# How to Center a Rotary Table in Under a Minute Without Using an Indicator



## Tom Griffin (Jun 29, 2013)

Here's another addition to my series of one take wonders that shows how to center a rotary table in under a minute without using an indicator. This one's only four minutes long so the boredom factor will be kept to a minimum.

Tom

[video=youtube_share;GjezShYnoEU]http://youtu.be/GjezShYnoEU[/video]


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## itsme_Bernie (Jun 29, 2013)

Thanks Tom!  Great timesaver...  Definitely worth a few minutes making the brass tool



Bernie


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## Chucketn (Jun 29, 2013)

Another great video, Tom. Thank you!
I use a similar method with my 4" Vertex RT on my X2. I use a M2 taper that fits the RT center hole.On the top end of the taper, there is a 60° center drilled hole. I made a 60° point on a short length of 1/2" drill rod, and put that in a collet in the mill. I drop the center  pint into the center drilled hole on the RT and clamp it down.
I also made a MT2 taper with a copy of my mini lathe's spindle nose pinned to it. It allows using all my lathe chucks and face plate on the RT.

Chuck


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## Bill Gruby (Jun 29, 2013)

chucketn said:


> Another great video, Tom. Thank you!
> I use a similar method with my 4" Vertex RT on my X2. I use a M2 taper that fits the RT center hole.On the top end of the taper, there is a 60° center drilled hole. I made a 60° point on a short length of 1/2" drill rod, and put that in a collet in the mill. I drop the center  pint into the center drilled hole on the RT and clamp it down.
> I also made a MT2 taper with a copy of my mini lathe's spindle nose pinned to it. It allows using all my lathe chucks and face plate on the RT.
> 
> Chuck



 That's the way I've been doing it all along. Great video Tom.

 "Billy G"


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## Chucketn (Jun 29, 2013)

LOL, BillyG, I probalby got the idea from you...

Chuck


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## GK1918 (Jun 29, 2013)

Bill Gruby said:


> That's the way I've been doing it all along. Great video Tom.
> 
> "Billy G"



Me too and the 60* point method, and a great big bull for boring very nice vidio, that, I can not do and fix broken hearts i can not do . This is an excellent vidio well done,
these are the kind of things not taught in schools or books. Not only for the young also for a group of us that cant see any more.


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## Tom Griffin (Jun 29, 2013)

Thanks guys.

Most of the more useful techniques can only be learned from experience, not by reading books.

Tom


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## 8ntsane (Jun 29, 2013)

Thanks Tom
I enjoy the vids you make, and thanks for sharing them.
I think your vids should be a sticky, and put in the same place
to allow us all to find them real easy. Look forward to the next one Tom. :thumbsup:


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## valleyboy101 (Jun 29, 2013)

Thanks Tom,
Great idea and a well done video!  I can see one of those in my future, as the last centering of my rotary table was far from a one minute job.
Michael


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## mtnlvr (Jun 29, 2013)

Thanks for the idea.  I just bought a rotary table.


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## Tony Wells (Jun 30, 2013)

I do the same basic thing with a superspacer chuck, except even simpler. No extra tools. I just lightly chuck the spindle OD and snug the clamps. Just have to remember to release the chuck before turning the motor on. ;-)


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## JPP Machining (Jun 30, 2013)

We think alike, I have been doing it that way for a few years now also. I think it works great! Anything to speed up setup time is money in your pocket and a happier customer.

Joe


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## DaveBP (Jun 30, 2013)

Thanks for the great video Tom.  Please keep 'em coming.  Learning these techniques really add to my enjoyment of the hobby.
Dave


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## Tom Griffin (Jun 30, 2013)

Thanks guys. 

Joe, what's that saying about great minds? 

Dave, I've received lots of suggestions for new videos and plan on honoring as many as time allows. I'm glad you are enjoying them.

Tom


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## DaleHeideman (Jun 30, 2013)

Thanks for the great video. I am trying to learn machining on my own, and this gives me a leg up.

If a half-thou is not good enough (maybe it is not; I surely don't know,) it has to cut down the time dial in perfection.

Any tips that are applicable to Chi-com mini machines would be a great help to me. Thanks again.


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## Tom Griffin (Jun 30, 2013)

Dale,

The techniques described in my videos can be applied to any machine. The difference between the import mill/drill machines and the machines I use in the videos is capacity, precision and rigidity. You'll just need to scale them down to apply them to your machine. The lack of rigidity is probably the thing you'll most need to compensate for. In the videos, you'll quite often see me taking heavy cuts and climb milling. Those are things the mini mill won't be able to do and you'll need to compensate accordingly by taking lighter cuts and making sure to put drag on the table locks if you attempt to climb mill.

Tom


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## LJP (Jun 30, 2013)

Great help Tom! Keep the videos coming, very useful for us rookies.


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## Olin (Jun 30, 2013)

Tom

I too, wish to weigh in with a heartfelt thanks. I'm just a home shop guy with no training, however I had come up with a similar idea for my rotary table on my own. My RT has a Morse taper and my tool is a short rod pressed into a short piece of round with a chamfer on the end, the chamfer sits on the lip of the MT bore, similar to some of the other folks methods. I've always used my Blake clone to final center.

What I'm thankful for is your demonstration of how to use a DTI for centering. I got an genuine Indecol holder when I bought my Mill, could never figure out how to use it.

All the best.

Olin


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## Tom Griffin (Jun 30, 2013)

Olin,

I'll bet if you made a tool like mine with a Morse taper, you wouldn't have to follow up with the "Blake".

Those Indicol holders are very handy. They are quick to mount and are designed to reach around a tool mounted in the spindle, even a drill chuck.

Tom


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## NITROTRIP (Jun 30, 2013)

Tom,
I have been thinking of different way's to do this in the last few weeks
as I have a couple jobs coming up, that I will have my 10" rotary table
on and off a bunch of times. I like your's best and going to make up 
that fixture in the next few days. Outstanding idea. I like Tony's idea
for my indexing head with a chuck also. 
You guy's are great!!!
THANK YOU,
Rick


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## Sparkycuda (Jul 1, 2013)

Being new to machining, centering a rotary table or squaring a vise takes me a while.  Now I can reduce setup time for the table.

Thanks!

Ken Sharp


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## barrydc1 (Jul 1, 2013)

I had to subscribe to your youtube channel, Tom.  You have a bunch of great stuff on there, and this one is what I needed.  Like others, I'm a newbie and love things like this to make it quicker and simpler.  Then, instead of trying inaccurate work-arounds to avoid using my rotary table, I'll put it on and set it up in a jiffy like this.  I'll be adding the tool to my project list.  Did you say .003 in one inch, taper?  I imagine it wouldn't matter too much, right?  Thanks for the tip.


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## Tom Griffin (Jul 1, 2013)

Thanks guys, glad the video helped save you some time. 

Barry: Yes, .003" works well for the taper. It's a good balance between maintaining a lot of contact area in the bore and falling through.

Tom


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## David (Jul 1, 2013)

Again I want to thank you for sharing your ideas with us.   I am a visual person and your videos are so very helpful.  You are appreciated more than you know!

David


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## Tamper84 (Jul 1, 2013)

Wow I don't know how I missed this!!! Thank you for the video!!! You have a new subscriber!!!

Chris


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## 9453 (Jul 1, 2013)

Great video Tom you make things that seem to be a pain so easy and fast Thanks. Also went to youtube and am now subscribed and ready absorb more of these great ideas. Thanks again


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## Tom Griffin (Jul 1, 2013)

9453 said:


> Great video Tom you make things that seem to be a pain so easy and fast Thanks. Also went to youtube and am now subscribed and ready absorb more of these great ideas. Thanks again



They are a pain for me as well which is why I come up with these shortcuts. I still resist rotating the head on the mill to cut an angle because it's such a pain to re-align. I've been tossing around an idea for a device(product) to help with that, but haven't got it worked out yet.

Glad you are enjoying the videos. I actually taught high school machine shop in the 70's, it's kind of fun to be resurrecting some of those old demonstrations.

Tom


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## bstarling (Jul 15, 2013)

I'm a newbie here and have a bit to learn. That was most helpful. Thanks!

Bill


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## Tom Griffin (Jul 15, 2013)

Glad you enjoyed the video Bill, there should be a new one up shortly.

Tom


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## TOOLMASTER (Jul 16, 2013)

made one about 15 years ago when i got my home mill...also have a 4x1" bar permanently mounted to the bottom of the R T  so i can drop it in the vise and go


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## gmcken (Sep 14, 2013)

thanks for the video.  fast way to get to center


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