15" bridgeport rotary table too big

[SirLesPatterson]

I hurt my back unloading it, didn't realize how heavy it was. Took a month to feel better, it seems to be happening more and more lately so I need to start being more careful.

Anyhow, I'm thinking about building one of those hand carts with a winching lift platform. Kind of like a mini forklift. Then I could build miniature pallets for my rotary table, vise, and soforth. Pick 'em up from a shelf under a workbench, wheel 'em to the mill, slide them off. Or maybe a hydraulic table would be more useful. I don't think a crane would serve my needs as well.

I haven't even used it yet but I'm thinking a 15" rotary table might be too big for my needs anyhow, perhaps I should downsize.

Rotary table 200 lbs

6" Vise 100 lbs

What do you all do?

[bill jones]

-the last picture in this link shows my overhead swing arm hoist for my mill----and explains some about it.

-I routinely use this hoist to lift the heavy mill vises using the small diameter air cylinder---and I also have a 3" air cylinder that I use to lift up to 300# engine blocks onto my mill from a roll around table.

http://ryanbrownracing.com/Bill_Jones_Page_1.html
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-there is about 30 other topics if you go to

http://ryanbrownracing.com/Bill_Jone...o_Gallery.html
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-at post #33 of this link there is 4 pictures of my air cylinder lifting---including lifting a 297# BBF engine block onto the mill from the roll around table.

http://practicalmachinist.com/vb/gen...19/index2.html
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-my ceiling is not too high so I also use a short overhead rail and the same air cylinders to lift heavy flywheels etc onto my lathe from the same roll around table.
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-I have a nice electric hoist up in my attic to where I can easily lift heavy stuff from a hand truck or off the floor up and onto the roll around table.

-the roll around table has about 3" diameter steel tubing legs welded to a 5/8" thick steel top about 30" x 40"----the table is sturdy enough to use as an engine run-in stand with fully assembled engines in the 600# range
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-this link shows the steel roll around table being used as a run-in stand for a 390 Ford style engine.
http://ryanbrownracing.com/Bill_Jones_Page_2.html

[Tobias-B]

If you wind the table over to the end of its travel, does the mill tip over?


I have a 10", and it's on the big side.

I also have a 6", and it's a bit small.

May I suggest an 8"?

heh

t

[j king]

I can relate.. This is a back saver.

[SirLesPatterson]

If you wind the table over to the end of its travel, does the mill tip over? ... May I suggest an 8"?

Yeah, 8" or 10" would probably be more reasonable but I guess I'm stuck with the 15" for now. The mill weighs more than my car. I decided to go big after I was annoyed that my bench top mini mill was always too small. This sort of thing happens when I look on craigslist.

[big job]

Same problem here even with the vise. So for me it was just the case of bolting heavy sheet metal on a roll away tool box.
exactly to match the mill table (cut out) slide it on. Even have a heavy 10 inch - cant lift that either.. and a 12 inch with a
12 inch 4 jaw chuck. The cut out done by plasma, so it goes over the hand wheel and power feed motor and just crank the
knee to match the toolbox. Now I can do it alone without help. cherry picker to much pain to manhandle alone.
sam

[boslab]

I can relate.. This is a back saver.

Thats beautiful, it looks like it has long travel too?, can we have a few photos please?
Mark

[gdavis2265]

I made this hump thing and mounted it to a toolbox, I store my Rotab on top and slide it off and on the mill table.

[justanengineer]

The 12" rotab and vise both live on the table, I dont use half of it normally so I just push one/other to the side. When I absolutely need to, one/both can slide off onto the cart where I keep the dividing head.

[RWO]

I have a 6" rotary table, so it's not a big problem, but the 6" Kurt vise is. Years ago I bought a vise support arm that bolts to the top of he knee dovetail. It has a double hinged arm and a rotatable vise jaw clamping block. I just lower the table until the arm lines up with the vise jaws and them tighten the vise jaws on the block. The I unbolt the vise from the table and lower the table until the vise lifts off the table. The I can swing the vise back out of the way, completely clearing the table. Very handy and easy to use. I can't believe I found it online; http://www.chukmate.com/

RWO

[Rosco-P]

Hunt Craigslist for one of these: http://www.home-med-equip.com/catalo...nd-slings.html Great for heavy chucks and positioning workpieces as well.

[MotorradMike]

I haven't even used it yet but I'm thinking a 15" rotary table might be too big for my needs anyhow, perhaps I should downsize.

I think your thinking is backwards, what you need to do is upsize(the mill that is).

[projectnut]

I use a hydraulic table to get the heavy stuff on and off the mill. I have a couple of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb...art-69148.html

The only difference is mine are bright orange.

I can raise the hydraulic table high enough to be level with the mill table. Then just slide the tooling from one to the other. I primarily use it for the vises (1 @ 100 lbs, and 1 @ 125 lbs) rotary table, and heavy pieces of work. For the really heavy stuff or things that need to go higher I have a 2,500 lb. winch attached to a carriage on an overhead I beam.

[A.K. Boomer]

I haven't even used it yet but I'm thinking a 15" rotary table might be too big for my needs anyhow, perhaps I should downsize.

There the only way to go IF YOUR BUILDING FREIGHT BOAT PROPELLERS...

seriously - yes think about what you will be needing an RT for and if you need to go that big - in fact many bigger jobs can be done on smaller tables simply by adding a sub plate... 15" is huge

[macona]

What do you all do?

Buy a cnc mill. Never have needed a rotary table.