Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 9.2. Rotary tables can usually be used vertically as well as horizontally.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ROTARY TABLE
Clamping the work
The top of the table usually has three or four (sometimes more) T-slots that
are used to clamp the work down. The chances are, the T-slots are smaller
than you use for the milling machine table so you will have to make a few T-
nuts to fit. You might as well make a few small clamps to clamp the work down
with as well.
Centre hole
The centre of the table may have a precision finished hole in the centre of the
table for clocking up the table's centre or for locating work. The hole may be
a parallel hole, although most of the small rotary tables you are likely to come
across will have a shortened No.2 or No.3 Morse taper hole.
If you have the Morse taper version, I suggest you plug a blank Morse taper
arbor into your lathe headstock and drill and bore a known size parallel hole
in it, not through, and use this in the centre hole although you may have to
shorten the back end of the Morse taper. Then you can make various plugs
to suit the known hole size on one end and a diameter to suit the work on the
other end.
