I have used a 2MT blank. Milled two flats into the sides and used small clamps to hold this in the rotary table, its a !00mm one from ARC. Then I modified the end of the blank to have a centre location/clamp and an offset driving pin. It worked well. I was profiling 10mm thick.

Howard

It's not as neat, but some people recommend drilling fixing holes as an when you need them rather than setting them all out in a neat pattern.

I guess ultimately it's just down taste.

Neil

<mouse hovers ominously over delete button>

Added photo in album. Not glamorous but it did what I needed it to do. The top plate is made to be replaceable so I that I can use it for something else. The centre has a pin location into the MT with a tapped hole to hold the part.

Howard

zuji miko,

If you want sensible answers to your otherwise reasonable question; you will need to tell us what you mean by 'small' … 80mm, 100mm, 150mm, or what ?

MichaelG.

one with tilting will be great too ,,,

Hi Zuji Miko,

I have one of these on my X2:

**LINK**

If the link doesn't work it is just a 4" RT from KBC with a 2MT hole.

It is nothing special but it does the job. I bought mine from KBC when they were $130 CDN five or six years ago (ie they were affordable at some point in the recent past). For a chuck I've mostly used a Taig (peatol) 4 jaw independent chuck which was about $65 when I bought it ten years ago or so for my first real lathe. It is drilled through the front to bolt to the RT via the T slots and a bush I made for that particular chuck and RT. The table is counterbored about a 1/4" deep and this was way out relative to the table axis and the morse taper so I machined it to a better state and made the plug/bush at that time. Graduations are "wiggly". Table goes round, max TIR is about .005-7" in one dimension but I can't remember which.

For a somewhat more compact 4" rotab I don't think you can go wrong with the Sherline versions for new, relatively affordable and easily available. I've only twiddled the manual ones but I use the CNC with stand alone controller every chance I get. Other than the horrible connectors the kit is brilliant to use and the physical pieces are very well made given the price point. Most expensive machine tool thing I've bought new and worth every penny. If I had to pay what KBC wants for the one they're selling now or the Sherline manual rotab, I'd buy the Sherline one in a heart beat.

*FWIW I have a CNC ready version bought well second hand where the connector /messed up stepper shorted and killed the controller, and while it has replaced the KBC version at work, it is notchy on account of the stepper. If anyone is thinking of using a CNC one manually for long periods or good work you'll want to remove the motor and make a handle mount. I haven't gotten around to it yet

For workholding I use mostly lathe Chucks screwed onto the threaded insert or I clamp the taig 4 jaw as before. I've made a bridge piece with interchangeable bits that holds stuff needing rounded ends and a set of WW /8mm collet holders are underway at the moment. A .5X6" table top like shown above would be really handy.

Anyways enough of the advert, usual disclaimers. Either one works, one is much nicer to use.

Andrew Hutchinson

4" rotab collector