# Thinking about getting a Dividing headset (chuck for a mill) - any advice



## Spotshooter (Apr 14, 2020)

The title pretty much says it...

PM has a couple that are on sale, and I would like to be able to meter cuts and drilling holes on circular stock.

  A bonus would be one day adding a CNC so I could cut spirals.. that that’s way beyond what I’m thinking right now.

Thoughts ?


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## parshal (Apr 14, 2020)

I bought a Super Indexer from PM when I got my 833 a couple months ago.  You may check to see if they received a shipment of those, too.  I'd give them a call and see what they may have that's not on the website.


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## Spotshooter (Apr 14, 2020)

I forgot to say I have a PM30 Mill.

 I’ll look for the spider indexer...


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## Bi11Hudson (Apr 14, 2020)

Advice is an opinion and opinions are like a$$70!2$, everybody has one and most of them smell pretty bad. So, I won't advise, just tell about what I have set up. What works for me. . .

First off, I do small work, largely model building. I have two(2) rotary tables, one with a fraction plate in place for dividing. Small, 4 or 5 inch in diameter. Worm ratios at 90:1, I think, may be 72:1.

One has a 3" chuck mounted to the plate that is removable and interchangable from one to the other. I use a 3 jaw chuck for the 6X12 Japanese lathe that bolts to a hub on the spindle. I cut a groove around the back part of the chuck and made clamps to fasten it to the table.

It's a PITA to set up, but doable. The center of the tables has a MT0 or MT1 inside taper. I use a drill that is broken but still true for alignment. Setting the chuck in place on the drill shaft and clamping to it. Then setting the 4 clamps to the table. Opening the chuck enough to remove the drill. It doesn't set exactly, but close enough for what I do. Within a thou or two, , ,

Oh yeah, watch where you locate the gears for the chuck. With 3 gears and 4 clamps, there's only a couple places where everything is accessible. There are also a couple of B&S true dividing heads at 40:1 but so big and heavy that they don't get used all that much. One has a 3" chuck and the other a 5". Both screw on bases.

.


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## Spotshooter (Apr 14, 2020)

I’m a gunsmith, but also do small jobs so the biggest thing I would hold is most likely a lathe spider or an action which is much smaller.


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## Winegrower (Apr 14, 2020)

There are a bunch of eBay sellers offering what is called a B&S 0 5" Dividing Head, for about $256, free shipping.   I bought one, it's really quite impressive.   Comes with tailstock, dividing plates, etc.   The 5" three jaw chuck is removable, has about 0.003-0.004 runout, and will work on my rotary table, too.   I recommend this unit.

Don't fall for the $50 versions.


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## Aaron_W (Apr 14, 2020)

I got myself this one as a late Christmas present. I haven't done enough with it to be able to speak to its accuracy, but I'm happy with it. Everything functions smoothly, and it is well finished. It may be relatively cheap, but it doesn't feel cheap. 

Precision Matthews BS 0 Dividing head


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## ddickey (Apr 14, 2020)

You could make yourself one. I made this one last weekend.


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## jwmelvin (Apr 14, 2020)

Yea, geesh, no biggie. ^^ That shop-made one looks amazing! I also just bought a BS-0 (haven’t even opened the box, it just arrived).


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## bretthl (Apr 15, 2020)

ddickey said:


> You could make yourself one. I made this one last weekend.



That's awesome.  If  I may, what tool did you use to scribe the division lines?  Reason I ask is I have a lathe that has divs on the tail stock arbor that were laser etched and after about a year they wore off.


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## Winegrower (Apr 15, 2020)

The PM dividing head and the eBay units appear identical.   They must all come off the same line.


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## jwmelvin (Apr 15, 2020)

I unpacked my BS-0 that was $271 delivered. I know very little but it seems reasonably nice.


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## ddickey (Apr 15, 2020)

bretthl said:


> That's awesome.  If  I may, what tool did you use to scribe the division lines?  Reason I ask is I have a lathe that has divs on the tail stock arbor that were laser etched and after about a year they wore off.


 A shop made dial stamping fixture that I bought plans for. Works quite well


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## bretthl (Apr 15, 2020)

ddickey said:


> A shop made dial stamping fixture that I bought plans for. Works quite well



So you are scribing a line using the mill's X axis and indexing with the dial stamping fixture?  How does the dial stamping fixture differ from an indexer?


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## Aaron_W (Apr 15, 2020)

Winegrower said:


> The PM dividing head and the eBay units appear identical.   They must all come off the same line.



Somebody posted a review one of the cheaper Ebay dividing heads a couple months ago. The only difference I could find from my PM one was a different (but still pretty generic) brand name on the chuck. I've noticed most of the sellers even seem to use the same stock photos. If you ask PM is upfront about these coming from China and possibly even being identical to some of the other dividing heads being sold.

Considering what vintage dividing heads missing parts are asking on ebay $319 is still a bargain even if it isn't the cheapest option. I'll take a risk on some cheap $25 end mills, but when I start looking at $200-300 items I'm more comfortable dealing with a vendor that I know will respond if I have an issue.


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## ddickey (Apr 15, 2020)

bretthl said:


> So you are scribing a line using the mill's X axis and indexing with the dial stamping fixture?  How does the dial stamping fixture differ from an indexer?


I suppose you could, just be never tried it though.


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## Morgan RedHawk (Apr 26, 2020)

I bought a BS-2 by Vertex (Taiwanese).  I specifically wanted the ability to cut spirals.  Hopefully the quality is as good as the Vertex rotary table I have.  It should be here in a few days, and will report back about how it is.  They also make the semi-universal dividing heads.


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## Lo-Fi (Apr 26, 2020)

Please do post up your spiral milling exploits, @Morgan RedHawk 

I was setting up to do so myself before I got side tracked into other stuff.


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## Morgan RedHawk (May 1, 2020)

Well, the shipment is delayed, so it will be at least a few more days.  I will post up some pics when it does decide to show up.


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## Morgan RedHawk (May 19, 2020)

I haven't bailed on this thread. The thing still hasnt shipped yet.  Beware if ordering from Amazon, you might be in for a wait.


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## Morgan RedHawk (Jun 30, 2020)

The thing finally shipped!  Only took 2 months.  It is supposed to be here Friday.  I will report back with the promised information.


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## Morgan RedHawk (Jul 20, 2020)

Firstly, sorry for the long delay for this information.  I ordered this thing from Amazon back in April, and it took quite a while for it to ship.  It was worth the wait, however.  I paid $1554 for it after taxes and free shipping.  It is the best price I have seen on it.  A word of warning, however, use a credit card, not a debit card for payment if you decide to order this or any other large purchase from Amazon.  The reason being is that if an item is delayed in shipping, they will periodically "reauthorize" the purchase.  On a credit card, nothing happens, but on a debit card, they will draw the money out of your account and the refund it the same day.  Unfortunately, it takes about 10 business days for that dough to get back in your account.  Sometimes they will "reauthorize" it again within that 10 day period, creating an even bigger problem.  I spent a considerable amount of time with Amazon customer service chat (since phone support is currently unavailable) trying to get this rectified.  Eventually, I found a phone number for another department and was able to get it resolved.  When all the dust settled, I received the dividing head and was only charged the proper amount...but dang.

The dividing head itself is a BS-2 fully universal from Vertex.  It seems very nicely made.  I have a Vertex rotary table that I am very happy with, and this thing is just as nice.  It is big. And heavy.  I estimate the head alone weighs between 80 and 100 lbs. Below is a picture for scale.






It comes with the shown dividing plates, sector, crank, tailstock, dead center, the thingy that sticks in the back that you can attach gears to, 2 banjos for attaching gears, drive dog, and a big stack of gears.






The protractor lines are crisp and neatly done, as are the markings on the direct indexing plate.











I have not yet cleaned the shipping grease off of it yet, as you can probably tell.  I am very pleased with the fit and finish of the kit, and it has a very nice, smooth feel.  I did not receive any instructions with it, but it is a direct copy of the Brown and Sharp BS-2, and the manual can be found easily online.

The manual does not show what all of the bolts are for on the sides of the machine.  Some are obvious, like the lock and the direct indexing pin, and the bolts that are loosened to change the angle of the head.  There are some functions that are not immediately clear, like the big, black, knurled wheel on the opposite side of the crank.  Im sure it does something, but have not been able to figure out what exactly.  I have been hesitant to loosen the hex head bolts in it without knowing what I am doing.  Maybe someone can offer some insight into how this thing works on a mechanical level.  I will continue to tinker with it, and if I figure something out, I will post it here.  

Vertex also makes semi-universal heads that are smaller and less expensive. I would not hesitate to buy anything with that name on it. Here are some more pics to look at, and if you want to see anything else on it or have any questions, fire away and I will add more pics or try to answer the questions (if I know the answer).

I have been trying to clear some of the house projects, so I have not had a chance to actually try the thing out, but I will report back when I do...hopefully soon.


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