# different uses for spin index



## outboardguy44 (Mar 1, 2014)

I've always referred to these things as a collet index, but that's probably not really the right name for it. At any rate, I see them used at work in the tool room, as well as in the QA lab. This one had been sitting around unused for a couple of years so one of the tool room guys asked if I wanted to get it out of their way. Price was right, so I brought it home, thinking I might be able to figure out ways to put it to work in my dungeon.

I don't have a milling machine, but I do have a lathe and a shaper (South Bend 9A and an Atlas 7B). I also don't have an abundance of skill in this field, I can do enough to get by and keep my old motors together and running, and that's about it.

I made some T-nuts and drilled holes in the base of the spin index so I could have a simple way to clamp it down on the shaper table. Sometimes I have to machine my own fasteners, and I thought maybe the index would be an easy way to cut squares, flats, or hexes on the shaper.





Then I figured out that by taking 3/16" off the index base, the axis od the collet  spindle would line up perfectly with the spindle of the South Bend  lathe, so after shaving the base off on a Bridgeport at the plant, I machined an adapter to allow it  to mount onto the compound slide. I've used it a couple of times for  milling keyways in propeller shafts for antique outboard motor projects  I'm working on. I like it because I don't have to measure anything to  line up the centre of any shaft, as long as it fits in the collet, the  tool in the spindle is always lined up with the centreline of the work  piece. If I have to hack out a keyway or slot, I use a micrometer adjustable stop to control the depth. In this case, I was milling a 3/32" key slot so I had to take it pretty easy on the depth of each pass.





It works OK for me, it's not fast or terribly efficient time-wise, but it seems to be accurate enough. There's probably better ways to do this, even without a Bridgeport handy, but I'm never in a rush anyway, those 1914 era boat motors don't seem to anxious to get away before they get all their parts put back on.

Best,
T2


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## xalky (Mar 1, 2014)

Those spin indexes are great to have around. They're cheap and versatile. Because they're so cheap, you don't mind hacking one up a bit, to suit your needs. I've seen some guys do some pretty amazing things with spin indexes. )


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## uncle harry (Mar 1, 2014)

Those 1914 outboard motors weren't fast enough to get away.  Nice personification though.


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## DennisK (Mar 19, 2014)

What a great idea! You've made yourself,in effect, somewhat of a horizontal milling machine for round stock. I just love coming to this forum and seeing all the brilliant ideas that people come up with while "thinking outside the box".


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## Dutch (Apr 14, 2014)

outboardguy44 said:


> I also don't have an abundance of skill in this field,



I've been a home machinist for over 30 years and I never thought of using that spin fixture on a shaper or lathe like that and I do have a South Bend shaper. You say you don't have an abundance of skill but I would say you have an abundance of imagination and you have an innovative eye for adaptation. Those attributes are worth more than simple skill, IMO.

Dutch


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## llarson (Apr 14, 2014)

That is one nifty idea, sure pays to watch out for other peoples/places castoffs/surpluses. Thanks.


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## dualquad (Apr 27, 2014)

Very nice, thanks for sharing!


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