Spindexer/spin indexer

[jim’Participant @jim11037]

Hi,

Been thinking about getting spindex thing, (arceurotrade one).**LINK**

Are they solid enough to mill hexagons on bolts, or really just a simple drilling thing?

I only ask because the locking pin does seam a good distance from the action!

I have been using a hex ER collet block, but if these spindexers are ok, I'd be able to check for run out etc easily.

Thank you

[jim’Participant @jim11037]

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Suppose it depends on what size bolts you are making?

I quite often use it without the lock, just using the pin its quite steady. I find it far better than an ER Block for doing hex and squares on things pareticularly if working to a shoulder.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Plenty strong enough for bolt hexagons and the like so long as you are sensble about cutter size and cut. For example I knocked out a 17 mm A/F hex on 20 mm nominal, actually a touch under, the other day using a 3/8" cutter in one pass per side. I'd advise using the locking screw too rather than relying on the pin alone even though the screw and thread is a bit um lacking in precision. Been meaning to modify mine with a proper split collet clamp for 20 odd years but never got enough roundtuits to pay for the job.

Do trim the sides of the base up to match your milling table slot spacing so you can align it with a parallel in the slot. Useful if the spindle axis aligns with a table slot too but thats really only possible for those of us with larger machies such as Bridgeports. Probably worth fitting a couple of alignment keys in the base too for rapid set up. Plain dowels will be fine. I've not done this but really should. On smaller machines you may be able to drill the base in line with table slots so you can bolt it down directly. Which is best way. On my Bridgeport I use the usual Tee stud, bar and step block clamps which works. A larger sub base to cover Tee slot spacing is another thing I've not got round to. Sometimes I just clamp it straight in the vice.

I also have a small 3 jaw chuck on a 5C arbor which is very useful.

Clive.

Edited By Clive Foster on 19/03/2016 09:43:00

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

They were originally intended for mounting on a magnetic base on a surface grinder that takes light cuts hence the weak clamp.

Quite a lot on the web about modifications. Also on Youtube where the usual crowd of boring old f**ts drone on for hours about simple set-ups but worth fast forwarding though a few to see the different ideas about mounting for the base machining.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Stew Hart did a write up a couple of months ago in ME about adding a key to the base for lining it up.

J

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Hi Jim,

I have a Spin-indexer but must admit that I don't use it that much. It's only of use on my two larger mills and as I also have collet blocks and rotary tables – there are often other means available to me.

My suggestion would be that for simple milling/drilling work (e.g. hex heads) a set of collet blocks will be far more useful and get used a lot more. They will also fit on your lathe or mill and can be used in the table vice (for instance to hold round work when tapping or using a die). I have both ER32 and the older 5C type (with ER adaptor) but the ER types are smaller and get used more these days.

To fully answer your question – the Spin-indexer is quite man enough to hold work for milling and mine tends to get dragged out when I want to mill/drill simple (low) whole numbers that the collet blocks can't handle. There are some other interesting applications possible using 'custom' division plates though (have a look around Youtube for examples).

Regards,

IanT

[VicParticipant @vic]

I machined the base on mine as per instructions on one of the model engineering websites, I can't remember which one. As well as truing it up I cut some bolt slots in the base but l normally clamp it in my milling vice. As said though for simple hex jobs a collet block is easier.

[Chris GunnParticipant @chrisgunn36534]

Jim, I have a spin indexer and it is very useful, however mine is a Marlco which is heavy and really rigid when locked. I bought mine second hand at one of the shows for about £60, some have chucks fitted like mine with inside and outside jaws, some have collets fitted. They appear in the usual places occasionally.

Chris Gunn

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Spindexer or collet blocks is a very personal thing. Like IanT and Vic I have both but in contrast I normally prefer to use the spindexer unless its going to get in the way. I actually got the hex and square collet blocks after getting the spindexer thinking that the smaller size would be more convenient on the square colum Lux style bench mill I had at the time. Maybe marginally true then but the spindexer was still first choice. Now I have a Bridgeport with more space to play the collet blocks almost never get used.

Used the hex one around the turn of the year purely to see if automatically grabbing the spindexer meant I was missing something. Nope. I think my biggest gripe with collet blocks is that you have to take them out of the vice to turn them so the longitudinal position has to be reset after every turn. With the spindexer you just rotate and everything stays in line. A positioning stop on the vice would fix that but not needing one for any other reason its more effort than I want to spend.

There are times when I'd prefer the spindexer to be made tother way about with the indexing disk at the opposite end to the collet.

Clive.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Clive Foster on 19/03/2016 23:13:57:

I think my biggest gripe with collet blocks is that you have to take them out of the vice to turn them so the longitudinal position has to be reset after every turn. With the spindexer you just rotate and everything stays in line. A positioning stop on the vice would fix that but not needing one for any other reason its more effort than I want to spend.

There are times when I'd prefer the spindexer to be made tother way about with the indexing disk at the opposite end to the collet.

Clive.

Clive,

Just butt the back of the collet nut up against the vise jaws to get repeatable positioning. The nut is larger than the blocks for that reason.

I did see a conversion where the guy had fitted a worm and wheel to one and he's moved the plate to the other end.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

The other reason I prefer the indexer over the blocks is similar to Clives comment. I do have a vice stop so that is not an issue but as I often work a part on the length of a bar I can have 2ft of bar sticking out the back of the block which wants to tip it all the time you are trying to reset it in the vice and its a bit of a pain to hold against the stop, tap it down and do up the vice when you only have two hands.

I rarely use the hex block ER & 5C, the squares get used more for parts that need to be worked on in two or three right angled planes where they are ideal.

[jim’Participant @jim11037]

Thank you for all the comments.

I think I will go with the Arceurotrade version.

Some good points raised.

Thanks again

Jim

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