# Rotary Table - Oops, Size Matters!



## jmarkwolf (Jan 10, 2017)

I did a little bit of banking over the Christmas break. While there, they coerced me into opening a credit card on my mad-money "business" account, with $200 cash back on any first purchase over $500.

I'd been lusting after a rotary table for the Bridgeport in my home-shop, so I agreed to the new card.

When a suitable rotary table popped up on sale, I would snag it and get an additional $200 back, then immediately cut up the card!

Well, MC Direct Tools recently offered 30% off + free shipping on anything over $250 (with caveats). I selected the 8-inch Phase 2 horizontal/vertical table, but discovered the purchase wouldn't meet the $500 minimum for the $200 cash back. It came to something like $487 out the door, $287 after the $200 cash back!

I thought well, this is simple, I'll just get the 10-inch rotary table. I'd read on these pages, and on other forums, how heavy these tables can get, so I have no-one to blame but myself!

The free shipping didn't apply on the 10-incher due to the weight but they fiddled the price for me and got it down to within a hundred bucks of the 8 incher, all told including shipping and cash-back.

When it arrived, I was surprised at the size and heft.

I'm kinda thinking I shoulda stuck with the 8-incher and padded the order a little to get over the cash-back threshold. But I'll probably never want for a bigger rotary table! 

I'll likely need to add a small crane to the back of the Bridgeport ram to help me hoist it on and off the table.


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## Subwayrocket (Jan 10, 2017)

I hear ya , the 10" is big and heavy. I wish I got an 8" . I ended up doing a DIY overhead trolley and use a hunting lift .


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## intjonmiller (Jan 10, 2017)

A 15" original Bridgeport rotary table came up on my local classifieds a couple weeks ago for $200. I was REALLY tempted at that price, even knowing that I only have a small round column mill, but thinking about the weight and where to store it when not in use, if there even is a way to make use of such a beast on my little mill (seems plausible but far from ideal?) made me hesitate. When I looked again it was gone.


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## tomh (Jan 10, 2017)

Hi
make sure that the hand winch you choose  has the worm drive, that way when you take your hand off the winch handle it stays put as does  the R/T.   I have seen the hand winch handles turn into a speeding propeller.


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## Bob Korves (Jan 10, 2017)

My 8" RT is all I want to lift by hand, and I am not getting any younger or stronger...


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## Sandia (Jan 10, 2017)

I second that, Bob.


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## 4GSR (Jan 10, 2017)

Here's my jib crane I use with my mill to pick up my 10" compound tilting rotary table that weight 212 lbs.


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 10, 2017)

I just purchased a 12 incher on craigslist. No one to help and I forgot my dolly. I picked it up and carried it to my truck. Good thing I was excited about getting it and was probably full of caffeine, adrenaline, and happy endorfins. Estimated weight is around 150lbs. I'm 56, getting older, but still reasonably fit. I did raise an eyebrow from the seller though when I said get the door and just picked it up, lol.


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## Subwayrocket (Jan 10, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> I just purchased a 12 incher on craigslist. No one to help and I forgot my dolly. I picked it up and carried it to my truck. Good thing I was excited about getting it and was probably full of caffeine, adrenaline, and happy endorfins. Estimated weight is around 150lbs. I'm 56, getting older, but still reasonably fit. I did raise an eyebrow from the seller though when I said get the door and just picked it up, lol.


  haha awesome ! You must be an animal ...i'm 47 and I don't even like lifting the 10" RT


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## stupoty (Jan 10, 2017)

I have a 10" rotory table , always move stuff out of the way before moving, don't have anything about to trip up on and errr work out a bit 

Stuart


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## Ed ke6bnl (Jan 10, 2017)

I sold my 12" Bridgeport to my boy, the 10" I now have is still a shade above my limits for lifting, if it wasn't such a good deal a 8" would of been my choice. Even for the 10" I have sacrificial al. plate that goes on in at about 12" so the 8 would have been fine. For now I have my RT on a scissor lift for a motorcycle to hydraulically jack it up to about 10" of the mill table. I would like to make a lift off the back of the ram.


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## RJSakowski (Jan 10, 2017)

I have an older Enco 12" RT that weighs in north of 200 lbs.  I lifted it up to the mill/drill table a number of times. Due to its weight, it has remained in place on the mill for the past five years. (I do most of my machining on the Tormach nowadays)  With increasing back problems in recent years, I don't dare lift that RT any more.

I have contemplated several methods for easily and safely loading and unloading this beast.  A hydraulic lift table  was one choice.  Another was to make a small crane for a table with casters.   The advantage of the crane would be the ability to load and unload without a requirement for brute force from me.


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 10, 2017)

Subwayrocket said:


> haha awesome ! You must be an animal ...i'm 47 and I don't even like lifting the 10" RT


Not an animal, just stubborn sometimes and a get it done kind of attitude. Just gotta be smart when you lift.


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## FOMOGO (Jan 11, 2017)

jmarkwolf said:


> I'm kinda thinking I shoulda stuck with the 8-incher and padded the order a little to get over the cash-back threshold. But I'll probably never want for a bigger rotary table!


 

 Congrats on your purchase, hard to beat the price. I went the same route as you, and agree the 8" would have been the better choice for my BP, but if I ever get a big horizontal the 10" may come in handy. 
 Until the back injury last year, I could lift pretty much anything not nailed down, but always paid attention to how I went about it. Now I have to remind myself not to. Several crane setups are at the top of the list for the new shop. cheers, Mike


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 11, 2017)

FOMOGO said:


> Until the back injury last year, I could lift pretty much anything not nailed down, but always paid attention to how I went about it. Now I have to remind myself not to. Several crane setups are at the top of the list for the new shop. cheers, Mike


I had a herniated disc about 10 years ago, it shut my leg off. I had surgery to correct it, took a couple years to get it strong again but years of back pain before the surgery is now gone. So when I lift something heavy it is always on my mind. But like you guys I am thinking a crane of some kind is also on my to do list for the basement, maybe something as simple as a roll around engine crane. Heck I'm not getting any younger either! Knees are going, hearing is almost gone, gotta wear glasses to see up close now, hair changed color but I think I get to keep it, lol.


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## Bob Korves (Jan 11, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> I had a herniated disc about 10 years ago, it shut my leg off. I had surgery to correct it, took a couple years to get it strong again but years of back pain before the surgery is now gone. So when I lift something heavy it is always on my mind. But like you guys I am thinking a crane of some kind is also on my to do list for the basement, maybe something as simple as a roll around engine crane. Heck I'm not getting any younger either! Knees are going, hearing is almost gone, gotta wear glasses to see up close now, hair changed color but I think I get to keep it, lol.


Still breathing and having fun.  Those are the big ones...


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 11, 2017)

Bob Korves said:


> Still breathing and having fun.  Those are the big ones...


Yup, your right Bob, I can still do most everything, just a little slower and with more breaks!


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## chips&more (Jan 11, 2017)

I bought a 12” RT about 30 years ago. Had to move it when I moved! But other than that, it’s been on the bottom shelf of a heavy duty cabinet all its life around here! It’s just too darn heavy. And I too have had back surgery, with the sciatic nerve problem, it’s no fun! I have managed to live without the RT, I improvise. In looking back, can’t recall ever really needing a RT with so many workarounds. On a similar subject of accessory milling tooling, I do use a dividing head and indexer. And they only weigh about 20-50 lbs…Dave.

It’s kinda like once that rock starts to roll down hill, it’s hard to stop. Somebody says they need a shaper, they need a rotary table and so on. Then somebody else says the same thing but has no clue. Then all of a sudden, everybody wants the stuff? (sorry to all the shaper and RT lovers).


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## RJSakowski (Jan 11, 2017)

I was thinking something along the lines of an engine hoist as well.  I would want a wider footprint though, and adjustable outrigger stabilizers.  I can't get a typical engine hoist under my mill stand  or the Tormach stand.

Here's what I am thinking:
24 x 30" base on casters
multiple slide out shelves for heavy item storage
rotatable hoist, adjustable for height and boom extension
adjustable outrigger stabilizer feet
capacity, 300 to 500 lb. lift weight at full extension

Comments?


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## Tony Wells (Jan 11, 2017)

I have a 16" for my #3 universal mill if anyone wants a bigger one. It's beyond hand lifting....period. I'd like to find the gear drive mechanism for it so I could do helical milling, or maybe rig up for gear hobbing, but there isn't much info around for the older Zayer manual equipment, and the current distributor isn't any help at all. They just want to sell new CNC big bed mills.


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## jpfabricator (Jan 11, 2017)

That 16" would look great on the K&T!!!  

Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk


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## NCjeeper (Jan 14, 2017)

Bob Korves said:


> My 8" RT is all I want to lift by hand, and I am not getting any younger or stronger...


Im with ya. Mine has a 6" chuck mounted to it also so it really is dead weight. Lift with the knees right?


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## gonzo (Jan 19, 2017)

There was a 12" rt for sale on the Lynchburg Va. craigslist yesterday for $100. Looked good. Sold before i could get there.


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## Crock (Feb 4, 2017)

jmarkwolf said:


> I did a little bit of banking over the Christmas break. While there, they coerced me into opening a credit card on my mad-money "business" account, with $200 cash back on any first purchase over $500.
> 
> I'd been lusting after a rotary table for the Bridgeport in my home-shop, so I agreed to the new card.
> 
> ...


Hey! I have a 12" rotary and so I just built a table of 2x4's and plywood top with wheels on 2 legs. I just made a handle attached to the other 2, then I roll it up to my mill raise or lower the table till it is level with my home made table and then its no prob to slide it of the mill and I just roll it over to it's own spot. No back aches or red face even.


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## TORQUIN (Feb 28, 2017)

What you need is a little engine crane, and good news, they already exist. They are called patient lifts, and can be found on craigslist for varying prices. I got a chrome plated one for 100 bucks a couple of years ago. They lift 450 lbs, and the legs spread out  as necessary to straddle a mill base. I have no problems lifting my 12" or 18" RT's, or super spacer, or vise, on/off the mill.
Here's one:
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/hab/6017999647.html

Chris


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## furpo (Feb 28, 2017)

13" Troyke Table.  Harbor Fright engine host or wait till kids are home


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