Right Angle Head picture, new toy!

[Artemetra]

I finally ponied up and got one of the RA heads that are always going for around $400 (and more!) on thee bay. It's always risky to spend that much, but reputable sellers do still exist. In fact I regretted passing one up which was new old stock - guy said he got $200 more than the reserve after it didn't sell. You don't see many NOS right angle heads! Usually they are beat to crap and scary.

Anyway, I've always thought it's worth it to get tools, then when you have challenges you think about your toolbox and put thing to work. Only two weeks after I got it (I had set it up to see if it ran true, luckily it was a good one), I found a job - drill and tap the ends of long parts. Worked great, only issue is that there's no feel at all on drilling sideways with the X axis. I wouldn't say this one job paid for the thing yet, but I've had jobs where I wanted RA - to the point I had to send it out to someone with a horizontal mill.

 

[Jeff in Pa]

They are extremely handy to have.

To the folks seeing one for the first time, the machined edge you can see along the length of the body is for indicating it perpendicular to the table travel

 

[Kennyd]

Very cool! Do you have a wider picture? I'd like to see the whole setup and how it attaches to the machine.

 

[Artemetra]

Very cool! Do you have a wider picture? I'd like to see the whole setup and how it attaches to the machine.

It's totally new to me and I only know what I've read: Careful on the expander set screw (don't over tighten, make SURE it's backed out when you tighten the clamping set screws). Get a longer drawbar. (Cheap enough, I got one of the "Two-Life" ones.) And it has instructions on the side: Engage drawbar fully when you put it on, before tightening the clamp screws. Easy enough to put a dial on the side and align, before tight. Quill can still move, but I locked it and used the knee.

I'll have to see if I have a wider picture.