Rotating Confusion.

[rwm]

I have a beginner question:

Can someone elaborate on the various rotating work holding devices and their uses. I have a rotary table which I have used on the mill to make knobs and hex shafts but I am unclear on the array of terminology I see out there:

Spacers
Super spacers
Indexers
Dividing heads
Dividing heads- universal and semi-universal
Spin fixtures
Rotary fixtures
Rotary tables

No wonder my head is spinning! What are the fundamental differences? What is the best practice for each device? Which ones do I need to acquire?

Who else has an issue with this?

Robert

 

[TOOLMASTER]

Some of them go round and round while the others go in circles. hope this clears it up...

 

[rwm]

You didn't vote! And I don't want to go round and round about this.

 

[Wreck™Wreck]

Simple, any device that rotates a part in a milling machine, sometimes called the 4TH axis. Lathes come equipped with a spindle and do not require such a device, most manual lathes do not have indexing spindles nor the live tooling to take advantage of such a feature.

Spacers and rotary tables are usually divided by degrees and minutes and will not stop at a fixed location. A dividing head employs perforated plates wherein the rotating handle has a pin that when inserted into the correct hole gives the correct position, this is useful with unskilled production Employee's. In the traditional sense a Universal dividing head has a vast amount of movement allowing angles to be easily achieved. The nomenclature is more confusing then the actual use.

 

[rwm]

Thanks Wreck. That is very helpful. Makes sense. I feel my vertigo is passing...
R

 

[2volts]

You didn't vote! ...

when I opened this topic I scrolled straight to the first post, ignoring advertisements as I always do, and didn't realise there was a POLL at that top of the page.

if there is a way to view the forum with zero advertisements please let me know.

I have donated to the site.

pete