- Joined
- Jan 10, 2014
- Messages
- 200
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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Thinking about getting a Dividing headset (chuck for a mill) - any advice
- Thread starter Spotshooter
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2014
- Messages
- 200
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.
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.
