# My Attempt At 5C Spin-Indexer Modifications. OR. Don't Start To Do It This Way



## Whyemier (Sep 28, 2014)

:newspaper:I read an article in the June/July 2012*Vol. 25. No. 3 issue of _*'Machinist WorkShop'*_ on modifying a 5C Spin-Indexer.  "Hey!" thinks I, "What a great idea, I'll do that to mine and make it more versatile."  It seemed like a simple straight forward project for my type of shop. Since the article gave metric dimensions my first task was conversion of the dimensions to inches. The standard conversion divisor of 25.4 solved that in no time.  Then it was make a few sketches & out to the shop to begin.  It was all just simple straight forward machining.  Saw, part-off, drill & tap, face & turn. nothing elaborate.:cool2:

I got busy dismantling the indexer and began.  At first all went well, I sawed off the tube, faced it and then cut the crank handle off the end and turned it down just enough to clean the surface of paint etc.  It was mild steel and cast iron so no big deal.  Then I ran into a snag, I had assumed _(O don't do that)_ _*({:-headache: *_the spindle was mild steel also since this was not a high-end indexer and the guy in his article said both his tube and spindle were machinable and could be cut on his power saw.  Great! Not!

I found out real fast it was hardened and ground. Should've checked first, I know, I know, as usual I jumped in with both feet without checking the depth of the water.  I could cut it with great difficulty using a carbide and taking no more than .010 at a pass.  That was tedious and I wasn't sure if my patience or carbide inserts would wear out first.  What to do?:bitingnails:anic:

Ah-ha! I thinks, I have a friend who has a 'chop' saw (Abrasive cut off saw) I will approach today and see if it will handle this spindle.  Should cut through it and anneal the end somewhat to make it more amenable to machining.  (Hear I go again assuming) I don't know if his saw will handle this, if he'll want to let me do this with his saw or if he's even going to be home today.  

So this project is on hold for the time being, whether that be long or short.  But as I solve this problem and move on I'll post some photos (yes I've been taking them) of how things went.

So far it's a mild 'FUBAR' defrugaltie..


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## chuckorlando (Sep 28, 2014)

Angle grinder with cut offs will take care of that in short order


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## Whyemier (Sep 28, 2014)

chuckorlando said:


> Angle grinder with cut offs will take care of that in short order



Hmmmm?  Got one of those just didn't think of it. 

Thanks


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## chuckorlando (Sep 28, 2014)

My angle grinder was my primary stock cutting tool for a very long time. I'm looking at a roll cage now that was all cut and notched using a angle grinder. Loud as all get out but fast and effective.


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## Rick Leslie (Sep 28, 2014)

Subscribed. I'm curious to see the outcome. Looking forward to the photos as well. I've been eying a shop made collet system with a cheap 'spindexer' as a starting point.


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## Ulma Doctor (Sep 28, 2014)

not much metal can survive a go with a die grinder.
 or like  chuckorlando said an angle grinder, they both do the same work quickly!!!


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## HMF (Sep 28, 2014)

[video=youtube;bnV9aEhNZZA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnV9aEhNZZA[/video]


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## Whyemier (Sep 28, 2014)

*Re: Photos*

Well, these are the photos, such as they are.
I should have taken this one before the cuts to show the difference but forgot so I can only show what was cut off.
After cutting I faced the end till I reached the required length.





The crank handle was cut off on the power hacksaw.




I reattached the crank end to the tube and turned it to a diameter that cleaned up the surface. I took light cuts (.020) because it was an intermittent cut.




A
olished it with emery after the final cut.




Next was the spindle.




Which I found out very quickly was hardened. OOPs!




So, after a visit to the angle grinder I was ready.The end product, which actually had a yow in it from a slip with the angle grinder (double OOPs & OUCH!).  That I won't show you to protect the innocent or not so much innocent.





Test fit with tube, spindle and collet.  All Good!




Finally preassemble,


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## Whyemier (Sep 28, 2014)

Turns out there are many more photos attached to that last missive than I intended.  Ignore what you will, I couldn't get them to delete from the post no matter what I did and further comments from me seemed to send the system into shock so I left them be for now.

The spin Indexer is not finished.  I will machine the tube nut to take a wrench or a pin wench, so holes or flats, depending. The base will be drilled for a dowel and four tapped holes to mount it to one of my angle plates. It will be able to spin 'vertically' to any angle I can set as well as its normal 'spin' function. But this is where I am so far.

Doing this modification does lose the slide function Mr Nels mentioned in his post but I don't need that function.


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## jgedde (Sep 28, 2014)

I haven't read that article in a while and no longer have that issue.  Can you remind me (us) what the goal of the modifications are?

Thanks!
John


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## Whyemier (Sep 28, 2014)

The goal, as I understand from the article, was to mount the indexer vertically to an angle plate, allowing it to rotate in that plane as well as rotate  360 degree around the spindle axis. Thus you increase the possible angles in any vertical orientation. Hope I said that correctly. If you have a dividing head you probably don't need this modification.  Or. If you own a rotary table you can mount the indexer to.


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