# rotary table thoughts



## gt40 (Jan 10, 2012)

Looking to get a rotary table to go with the new pm45 mill. Debating whether to hold out for a used Yuasa at the right price or just get a 8" vertex/phase II etc. Basically which is better: Old good quality or are the copies good enough?


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## StrikerDown (Jan 10, 2012)

I don't think you can beat a good used Yuasa, You might have to be patient to find a good used one for cheap though. I gave up and bought a new phase II. Should have waited.


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## precisionworks (Jan 11, 2012)

StrikerDown said:


> I don't think you can beat a good used Yuasa, You might have to be patient to find a good used one for cheap though. I gave up and bought a new phase II. Should have waited.


+1

A used Yuasa (in good shape) is ready to run while a new Phase II is ready for half a days rework. My Phase II Super Spacer is a copy of Yuasa (which is a copy of Hardinge) ... about 4 hours on the rotary table portion & another 2 hours on the chuck.


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## themayor (Apr 1, 2012)

What size is a good size to get 8in or bigger?


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## precisionworks (Apr 1, 2012)

themayor said:


> What size is a good size to get 8in or bigger?


8"-9" is a size that fits well on both a mill-drill or a Bridgeport. A Bpt can use a 10" or 12" table if you play with the ram position but those tables are killer heavy. If you go with an 8" super spacer (which lots of people will recommend) weight is around 160# (73kg). You'll either need to spend lots of time at the gym or find some safe method to get the spacer on & off the table.


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## themayor (Apr 1, 2012)

this is the one i was looking to get i have a bridgeport what do you think http://www.ebay.com/itm/YUASA-10-Ho...Work_Holding&hash=item2ebcadf7b2#ht_447wt_177


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## StrikerDown (Apr 1, 2012)

Looks great... and heavy! 
Too bad the previous owner didn't know how to drill without hitting the table! Shouldn't hurt the function as long as the holes stopped short of the gears!


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## themayor (Apr 1, 2012)

thanks for the help guys


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## precisionworks (Apr 2, 2012)

StrikerDown said:


> Looks great... and heavy!


96.8# (44kg)



> Too bad the previous owner didn't know how to drill without hitting the table! Shouldn't hurt the function as long as the holes stopped short of the gears!


As rotary tables go that one isn't bad. I always mounted a thick aluminum plate to the RT so the plate could be drilled & tapped as needed. Here's a similar setup on the lathe:


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## themayor (Apr 2, 2012)

Looks good Barry how thick would u go what's the best way mounting it to the rt


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## wquiles (Apr 2, 2012)

precisionworks said:


> +1
> 
> A used Yuasa (in good shape) is ready to run while a new Phase II is ready for half a days rework. My Phase II Super Spacer is a copy of Yuasa (which is a copy of Hardinge) ... about 4 hours on the rotary table portion & another 2 hours on the chuck.



Nothing wrong with a Phase II unit, but, if you can find a good Yuasa, even better. Thanks to Barry I scored on this one several years back. I did not use it much until recently, as I get more experienced with the knee mill, specially now that I have the DRO. Mine is a keeper:

At a negative 10 deg angle, cutting 20x equally-spaced (15deg apart) grooves:






at zero degrees drilling/tapping 8 holes at 90 deg apart (4 on each side):






and at 90 deg, cutting a slot (here you can see the cut grooves I did earlier):







Will


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## gt40 (Apr 3, 2012)

That is really awesome. I wondered how to cut those manually...


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## precisionworks (Apr 4, 2012)

themayor said:


> Looks good Barry how thick would u go what's the best way mounting it to the rt


Roughly 1" (about 25mm) & use T-nuts in the slots of the table.






I'll trade something really nice for that tilting indexer


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## wquiles (Apr 4, 2012)

precisionworks said:


> I'll trade something really nice for that tilting indexer


I know exactly what you mean. I consider myself extremely lucky to have listened to your advice and searched Ebay for this one years ago. I don't remember how many months it took until I found one, but when I saw it, I knew I had to pull the trigger on it.


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## mdocod (Apr 8, 2012)

Not a rotary table, but I've now had a phase II brand super spacer for a couple years now, it's been involved in the production of nearly every adapter I've built since acquiring it and at hasn't really given me any troubles; seems well made to me. [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chQTKMOkzDI&feature=youtu.be ] I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a rotary table of equal build quality personally, though I suppose it all depends on the application and larger long term goals/considerations.


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## wquiles (Apr 8, 2012)

Totally awesome video dude!

Great to actually "see" what you have described many times in the past 


Will


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## 350xfire (Apr 9, 2012)

Wow! I think I would be missing some fingers if I worked that fast....


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## precisionworks (Apr 9, 2012)

mdocod said:


> Not a rotary table, but I've now had a phase II brand super spacer for a couple years ... hasn't really given me any troubles; seems well made to me. I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a rotary table of equal build quality personally, though I suppose it all depends on the application and larger long term goals/considerations.


+1

The super spacer does so many things better than a RT that I'd be hesitant to ever buy another RT. The Phase II super spacer is a good buy if you don't mind spending half a day on minor remanufacturing - deburring, polishing, fitting, etc. The Yuasa SS is awesome but costs a ton.

Both the Phase II & the Yuasa come with a set-tru type chuck. It's easy to adjust the Phase II to well under .0005" (.013mm) TIR. mdocod has what appears to be the 6" SS & I have the 8". While the 6" is lighter & more compact the 8" has a through hole that's huge - 2.48" (63mm). Through hole on the 6" is 1.73" (44mm).


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## themayor (Apr 14, 2012)

got my table the other day looks good was going to order a clamping kit but not sure what size i need it my tslot measure in at .4770 is that that tight for the 1/2 in kit ? 7/16 converts to like .437 any help?


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