# Milling Tilt Table



## Hawkeye (Sep 15, 2011)

As requested, Here are the photos of the tilt table I made some time ago for my mini-mill. I'm trying a slightly smaller photo size this time. The base and top piece are cut from 6" channel iron.



On some projects, I whip up a CAD drawing or two to remind me what I had in mind, and to work out critical dimensions.



A view of the 'inside' of the table. After cutting the pieces to length, cross-braces should be welded in. Do this early, because welding will warp the piece and it can then be machined true.



As the drawing shows, the sides of the channels are cut down to keep the total height of the table as low as possible. After I was nearly finished, I decided to thicken the ends of the base to provide clamping stiffness and clearance away from the bolts. Good idea to do that early as well.





Clamp the base to the mill and true up the sides. Then mill down most of the sides a bit more, leaving pads at all four corners for the top to sit on when the table is level. Cut down the sides at the ends to leave the clamping flats. Repeat the process for the top section, ignoring the part about the clamping tabs. Round the bottom corner of the top piece at the pivot end.

Clamp the base section upside down to the mill table and true up the raised end sections. These should end up parallel to the four pads left on the sides of the base.

Weld on a pair of solid towers for the pivot bolt, which is made from 1/2" CRS, threaded 1/2" - 20. It is held by a couple of nuts made by cutting a 1/2" nut in half. The holes for the shaft need to be a really close fit.



Spend some time with CAD or paper to get the dimensions right for the two clamping slides. The slot can be a bit longer than necessary for 0* and 90* positions. I used 3/8" bolts because I try to use only a few sizes of wrench around the shop for adjusting tool setups.
View attachment 247




After the whole thing is assembled, bolt it down to the mill table, make sure the top is all the way down and clamped, and mill the top true. Then drill and tap any mounting holes you need.

This should give you enough info to design and build your own tilt table. The web on my channel iron was only 1/4" thick, so if you can get anything thicker, go for it.

Have fun in your shop.

Mike


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## November X-ray (Sep 15, 2011)

That's Pretty Slick, do you think there is enough room between the top and bottom surfaces to allow the installation of a "scissor" type adjustment arm using a threaded rod/shaft from the end opposite of the hinge? Just thinking that might make getting that certain angle much easier, but then again maybe not.


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## Hawkeye (Sep 15, 2011)

NX, if you need a bit more room, just cut the side a bit higher. Work it all out on paper or CAD to see how much room is needed. I'd still have the side slotted clamps, though, just to make it as solid as possible for milling. 

I think the lift is a good idea. It's pretty easy to overshoot an angle when you're sliding it by hand. I sometimes tighten one bolt hand tight and ease it into position with a soft hammer.

Mike


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## November X-ray (Sep 15, 2011)

I'd definetly keep the side clamps for rigidity sake. I have an old dump truck body that has a compound dump system, it uses a short fat cylinder but raises a load with no problems. Using that as a basis for a lift scissor, I think it might be worth drawing up using info from your plans (if you don't mind).


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## Hawkeye (Sep 16, 2011)

Go for it, my friend. anything that helps the members make the tools they want is a good thing.

Mike


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## Blogwitch (Sep 16, 2011)

Mike,

That really is a nice piece of tooling you have made there.

I have only just got back into welding, using a brand new 160 amp mig welder I was given. I am finding it a little strange as I used to do a lot of welding with either oxy/acet or stick, where you feed the rod rather than having it fed for you, but it is coming back, slowly.

I have a need to make a sine table, something very similar to what you have made, at some time in the future, I will be playing about with cutting gears using hobs. But that will be another story.

Well done.

John


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## Tony Wells (Sep 16, 2011)

A little OT, but John, when I made the switch from stick to MIG, I almost couldn't stop feeding the gun into the puddle. Was a hard habit for me to break....now I can barely stick weld, and keep a steady arc because I won't feed the rod in!


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## ScrapMetal (Sep 16, 2011)

Now, if we can just get you to post the actual CAD file, that would save me from having to surreptitiously copy that pic and blowing it up to proportions I can use. 

Please, :nerd:

-Ron


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## Hawkeye (Sep 16, 2011)

I tried to attach the file, but it wouldn't go. Sorry about that.

Mike


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## ScrapMetal (Sep 17, 2011)

Waaaah!! :crying:

Thanks for trying anyway. ;D

-Ron


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## JW turner (Sep 18, 2011)

Nice table Mike!  ;0
 I just might have to build one, too. When I get some time.


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## Bob a Job (Sep 18, 2011)

#@clap2@&amp; #@clap2@&amp; now thats a handy bit of kit to have in the shop clap1#$#$

Bob


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## ecdez (Aug 6, 2012)

That's pretty cool!


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## lockstocknbarrel (Aug 10, 2012)

Nice build Mike.
I also design everything in CAD first, it stops alot of items being propelled across the workshop when the parts won't fit.)
Kindest Regards
Beagles


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## Jackman (Dec 29, 2015)

That is a really good idea, saves a lot of time when you need angles on milling machine that are quick.
Jack


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## kplyler (Dec 30, 2015)

I have seen Keith Fenner on several of his youtube videos use a table similar to this with a rotary table on it.  He also has a crank on it to crank in the degree he wants.  Would love to know how it works (to build my own).


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## Big Bore Builder (Jan 4, 2016)

Normally used for cylinder head work, but sometimes ya gotta punch a hole in a valve cover for breather stacks.


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## johnnyc14 (Jan 4, 2016)

Big Bore Builder said:


> Normally used for cylinder head work, but sometimes ya gotta punch a hole in a valve cover for breather stacks.



That's an interesting tilt table. Is it shop made? More pics would be nice.

By the way, is that a 313 Dodge valve cover?


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