Indexing plate vs dividing head

[tjb]

I have numerous methods for dividing a circle into a specified number of divisions. My first still gets used from time to time. You can find it here:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/quick-and-dirty-dividing-head.3075/

I used a 36-tooth sprocket, with a clamp system that lets me move it in 5 degree increments. Changing the sprocket would allow different spacings.

That's a nice setup, Mike. You say in you post you have 'numerous methods'. Anything else posted?
Also, I'm curious about why it's on a tilt table. I suspect a unique application. Can you share what you made with that setup?

Thanks for resurrecting that post. Very helpful.

Regards,
Terry

 

[rgray]

I recently built a couple of gyroscopes and used my center drill on my lathe and my indexing wheel to do it.
Thread on the center drill (I call it that cause it is usually used for a cross hole and it drills on center with no set up, it can drill off center by using a different shim) https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/center-drill-for-lathe.10466/#post-272736
For the gyroscope wheel it is turned parallel to the spindle and the cross slide used to set it off center and then the index wheel used for hole spacing. A link to the thread on the index wheel for my spindle is in the center drill thread but I can't get it to work.

 

[Hawkeye]

I added the tilt table because milling flats or drilling holes can be done either vertically or horizontally, as well as at various angles.

My other methods are the usual suspects - collet blocks, spindexer, shop-made and factory-built rotary tables. The shop-built RT can be used vertically or horizontally. The factory one can be adjusted to any angle .

 

[Mark_f]

This might be a dumb question, but can you use an indexing plate to do the job of a dividing head or what is the main difference. I am asking because I do not have either of them nor have I ever used any of these. All the clever people please advise me.

I'm one of those machinists that made their own dividing head from scratch. It was cheap but took a lot of hours. I tend to think the best thing for you might be to buy a rotary table with the dividing plates setup. Then you would have two useful pieces of equipment. A rotary table and a dividing head.

 

[Suzuki4evr]

I'm one of those machinists that made their own dividing head from scratch. It was cheap but took a lot of hours. I tend to think the best thing for you might be to buy a rotary table with the dividing plates setup. Then you would have two useful pieces of equipment. A rotary table and a dividing head.

Hi Mark glad to hear from you.I was thinking of that after all Bob's suggestions,but these are very expensive round here. I would pay around R6 000 for that,converted to $ it amounts to about $480. And that is alot money to me to just dish out. I will start saving. Don't know how long it will take,but that is how it is. I like you dividing head plan, but time is an issue, because of my work load. As you know I work from home for my bread and butter. But I will figure it out somehow. Thanks. How is you injuries healing?

 

[Aaron_W]

Last but not least, the cheapest, quickest, and easiest tooling for quick indexing, collet blocks. They are available for R8 or ER collets, and are used by far the most in my home shop and many others as well:

View attachment 254698

In use:
View attachment 254699

Hi Bob, could you elaborate a bit on how these work. It looks like you just stick your part in and turn the collet in the vise recreating the shape of the collet on the part, If that is basically all there is too it, how much adjustment do you get, like one collet for 3/8, one for 1/2" etc or is there some room for adjustment. Only round stock?

First time seeing these and already giving me some ideas.

 

[Mark_f]

Hi Mark glad to hear from you.I was thinking of that after all Bob's suggestions,but these are very expensive round here. I would pay around R6 000 for that,converted to $ it amounts to about $480. And that is alot money to me to just dish out. I will start saving. Don't know how long it will take,but that is how it is. I like you dividing head plan, but time is an issue, because of my work load. As you know I work from home for my bread and butter. But I will figure it out somehow. Thanks. How is you injuries healing?

Thanks for asking. I am doing better and will be back in the shop in a few days. I wish you were closer. I have an extra dividing head I would give you but don't know how I can get it to you. I'm afraid the shipping might be expensive but I dont know. PM me if you are interested.

 

[Suzuki4evr]

Thanks for asking. I am doing better and will be back in the shop in a few days. I wish you were closer. I have an extra dividing head I would give you but don't know how I can get it to you. I'm afraid the shipping might be expensive but I dont know. PM me if you are interested.

Defanitly interested. How much would you want for it. I just do know how to go about it and never done this before. I am asking a stupid question now,I know I am going to kick myself but what does PM mean

 

[Dave Paine]

PM means Private Message. Click on "Inbox" then "Start Conversation" then select the member name.

International shipping from the US is expensive. I do not know how the rates are determined, but it is the same expensive rate whether shipping to Canada, China, or South Africa, etc.

Select a country, then follow the prompts to get an estimate of the shipping costs.

USPS postage calculator

USPS has some flat rate boxes. If you are lucky a flat rate box may be less expensive than your own box.

I recently looked at sending a small quilting item to the UK. Item costs about $6. It only weighs a couple of ounces. Cost to ship to the US was something like $15 so it is still sitting here at the moment.

 

[Bob Korves]

Hi Bob, could you elaborate a bit on how these work. It looks like you just stick your part in and turn the collet in the vise recreating the shape of the collet on the part, If that is basically all there is too it, how much adjustment do you get, like one collet for 3/8, one for 1/2" etc or is there some room for adjustment. Only round stock?

First time seeing these and already giving me some ideas.

You got it Aaron. It recreates the geometry of the collet block on the part. There are all kinds of 5C collets. Beyond round fractional inch sizes in 64ths increments, there are also metric, square, hex, emergency (machinable), and expansion collets. I have probably forgotten some styles, but you get the idea, you are only restrained by your imagination. ER collet blocks are also available, which cover the in between sizes. So there is a way to to fit the work in the block if you want to. Still, the blocks are usually chosen because they are quick and easy. If the setup gets much beyond that, then it pays to think about the trade offs of using other tooling. I should mention that when using the hex block, the flat sides of the block should be against the vise jaws and the sharp corners vertical for holding the block firmly.. It is easy to miss that while indexing, so double check each time or you will get a twelfth division increment at the wrong height. I almost did that once. Work that is larger than the collet size can also be machined if it has a shank to fit the collet. Oversize work should probably be easier to machine material, like aluminum or plastic, or it might slip with torque applied. For lengthwise repeatability, a vise stop can be used. I usually just use a pocket ruler as a stop across the ends of the jaws and slide the block up to it. Cheap, quick, and useful tooling, easy to use...