Small rotary table...........

ronan · Sep 16, 2015

What are you going to use this table for anyway ? I have one twice the size and find that too small for much work. When you start wanting to cut large radiuses on parts and need to have room for clamping, you run out room very quickly.

T0rnado69 · Sep 16, 2015

very interesting idea about removing rust.

so a 12v car battery charger will work fine for this ?

slim_boy_fat · Sep 16, 2015

T0rnado69 said:
so a 12v car battery charger will work fine for this ?

Yes.

ronan said:
What are you going to use this table for anyway ?

That, Sir, is an excellent question. :clapping:

Set aside that I like 'stuff' :ashamed:

, I want to be able to do small milling jobs on my bench drill press if I can [not ideal, I know], and if for example I need to set out accurate holes in backplates etc.
Add in that my entire available workspace is 14" x 10" and I need to maximise layout etc.

The shed [aka workshop

] also has to house the tumble dryer, my lathe, a router table, Bench drill press, small bandsaw, benchtop mortiser, new welder + gas bottle, wood stock, metal stock, folding steps, workmate type table, lawnmower, sundry gardening equipment, 2 walls of kitchen cabinets/worktops, pressure(s), car cleaning materials and on, and on and on....... :doh:

What I REALLY need to do is stop acquiring stuff, but hey....who doesn't want/need 'stuff'

Anyway, here are pics of some of the parts after the cleaning process, given a scrub after. The surfaces and gradations are clean again, and the paint I was concerned about removing could be peeled off, although this has left a black surface coating which I'll try to remove with a Dremel polisher. Interestingly, the small wheel was anodised black when it went in.....shiny bright now. :whistle:

I actually prefer that finish. So, I big thumbs up for the process, I'll be designing a Mk11 version to improve efficiency and to make it easier than faffing about with hanging bits off wires [think, magnets and metal hooks

].

Bearing replacement, should it prove necessary after immersion, will cost £3[ish] - bonus! :laughing:

T0rnado69 · Sep 16, 2015

slim_boy_fat said:
Yes....

I want to be able to do small milling jobs on my bench drill press if I can [not ideal, I know],

i see, thats good to know

not a good ideal to use a drill press for a mill. unless it can take a cutter holder with drawbar.

the side forces when milling will make the chuck drop out.
if not held in via drawbar.

optima21 · Sep 16, 2015

ronan said:
What are you going to use this table for anyway ? I have one twice the size and find that too small for much work. When you start wanting to cut large radiuses on parts and need to have room for clamping, you run out room very quickly.

I've got a 4" rotary table too,and rarely use it, I did get it to do something specific, but cant remember what it was but I've used it to machine a part on toolpost for my lathe

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/quick-change-tool-post-for-a-small-lathe.52932/

and making wooden wedges for machining throttlebody butterflies

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/throttlebody.50610/#post-574234

slim_boy_fat · Sep 16, 2015

T0rnado69 said:
not a good ideal to use a drill press for a mill.

I realise it's less than ideal, but used bench-top milling machines are few and far between up here - the Seller of the rotary table had one and I missed it by one bid. :mad:

ronan · Sep 16, 2015

slim_boy_fat said:
I realise it's less than ideal, but used bench-top milling machines are few and far between up here - the Seller of the rotary table had one and I missed it by one bid.

I tried milling a couple of times on drill presses and it always ended in disaster, usually the chuck or cutter holder dropping out of the quill still spinning, destroying or marking up the workpiece.

DanielW · Sep 17, 2015

slim_boy_fat said:
I realise it's less than ideal, but used bench-top milling machines are few and far between up here - the Seller of the rotary table had one and I missed it by one bid.

So you have a lathe? there is nothing to say that the lathe will give better results than using the lathe rather than a drill press.

You just have to make a table for the lathe bed be it on the crossfeed or an add on ie a cross feed that sits across the bed.
Taking the chuck off and inserting an ER milling collet tapered or straight?

ms08 · Sep 17, 2015

This was my setup and result

slim_boy_fat · Sep 17, 2015

ms08 said:
This was my setup and result

Excellent. I've been aware of the process for some time, just never 'got round to it' myself. I've been surprised at how good the results are...with so little effort. [initial faffing about aside :ashamed:

]
Now that I've cracked it, I see a whole new world of "upcycling" [hate that word :mad:

] opening up....... :whistle:

slim_boy_fat · Sep 17, 2015

DanielW said:
So you have a lathe?

Only an old RandA

, but I do have a pal with a Colchester Student....food for thought. I've been under the impression that milling required higher spindle speeds?

Going away for a few days so won't get a chance to investigate much.

DanielW · Sep 17, 2015

Lathes have the speed for milling.
There are plenty of youtube vids on lathe adapted milling and some are pretty impressive even for steel milling.

Its the imagination to adapt a way to have the work held rigid without flexing,almost all the vids use the carriage for the adaptation and I see that as a bit of a bind in terms of taking of the toolpost everytime you want mill something then replacing it after taking the mill adaptor of.So I'm gonna use a method of sliding the carriage out the way to the tailstock end then placing a purpose built mill table over the bed ways and having it bolted to the frame the lathe is going to be affixed to and possibly secured to the lathe sides? for rigidness.

DanielW · Sep 17, 2015

DanielW · Sep 17, 2015

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_lathe/Accessories/mill_adapt.jpg

Henrik · Sep 17, 2015

Re rust removal setup, these style crocodile cables make the hookup easier.

I've used mine for everything from a small screw to bigger pieces. I also tried a sieve for small bits, but found that I didn't get a good connection between sieve and part.

Cost a pound delivered off amazon for ten

slim_boy_fat · Sep 17, 2015

Thanks lads, away from base until early next & will check up then.

T0rnado69 · Sep 17, 2015

ms08 said:
This was my setup and result

that looks good, might have to give it a try out. how long was it in the bucket for..... ms08 ?

i have a battery charger, bucket or container, scrap metal and copper wire etc.

so what stuff is it you add to the water.

ronan · Sep 17, 2015

Washing soda, available in any supermarket

ms08 · Sep 18, 2015

T0rnado69 said:
that looks good, might have to give it a try out. how long was it in the bucket for..... ms08 ?

i have a battery charger, bucket or container, scrap metal and copper wire etc.

so what stuff is it you add to the water.

I normally leave over night and ready to clean up with wire brush next morning.
Be aware can't use on all metals so steel (not stainless) and cast iron are the primary ones. The picture of the bucket was probably taken only and hour or so in. Activity (gas bubbles) decreases towards end of process so you can leave in as long as you like but not much will happen later on.

ukracer · Sep 18, 2015

DanielW said:

Can you only go up and down with that one in the video ?

Small rotary table...........

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