[Noteworthy] WARNING! Phase II dividing plate manufacturing error.

I just bought a Phase II dividing plate kit for my 8 inch rotary table to make the needed change gears for my Logan lathe. After making a scrap piece I discovered that the plate for the 64 hole circle is made incorrectly. It only has 63 holes. I just want to alert anyone that has recently purchased a Phase II dividing plate kit to make sure they have good plates. It appears that the this is a wide spread problem with the new plates. I also found that all the other hole circles are correct, it was just the 64. I just wanted to alert you as you may not notice this error if you do not use that division in the plate right a way. I also discovered that the a 63 division is not of much value either. Good luck everyone.

Wow thanks for the heads up. I wonder if it also affects those inexpensive dividing heads currently offered on Ebay?
-M

Thanks Ill check mine.

The highest hole count on my "inexpensive dividing head currently offered on eBay" is 49. The plates are very straightforward, and it would be only a tiny task with a mill+DRO to make one of about any count.

Thank you, Sir, for the heads up. While I do not have (or need) this particular dividing head or fraction plate, it is for this very reason I stay in fairly constant contact with this board, among others. A widely distributed knowledge base is a known (sometimes) advantage to any craft.

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As a recent disciple of things dividing head and index plate related (see my various 127 gear threads), I am wondering if the drilling is wrong, or the label. It would strike me that a 63 circle, with prime roots of both 7 and 3, would be more useful than 64, which is just a power of 2. This is, of course, said in a vacuum of not knowing what other circles are available or even the worm ratio.


EDIT

I just ran the numbers for my project as a test. Four gears, 127, 120, 40, and 28. 40:1 worm ratio. 127, being divinely prime, requires a 127 index. 40 requires exactly one turn of the worm, any pattern will do. Both 28 and 120 can be done on a 63 index, neither can be done with 64.

WOW! THAT'S HUGE! Good catch I would have been so ticked if I spent many an hour making a part just to do the last step and index/drill it and find something was WAY off. I'd caulk it up to I'm an idiot..reality would be I'm an idiot for buying Phase II! Just kidding I have their QCTP, but no quality control on that? I did find my indexing head degree marks for head tilting is about a degree off..that's a problem.

And it dawned on me late last night you are talking about indexers, not dividing heads. The vacuum is strong in this one.

GunsOfNavarone said:

WOW! THAT'S HUGE! Good catch I would have been so ticked if I spent many an hour making a part just to do the last step and index/drill it and find something was WAY off. I'd caulk it up to I'm an idiot..reality would be I'm an idiot for buying Phase II! Just kidding I have their QCTP, but no quality control on that? I did find my indexing head degree marks for head tilting is about a degree off..that's a problem.

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Yeah, imagine my surprise when I just finished cutting a 32 tooth gear and the last tooth was way thin. It was a little frustrating to find out I had done everything correctly and still not sure why I had scrap. The last resort was to count holes, yup one short.

markba633csi said:

Wow thanks for the heads up. I wonder if it also affects those inexpensive dividing heads currently offered on Ebay?
-M

Click to expand...

In fact, I bought mine on Ebay and requested they just send me a corrected plate and they responded that their entire inventory was wrong and could not.

RandyWilson said:

And it dawned on me late last night you are talking about indexers, not dividing heads. The vacuum is strong in this one.

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Yeah, I think we all can admit to these type of moments. Sorry for the confusion. I fixed the post.