holding to rotary table

[steam4ian]

G'day learned friends.

Does anybody have/know of any designs for holding work to rotary table other than the T nuts and step clamps?
What I am looking for is a means of clamping to the side of the work much as a does 3/4 jaw chuck. I want to save either buying another chuck or having to take the chuck off the lathe. Also it will mean the thickness of the chuck and backing plate is not lost from the window of the mill.

Any creative thought?

Regards'
Ian

[dickdastardly40]

Ian,

How about something along the lines of a mitee bite or a toe clamp

www.mscjlindustrial.co.uk/MTB-50650H/SEARCH:KEYWORD/product.html

The online catlogue picture of the mitee bite isn't as good as the printed one, however I think a T nut is clamped in the slot rotary table or mill table slot and the clamp acts against the edge of the job by a cam action.

Possibly you fab up something similar with what you have available.

Clear as mud, hope this is of some use.

[ettingtonliam]

Hi
I have seen 'loose jaws' which bolt to the faceplate, and convert it a large 4 jaw. I imagine something like that should work with a some adaption, though setting a round workpiece to be concentric might be a bit time consuming. Similar devices were used on planers to hold workpieces on the table when they couldn't be bolted of clamped any other way.

Richard

[Deleted]

A typical military solution would be to cut some thick 2" angle into 1" strips, and drill a hole in one side, and tap the other to take a 3/8" bolt. Do this three times and you have a movable 3-jaw chuck!
JB

[drjohn]

What workpiece do you want to hold?

Post a picture, then we might have some idea of what you're trying to do.

Otherwise, mount a machine vice on the rotary table and hold it in that.

I gave up mind-reading a while back so without knowing what you want to hold it's hard to make suggestions.

DJ

[Tel]

Feb 13, 2009 13:52:11 GMT drjohn said:

I gave up mind-reading a while back .....

DJ

Hmmm - giving up on your interests like that is never a good sign.

[steam4ian]

Dear John (Dr John)

Ascerbic as ever. ;D
My present task is a brass disc about 25mm diameter. Proposed future tasks involve wheels to 50mm; I even want to cut a new pinion for a lathe I am restoring.

Larger items I can hold down with standard step clamps or can bolt through to the table.

Thanks to this group I have already seen some useful ideas but I am hoping some one has made their own clamps which I could develop.

For the present task I could soft solder it to a sacrificial brass backing plate which can be clamped to the table. Problem is that I need to hard solder it later.

Tel: What are you doing up so early? I hope you spent the time in the shop.

Reagrds,
Ian

[drjohn]

Hi Ian - now that everyone knows it's small stuff, I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions.

With a 25mm brass disc, an ex clock maker friend used to use superglue on bits that size, but it depends whether you will be applying a radial force or if you're merely indexing something on the disc.

Or even, as I did for making the rings for the spectacle plate, bolt a bit of hard plywood to the table, then you can attach things with woodscrews and the likes.



DJ

[Tel]

Feb 13, 2009 21:32:23 GMT steam4ian said:

Tel: What are you doing up so early? I hope you spent the time in the shop.

Reagrds,
Ian

I'm an early riser mate, besides it's an hour later here than where you are

[Workshopshed]

I made these clamps for the faceplate, perhaps something similar would work for your rotary table? just an idea.





www.workshopshed.com/2008/07/faceplate-dogs.html