Vertex 4" Rotary Table

[Chuck in E. TN]

Hi all,
I just received my Vertex 4” rotary Table. I am very pleased with fit and finish. I am very disappointed with the “Operation and Service Manual”. Nothing in the documentation that came with it, except for the QC Test report, seems to relate to this table! No t-nuts came with it, and I am trying to figure out how to adapt my chucks to this table. Any ideas on this are certainly welcome. I have 3”  3 jaw scroll, 4” 4 jaw scroll, and 4” 4 jaw independent chucks that fit my MicroMark 7x14 lathe. The 3 jaw bolts directly to the lathe nose, the other 2 use adaptors. The 4” scroll uses 4 studs, the 4” independent has through bolts and should be easier to adapt.
The table has a MT-2 center hole, and I have made MT-2 adaptors for various drill chucks to fit the tail stock on my 7x14 lathe. So, I guess the first steps are to make a MT-2 taper, chuck backing plate, and some t-nuts to fit the table. Just checked and the T-nuts from my mill clamping set fit the table slots perfectly!
The table has 3 slots, not the 6 shown in the “manual. No dimensions for anything are given in the manual. I would have not known the center hole was MT-2 if I hadn’t seen it in the online description.
I did not go for the indexing plates or tail stock, as I plan to make kwackers CNC controller set up.
I hope to develop this thread into a “user manual” for the Vertex 4” Rotary Table.

[Bogstandard]

Chuck, there are many variations of these tables, like my 6" one has 4 table slots, whereas other 6" ones have only 3. The bigger the tables go the more slots you usually get in them.

This gives a little more info

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/HV4-Vertex-4--Rotary-Table.html

I don't know which version of 4" yours is, but if you click on the top picture, on the page that comes up, to the right are all the details of the RT's that you can print out.

http://www.vertex-tw.com.tw/products/products_search_list.php?Keywords=1001-000

Actually, when you put the RT into the vertical position, for machining anything longer than a few inches, that is when the tailstock becomes a necessity.


Bogs

[j45on]

Not having any spare chucks I bought a front mounting one for my RT
To align it I bought a MT2 blank arbour and fitted a length of silver steel into the end, this slides through the chuck into the RT and is gently clamped by the
chuck to center it then I tighten the bolts holding down the chuck.
It also slides into a 20mm ER collet allowing me to quickly centre the RT and chuck to the mill.



sbwhart has a post here http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=1330.0
Where he shows his Rotary Table Chuck Adaptor Plate

[sbwhart]

Thats exactly the same as mine only I got the full monty with it index plates and tail stop, a nice bit of kit.

My chuck adaptor plate Jason showed was made to match up with my lathe chuck fitting so I could swop the chuck with the job from one to the other and keeping concentricity, saving set up time.

Stew

[raynerd]

Really sorry, a tiny bit but Jason, which mill do you have? - only it looks similar to mine yet I don`t seem to get the Z axis height you are showing once a chuck is installed on the vertex!!!

[j45on]

Chris it is a axminister X2
I think the angle of shot and the fact there was no chuck/collet chuck in the machine made the gap look big

[krv3000]

tut fancy puting that spaner in the rong way 

[Artie]

I drilled and tapped the table and then through drilled the chuck. I have only use the 4 jaw on it and its actually not been off it since I mounted her (great bit of kit). Its 'timing' marked so it will always go back on the same way... this is a 6 inch btw.

[Chuck in E. TN]

Had a good day in the shop. Turned a MT2 stub to fit the Vertex center hole. ( got it right on only the 2nd try)Drilled and tapped it M6 on the bottom. I'll turn the stub end to fit the spindle nose copy I made for my attempt at a home made RT. Dissassembled the Vertex, and found it clean but well greased on the inside. Beautiful peice of equipment.
I was showing off my work to SWMBO, showing her how well the stub fit into a store bought M3 to M2 sleeve and got it stuck! Good fit.

Chuck in E. TN

[Chuck in E. TN]

Jason,
I see your vertex has a stepper on it. Is that a store bought setup, or did you make it yourself? I'm in the process of building a controller for my 4" Vertex. I'm following Steve Ward's build for my controller. I still need to build the adaptor to mount the stepper on the RT.
Bogs, or anyone having built such an adapter, can you give guidance, or drawings? My Vertex has 3 tapped holes behind the hand wheel. I don't have a clue how to make said adapter.

Chuck in E. TN

[raynerd]

Chuck, this is how I made my adapter for my vertex rotab and it seems to work just great.

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=2242.0

[Bogstandard]

Here is another one, from the start of where I get to doing the RT.

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=4040.msg44911#msg44911


Bogs

[Chuck in E. TN]

From Bogs thread on his RT build up:

There is no way these two are going to come apart in normal use.

One question, John. Why grub screws at the join, and not screws from the sides? I tried to copy the picture below the quote I'm refering to, but could't figure out how to do it.

Chuck in E. TN

[Bogstandard]

Chuck,

That is a standard procedure for fixing two parts together. There are threads in both pieces of material, so it it will stop it pulling apart straight up by the fact that the grub screws lock the parts together, plus they cannot rotate against each other either. Whereas screws in from the side are a very weak fixing all round compared to this method, unless the screws actually penetrate thru both pieces and well into the inner piece.

Also by doing it this way, the screws cannot be seen and it looks just like a one piece part.


John

[Chuck in E. TN]

Thanks for the explanation, Bogs. Makes sence to me.
Chuck in E. TN