MACHINING a Rotary Table alignment tool

#machining #alignment #rotarytable #millingmachines
Join me in this video as I use @Blondihacks design for a rotary table alignment tool to make machining radius super easy.
This video was a must before I move onto the next project the "Hemingway Knurling tool"

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Link to Blondiehacks Video

[Mexmanix]

Nice one Joe. I Would have used a small boring bar to bore out the final dia. at 18mm then face the bottom of the recess giving you a smoother finish for your inserts & a flat bottom.. Radius's.. Radii. Never the less a nice mod for your rotary table.

[stevec]

Hello Joe,
If you drill and tap the 6mm hole right through the taper you can then use a long screw to jack out the taper from the rotary table if it jams in there. Easier and quicker than disturbing the table to knock the taper out.
Steve

[twister]

If you want to keep all ten fingers you might want to looae the gloves. In our shop you would not be allowed near any spinning machine until you took them off.

[mickl]

I'm loving that MT3 insert kit. I taught myself machining for my job and I'm always open to learning new stuff.

[jimmcwhirter]

Thanks for posting - was interesting to watch another build of this after having watched “Blondi Hacks”. I can see this project in my future!

[jmtx.]

Awesome! Looking forward to seeing this in more action.

[adedug]

Hi Joe, this is great that you are moving on like this, I have the same rotary table by the way, really good, can I offer a little advise if I may . when you clock in the angle with your compound you did it well. the issue is that morse tapers are very fussy to lock and release properly so accuracy is really important . Maybe next time try this, centre drill a piece of stock in the chuck . then set up the centre to clock by putting the point in the centre drilled hole and then use a tailstock centre in the hole in the back of the morse taper to set the angle to be clocked between centres. ensure that your tailstock is well clocked first. this will put the part that you are clocking true to the axis of the lathe . you can check this by rotating the part before clocking the angle . then simply clock it in as you did and much closer results will come . Not a criticism at all and you will get close the way you did it . only trying to help. please don't take offence, certainly none meant only admiration you having a go . Cheers and keep it up, Ade

[howder]

Nice work Joe, adds to the versatility of that rotary unit. Enjoying your vids and good to see you back at it. Take care and cheers mate!

[andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Hello Joe. Thank you for showing how you went about machining this morse taper adapter. Very interesting indeed. 👏👏👍😀

[HM-Projects]

Here's another idea to locate the Rotary table center. Use an edge finder and dro half functions. You'll get within 5 microns or better, quicker than trying to align and get the spigot into the Rotary table slot.

[gagasmancave]

Nice one Joe, have to make one fir mm cave, one tip regarding the morse taper some suppliers sell different MT raper adapters with hardened tapers and unhardend bits you can machjne

[geraldpepper]

Good video. The knurler will be a neat project.

[sebastienlambert]

you can also make a spring loaded center point to fit anything from a center punch to a 1 inch hole.

[robertpearson]

One of the things that I like about this method is that with pieces that have a hole on the centre radius it provides an anchor point to prevent work movement in addition to any finger clamps used. Even without a fastener it will prevent work movement. Also, everyone is right, lose the gloves.

[machinists-shortcuts]

The system works great if you have holes in the part, I'll post a couple of links ar the bottom for options without holes in your part.

I guess you have had loads of crap about wearing gloves & I am not going repeat all the safety issues. I will add though, if you want to work in a professional toolroom you will have the piss taken out of you for your first hour until you get fired. There is nothing more reassuring than giving your tools - tool holders - spindle bores - parts - vice jaws - magnetic chuck etc.. a wipe with your bare hands to know they are clean. Using gloves embedded with tiny bits of swarf & filings will not clean any mating parts enough, especially if any part is magnetic.

I would consider drilling the mt holder through so it can be jacked out instead of having to remove the whole rt to get it out. Once you have centre drilled the holder - drill half way then proceed to turn the taper. The other end can then be drilled to meet the first hole then tapped when machining the counterbore.

When setting the compound for the taper it is important that the morse taper is running true for the dti to give the corect angle.

It looke like the tailstock was out a very long way when machining the holder. Was this because the toolpost was set at a wierd angle instead of square to the spindle. Was the compound slide right forward too. If these were changed to a square set tool & the compound retracted, the tailstock could be retracted for more rigidity.

I did not understand why the holder was roughly machined to length on the rt. Could the height have been measured then faced off to the correct length below the rt surface on the lathe.

I see that you discovered that end mills in the tailstock cut oversize, a quick light pass with a boring bar to any dimension would have given a nice round concentric hole. The size could then be replicated on the buttons. A flat bottom may not be necessary, it will be constant so the button heights can be made to suit.

For the button diameters I strongly suggest a 0-25mm external micrometer for the diameters as they probably need to be slighly under for a slip fit into the mating holes.

If you don't like using a dti to find the centre of the rt then using an accurate plug in a collet can be used. One tip is to have the rt unclamped so it can float to the mating position. Much easier than trying to move the handwheels.


Hope you find the tips useful & here are some links you may find helpful.

[porkerthepig]

Ok for this project but neither a Endmill or slot drill will generate a true flat bottomed hole. There is generally approximately a 2 degree clearance angle between the corner and the centre of cutter

[Festivejelly]

Why not us a boring bar to clean up the walls?

Im looking at making something similar. But my lathe is much smaller. Any tips on how I would face off the MT2 as im not sure how id hold a tapered piece.

[neffk]

Watch out for calipers. You have the a good one there but they're limited in accuracy. Flex, wear, violation of Abbe's law, etc, plague calipers. For precision fits, use a micrometer. Any cheap one will work but the 1" Mitutoyo digimatic is pretty nice, if it's not too dear.

[hoppercar]

Get those gloves see so many wannabe machinists on YouTube, that don't know the first thing about shop safety

[MrSims-kyne]

Why are you wearing gloves near reciprocating machinery? You want to deglove a finger instead of a little knick or cut. Unreal.