Just ordered Sherline rotary table with controller at good price.

Forty Niner

H-M Supporter - Silver Member
H-M Supporter - Silver Member
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Sherline has a good deal, monthly special, on their rotary tables. I just ordered the 8700 rotary table with CNC controller


Here it is:
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P/N 8700 Programmable CNC Rotary Indexer
Regularly $761.25, Save $152.25, Now only $609.00


Dividing a circle into divisions or degrees is possible with a manual rotary table, but adding a programmable controller and stepper motor makes the job really easy. No more counting handwheel turns and no more math means fewer mistakes. All you do is enter the number of divisions in the DIVISIONS mode (from 1 to 999) or the number of degrees in the DEGREES mode (to 3 decimal places), hit ENTER, and the programmable chip in the keypad does the rest. Each time you hit the NXT (Next) button, it advances exactly the programmed amount. Hit the PRV (Previous) button and it returns to the last position. Continuous rotation can be achieved by entering zero in the DIVISIONS mode. What could be easier?

Included with the 4″ rotary indexer, stepper motor and keypad is a 6′ extension cable for operating the box further from the indexer, a daisy chain cable for interfacing with another 8700 and a 110 VAC power supply.
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I am not affiliated with Sherline in any way. Just a customer. I have a Sherline lathe and mill to use for my antique clock repair hobby. The rotary table could also be used with other mills.
 
Good luck on your purchase! I just picked up one for basically nothing (pic) but needs the electronics. Working on the electronics as I write. Going to use an Arduino and stuff. In looking over the dividing head. I like the all steel construction. Don’t see a backlash adjustment? Don’t see a table lock? The table has rotational play/slop, don’t yet know how that will work out when using. Any movement in the table rotation is not good. Don’t like the possible math errors when using uneven divisions. Anyway will have fun, it’s hobby time…Dave.
rotary table.jpg
 
Table lock is an hex on the side, Have to look at mine to see where, It is just under the connection between the table and the base. if not mistaken. Would take a look but at work now.
 
I'm warming up to buy one of the sherline rotary tables which will be used with their tilt adapter and CNC. Sherline offers a left handed and right handed model and says that one might want the reverse model to get the control wheel on the front side of the mill when it is mounted on the tilt adaptor on the left side of the table. Since the wheel on the standard model would be on the front when it is mounted on right side of table i can't understand the advantage. Of course there may be some advantage to using it on the left for manual cutting maybe to use positive X-Axis movements?

If it's mostly going to be used CNC, I can't see why I'd want anything other than the standard.

What am I missing here?
 
While a rotary table makes a fair 4th axis I am leaning towards using the Taig 5C lathe spindle as a 4th axis instead. With a timing belt between the motor and spindle it should have very little backlash. If I need a plate a 5C adapter plate is available, and I can mount a small 4 jaw just as easily. It costs a bit more and will take a bit more work than a premade Sherline 4th axis, but I htink I'll have a more useful net result.

I already have a rotary table I use manually, and I never even considered putting a motor on it.
 
Hi Bob,
my thought was to use the table more as an indexer the better to cut slots in round things so that they are correct radially, gears, and sprockets thinking all the time that I can write the gcode and make the thing quicker than doing it manually.
 
darn, I wish I had seen this post when it first showed, I would have snagged one of those tables when it was on sale. Sounds like a great tool.
 
I'm not saying a powered rotary table is not useful. Just that for my uses something that will self center stock in a collet might be more useful. Hence my interest in the Taig 5C lathe chuck as a project build. If I need to work larger stock I can get a 4 jaw and mount it on a 5C adapter plate, If I need a flat plate, well I just machine a 5C adapter plate flat. Most of the small rotary tables I have seen have a very small taper in the center or no through hole taper at all. Mine has no hole. A slightly larger one a buddy of mine has an MT1. I was really surprised that was all the hole it had. I think if I was gear cutting I'd mount the gear on a tapered or keyed (or both) mandrel By mounting the mandrel in a collet its very repeatable.

On the other hand. There is certainly something to be said for buying a tool you can just plug into your driver and go.

A cheaper alternative of course is a cheap spin indexer, but I don't know how well the bushing would hold up to continuous machine operation. Still it might be cheaper to replace the whole thing than the bearings in a spindle. LOL.
 
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