Rotary Table Questions

Thanks guys. So I guess this or similar is all I need.
It works for me.

Edit: Try to look at it first, before buying, to make sure there is a recess between the MT and the JT so you can pry it out of the rotab.
 

Well, I've use that technique for some small "down and dirty" stuff but it's not the most precise method. Using larger arcs is not even practical let alone doing an inside arc or slotted groove. I found the RT to be invaluable for doing work like this...

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JMHO

-Ron
 
Before I got my rotary table, I made a repeatable jig mounted in a Kurt vise with a rotary base. The center was carefully located with a pin
so sheet material could be clamped to the jig. Then it was a simple matter to position the cutter for the diameter and rotate the
vise to mill. It works great for making discs or grooves as mentioned above.
 
Most internal arcs can be cut with a boring tool.

The video presumes that you have a central hole for the axle which is not always true. Putting a 2" fillet on a n 8" x 8" workpiece would be difficult. Cutting an arced slot would not be possible.

Before I got my RT, I cut arced slots for a product we made with a custom jig, using lead screw to rotate the part but is was not conducive to general use. The DRO on my old mill has a program for cutting arcs by a step and cut method. You could specify the deviation from the true surface which determined how many cuts needed to be made. I usually settled on something like twenty to fifty steps. The process was tedious and slow and prone to errors if you didn't pay attention to the order of operations. You could also cut an arc by a series of intersecting plunge cuts with an end mill. With a little care, you could get an arc that required very little hand work.
 
I've used some of the above techniques (swivel vise, pivoting on a pin, nibbling and filling) before, but this job (a propeller crush plate and spinner mount for my plane) requires a higher level of accuracy.
 
Sure have to agree with everyone on value of a RT.I bought a 16 inch used one for $100. a few years ago.I had it on my mill once.Takes at least two big men to handle it.About five yrs.ago I bought my lathe from a fellow in Portland Or.When I went to pick it up he asked if I needed any other equip? I bought a 12in.Bridgeport RT for $200. Two people can handle it with no problem.Right place at right time.
 
I have a 6" Yuasa and a 16" Cinci......Even though I have a mill to match the Cinci, guess which one gets used most. I can pick up the Yuasa with one hand. The Cinci, not so. Not so with 2 hands. It requires a 2 wheeler and a hoist. Guessing around 300#.
 
Myself, being in the market for a decent 6" table... I would like to ask the members, which ratio works best. 90:1 72:1 ?
 
Both of mine are 90:1, seem to work fine. Most larger tables are 90:1. The only advantage of a 90:1 over 72:1 that I can think of might be a slightly finer adjustment capability.
 
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