or lip on the tension plate faces out.

In operation you may need to occasionally check that the tension spring has not started to walk out of the groove it sits in, if it has moved just push it back, an indicator generally will be if the sector arms feel easier to move than when you first started.

Bit of a bum steer with the above unless you have an 8" or 10" vertex.

With the 6" you release the 2 grub screws in the aluminium disc that the dividing plates screw too, after attaching plate and sector arms insert spring retainer and pull the aluminium ring towards you to close the gap and apply load to the spring retainer, then tighten the grub screws in the aluminium ring.

Sorry for any confusion, at least it now covers the 6,8 and 10" tables.

Thanks Pete O and BaronJ for the supplementary spring ideas, I was starting to think along those lines myself.

pipeclay, the only modification by me was to ease a bit more bend into the already bent spring disc.
Not sure what a 'retaining plate' is.
As I don't have a knurled ring, I think your RT may be different to mine.

But, you have prompted me to look at the stack anew.
I can easily take up the 1 mm groove gap by adding a spacer between the dividing plate and the housing.
I will also try mounting the spring between the selector fingers.

Thanks to OldRustyToolie for the offer of other plates, the current setup will work fine with care taken to manage the looseness.
And, I need to get the dividing mechanism working for other jobs.

Seasons greeting to all,
Keep well,
John.

Had a chat to pipeclay.
The knurled ring was on an 8" RT, and so slightly different.

He explained that on the 6" RT, the ring that has the eccentric handle and vernier scale is held in position by two grub screws.
One can loosen the grub screws, slide the ring along the shaft until all the axial float is removed and re-tighten, to remove the looseness.
Works a treat, thanks pipeclay.

The photo shows the gap now between the ring and the housing (about 1 mm).
Note that the ring has been rotated to make it easier to access the grub screws.

Vernier Ring Moved compr.JPG

Keep well,
John.

Hi John, Guys,

My Vertex is the same as in the picture that John posted. I set that ring to remove the end float in the engaged worm. I noticed that if you turned the table under load the worm moved lengthways. Setting that collar up against the body removed that play.

BaronJ,
Your RT may be slightly different to mine.
The ring moved by me is the grey one carrying the vernier scale and handle for the eccentric/cam movement, and it clamps onto the eccentric shaft.

As a clarification for anyone that might be reading this, I think my RT has two separate axial float adjustments, refer to the previous photo:
- a large black ring locates the eccentric shaft within the casting, seen between the grey ring and the cast housing,
- a small black ring locates the worm shaft within the eccentric shaft, seen between the fingers and the plunger carry beam.

Hope this helps others.
Keep well,
John.

Anyone looking for the 6" rotary table dividing plates and crank fleabay had them for $65 posted from Sydney. Quality quite good and turned up within 1 week of ordering on 26 dec. Worth a look for anyone wanting to increase versatility of the rotaty table.

Oldrustytool

Do you remember which seller you purchased of. I see a few on ebay around that price and it is good to know the reliable seller.

Thanks

Steve

Originally Posted by Reidy41

Oldrustytool

Do you remember which seller you purchased of. I see a few on ebay around that price and it is good to know the reliable seller.

Thanks

Steve

Steve, the seller is amazingitem. The location was Regents Park but based in Hong Kong. I ordered on 23 Dec and it was at the door on 28 Dec so must be in a warehouse in Sydney when you take into account the weekend of Christmas out of the time it sure was quick.

DH

Hi Guys,

I've noticed that a number of Chinese vendors are setting up warehouse facilities here in the UK !
As they have done in various parts of Europe. Poland and Spain to name two places.