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Rotary table question, need help....

hpshooter said:
"Yea i made a post a few years ago and got bombed cause i asked about an import lathe. Glad i bought American now, but it was a lot of work getting it to where i want it."

Doesn't seem to be a problem if it European or Scandinavian or the UK, they don't seem to mind Japanese as much as the rest of Asia.
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Right they like Quality Industrial Machines. Some of those have been built in many countries. Of coarse when it comes to quality the Chinese machines many times are " not so much". And the Chinese decimated the American Machine Industry- alot of those guys were personally affected and havent forgot about it.
 
hpshooter said:
Still that way to a certain extent. Definitely don't post anything regarding an Atlas anything or a Craftsman lathe. The Vintage forum seems a little more tolerant and the moderator did allow a thread on a couple Atlas lathes that had been converted to make photo offset printing plates since it was a "unique modification". In general Chinese stuff is shunned. The Gunsmithing forum is often interesting with some posters from here showing up on occasion. You have to scroll down, it is the next forum below the vintage and antique machinery forum in the menu.
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The South Bend forum is pretty good. Alot of restorers there. You dont see to many SBs in industry these days.

Edit--- Oh Except in Dustys Shop:D:p
 
"You dont see to many SBs in industry these days."

Went to an auction during the summer and there were 2 13" South Bends there, one was a turret lathe the other a conventional lathe. They both had about a 3/4" bore through the spindle and were powered by large open frame motors that mounted on what appeared to be a shop made frame at floor level behind the headstock. Not under power and no tooling at all. No one even bid on them. The auctioneer had seen me looking at them and after the auction approached me about taking them for whatever I would offer but they had to moved that day. 20 years ago I would have found a way to drag them home. Have a 12x30 Hendey gear head and a similar size Simplex gear head a Reid Brothers surface grinder. a well worn unmentionable Super Max vertical mill and a shaper "project" that is sitting outside the shop under a heavy coating of cosmoline and tarps.
Don't need any more strays but did call 4 other people that I thought may be interested. No one took the bait.
 
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hoz53 said:
Right they like Quality Industrial Machines. Some of those have been built in many countries. Of coarse when it comes to quality the Chinese machines many times are " not so much". And the Chinese decimated the American Machine Industry- alot of those guys were personally affected and havent forgot about it.
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I thought it was more that US manufacturers moved on the larger lathers after WW II and the Asian lathes just filled the demand for small lathes.

While I would love to have a new, small American made lathe, I am very happy with my Taiwan built Precision Matthews PM 1340 GT. If some US company does try to make small lathes again, the standard to meet is the Taiwan lathes, not the Chinese lathes.
 
I wouldn't give up. You have missed an adjustment somewhere. I would start over, check operation of each part as you start to reassembly it. There are generally adjustments that take up wear. Something is drawn up tight and shouldn't be.
I am sure that you will find the answer.
 
hpshooter said:
"You dont see to many SBs in industry these days."

Went to an auction during the summer and there were 2 13" South Bends there, one was a turret lathe the other a conventional lathe. They both had about a 3/4" bore through the spindle and were powered by large open frame motors that mounted on what appeared to be a shop made frame at floor level behind the headstock. Not under power and no tooling at all. No one even bid on them. The auctioneer had seen me looking at them and after the auction approached me about taking them for whatever I would offer but they had to moved that day. 20 years ago I would have found a way to drag them home. Have a 12x30 Hendey gear head and a similar size Simplex gear head a Reid Brothers surface grinder. a well worn unmentionable Super Max vertical mill and a shaper "project" that is sitting outside the shop under a heavy coating of cosmoline and tarps.
Don't need any more strays but did call 4 other people that I thought may be interested. No one took the bait.
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Yeah it’s sad in a way because these grand old machines usually hit the scrapyard. I could have bought 2 Bridgeport’s cheap at an auction a couple weeks ago, but I already have enough projects like you say.
 
hoz53 said:
I think you’re right but holy cow would it be around 100K for a new one?
(Seriously). Also they have a small headstock hole right?
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At my next to last place of employment, there were a half dozen of them bought new in the mid '80s. At the time, IIRC they were around 60k without any tooling and yes, small through hole.
 
hogpatrol said:
At my next to last place of employment, there were a half dozen of them bought new in the mid '80s. At the time, IIRC they were around 60k without any tooling and yes, small through hole.
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thats wat i thought Thanks Hog
 
I bought one of these same style rotary tables last year and did the same procedure as you did. I don't remember having any issues like this. I do remember that the handle was crooked and rubbed when you turned it.
Joe
 
Thats the problem, i got it back together just fine, its trying to get the table to turn smoothly without binding. I did adjust the worm which helped. When i disengage the worm and spin it free hand there is a tightish spot from like 270 degree to 60 degree mark. I just want to make it as minimal clearence possible, cause i have a 5in 3 jaw chuck that mounts to it and i dont want the chuck to tilt downwards when the rotary table is in the vertical position, even if its only a few thousands.
 
Yes, i tried that, i got it working good for the most part, the "stiff" spots i believe are just from the manufacturing process. I did try it out tonight, installed my 3 jaw chuck and modified a oversive "T" bolt that came with the milling vise that was to big for my machine. Worked good. I learned my lesson, next time i will buy better quality....i still need to machine a better spot for the rear clamp to have more to bite onto.
 
I belong to a machinist group on facebook. Based on the jokes, there are clearly some younger guys there. Lots of focus on CNC. Machinists program now.
 
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