I have two rotaries I want to use. One has a 2" rotary and other is a 5". Each has 4 screw holes to mount something on them.

What does everyone use on the rotary to allow them to attach round stock to it for cutting on a CNC routing table?

Thanks

A chuck. 3 or 4 jaw flavour. hth

That's what I was thinking - but when I look at different chucks, I have no clue what to get and affordable.

How does the chuck attach to the rotary - anyone have any pics?

Thanks -

That's what I was thinking - but when I look at different chucks, I have no clue what to get and affordable.

How does the chuck attach to the rotary - anyone have any pics?

Thanks -
You would probably have to make faceplate to mount chuch to the rotary table

Usually I just bolt mine on with 4 bolts but there's an option to use the MT centre in the rotary table. You could make an adaptor but it's easier to have a chuck with 4 bolt fixing and just use "T" nuts and true it up (I usually cock something up along the way...however your mileage may be better than mine :D )

1) http://www.cnczone.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1233/si/chuck

2) http://www.cnczone.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1232/si/chuck

3) http://www.cnczone.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1234/si/chuck

Or as simple as this (square tube).
4) http://www.cnczone.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/857/cat/500/ppuser/1498

Attached are pics of my 5" rotary. The motor has been removed and putting a stepper motor on it instead. See the 4 screw holes on the front?
How do you attach the 3 or 4 jaw chuck to them? Are there holes in it for that already?

I feel like an idiot on this one. Thanks for the help.

What is it? It looks like it's from a rotary display...Bigger/better picture needed for nosy peeps like me :D

That looks like one of those BUD (Big Ugly Dish) positioners. I have a couple in my garage somewhere...

I was going to make something similar to this (http://www.rainnea.com/cnc_5axis.htm) but the project stalled because of other things.

studysession
The timing for your posts is coincident with my efforts. I have 2 of the same rotarys and have removed the motor from one.
I figured I'd mount a 3 or 4 jaw chuck that ties in to the 4 inner holes on the face plate. The four outer holes get fixed to the axis. I'm still looking for a chuck that has a means to mount easily to those 4 - but no luck yet. The 4 threaded holes are equally spaced on a 2 5/8 circle. Hopefully something is available that won't need too much interfacing.

(ANY ideas out there - are welcome!!)

BTW - Have you sourced a gear for the stepper to drive the rotary? Or do you plan on pulling the one off the Globe Motor and reusing it?

:cheers: Jim

High Seas -
I have made my own drawing to mount the rotary using MDF. The drawing is done in TurboCAD. It does not have the screws holes, but should fit nicely. Figue once place the rotary in the cut out circle of the mount, I could just drill the holes.

If the cut outs match up, I will post the drawings if you like here in this thread. It might be cut out until next week though.

As for the gear, I am making my own adaptor on my lathe (Not CNC) to adapt the current gear to the shaft of a Nema 23 size stepper. Then will make a mount around it once I know what nize each part will need to be.

I really want to find a 3 or 4 jaw self centering chuck for mount on this and hopeing it is very affordable type of thing. I have never mounted a rotary like this and feel out of place trying to figure this out.

Later will post some pics. First try on cutting the hole for the rotary did not come out right. I measured everything then used the offset thing in lazycam. And it was smaller by very little. Once I have a good FXF file will upload for everyone to see and give me ideas.

Still need a 3 or 4 jaw chuck to mount to this thing and hold my work. Any links to ideas? Hopefully to something affordable.

Could I use an inexpensive chuck used for a wood lathe to hold aluminum on this? Those are affordable on Grizzly.com

Thanks

In the beginning I wil start with wood so just ordered this chuck here:
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/csc2000c.html

Faceplate:
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/cf6.html

Will make an adaptor for my rotary to the faceplate and use it. Will be using mostly wood in the beginning.

Here is the DXF file that I am using as the front of the face plate for my mount. The screw holes I will drill manually for now.

Once I get the faceplate and chuck will make an adaptor to mount it on my rotary.

Thanks for the help

What are using the faceplate for? Doesn't the chuck mount to a 1"-8 spindle? I have a Nova chuck, which looks similar, and it threads on to the lathe spindle.

What are using the faceplate for? Doesn't the chuck mount to a 1"-8 spindle? I have a Nova chuck, which looks similar, and it threads on to the lathe spindle.

Yes it threads on. The face plate has a stand off on one side where the chuck threads onto and attach the faceplate to my rotary.

The DXF file attached in previous post is front plate for my mount. Right now having trouble with offsets in LazyCam - either that or made the center to tight. When I cut it out it is bit to small so making offset little different to compensate.

Also curious on what people do when cutting out pieces from 3/4" MDF. It gets to end of cut then ready to come out. Well the bit hits it as it moves from its place and messes up my work. :confused:

Thanks for the help.

BTW - I got a new camera. My DIY machine looks like poop - but it works. Will post some pics this coming week.

Here are some pics. Remember my router is still in very early process. Due to lack of space I am building on my kitchen floor.

OK -
My 3 jaw chuck and facplate showed up. I di not need the face plate so sending it back.

I am making an adaptor for the chuck to the rotary but have an issue.

When I use my CNC router on MDF and cut out anything. The part where the spindle is when it cuts the last part of the work away where it can be picked up from the table. Always moves a bit and gets a gouge from the spindle.

Hopefully I explained that well enough to understand. Any ideas on better way of cutting things out?

Thanks

Studysession - Here's my approach - just got my 4 jaw chuck in todays mail. But my hang up is the gear for my PACSCI stepper. How did you attack that. Find a source so I can get one?
This may look like a cross post but I don't think it is ;)

:cheers: Jim

Turn some bar, bore/ream to match stepper shaft and mill a flat on each side. Glue into gear.

Graham

Good idea -- oops can't turn until...
SO, guess its a run to the shop and take money! Bugger! (But at least I KNOW the gear is right!) Thx Graham. :cheers: Jim

HMMM maybe just whack off the shaft from the Globe motor - drill it out....I'll sleep on that.

Good idea -- oops can't turn until...
HMMM maybe just whack off the shaft from the Globe motor - drill it out....I'll sleep on that.

I'm guessing you mean can't mill until...? Because if you don't have a lathe you can't drill out the shaft.

Here's an even more daft idea, take the encoder of the globe motor and couple your stepper to that, just for the time being, then later make the proper part. Bootstrap style. Remember that you can use a router/mill as a lathe if you can fit the stock in the collet :)

Graham

Yep - good idea too - I meant that I couldn't turn until I got the rotary going -- it will be my lathe-like axis. So thanks for helping me outta that box --like DOOH - use the router/drill press!
The encoder bootstrap doesn't sound so daft -- I'll give that a look and report back with pics of solution.
:cheers: Jim

Yep - good idea too - I meant that I couldn't turn until I got the rotary going -- it will be my lathe-like axis.

Or hold rod in router collet and mount a lathe tool on your bed a voila a CNC lathe.

Graham

Here are the three pieces of the puzzle. I got the encoder (oops I mean the gearbox ;) ) apart and these are the relevant bits.

Note the dissimilar metal in the encoder (gearbox) shafting mount. I think I may wind up "loosing" the large diameter disk (with the 3 short shafts - they hold other gears in place in the gearbox) when I try and bore/drill the main shaft. In any case, the 3 short shafts are in the way. I suppose I could build a coupling that mounted the -------- shaft to the PACSCI motor - but the height really starts to stack up then -- nearly the length of the original Globe Motor!

Anyhow, I'd like to keep the _________ shaft as long as possible. The largest diameter of the ________ shaft looks like a good spot to place a set pin or screw.

Follow ups as i get it sorted.


:cheers: Jim

The encoder is on the other end of the motor, i.e an optical encoder that gives feed back to the origional motor controller.

What you are showing is a disassembled planetary gearbox.

The dissimilar bit is a weld.

Graham

And please don't even think about boring out that shaft without a lathe.

I use a sherline rotary with a 4 jaw chuck.

The chuck attaches to the rotary with a threaded adaptor spececifically made for the task. The rotary attaches to the mill table with 90 degree adaptor.

The 4 jaw works well because it will grip flatstock and hold it between a tailstock or it will grip square or round stock. Round stock being my preferred method. I usually mount my wax or pewter rough stock to a round mandrel which is mounted in the chuck.

The method I mentioned works well for those two materials(wax pewter) and improvision will obviosly be needed for other materials.

Graham - missed your post and headed to the workbench.
After much careful consideration and a bit of luck, I got the pilot hole and the follow up --"Spot On."
Then used a sizable drift punch and popped the shaft out of the planetary hub. Was press fit into the center - note the splines on the shaft and in the hub.

The hole is deep enough to permit me chopping the splined portion off the shaft.

I could find no useful bits on the encoder end - so dug into the gearbox. Figured I'd find some joy there - as that the business end that drives the rotary!

Now to find a set screw (tap, etc) and I'm away! Well, soon time to tackle another project.

:cheers: Jim

I think you might have had too much of the beer from those smileys, you called it an encoder shaft 5 times! :)

Glad you got it sorted out and I hope "spot on" is good enough.

Graham

Same error when I did the photos :)
-- beer? Wot not RUM! (maybe G&T)
AND I did learn too - the Planetary (gear) Shaft!

SEE - EXPERIENCE! Just hope there is no [B]bill to pay - else I have another one waiting in the wings as a spare if I need a redo.
:cheers: Jim
I'll work the stack up tomorrow and see how it all fits together. Then we'll know if we're close enuf. It'll be a few days 'til trial/ops check - other projects gotta fall into place first.

Like the mount. I want to use your design, I like that. Also looks more sturday than what I am doing.

Been dealing with family problems so not been working on it few couple weeks. I want to get it done and really like the mount you made.

Thanks for posting.

High Seas -
You just punched this out? How hard was it?

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=40866&d=1184781259

studysession -
Yep - but I cheated a little bit. I had drilled the shaft (That"s the Planetary gear Shaft!), then put the punch down the hole and a few gentle taps - bing! Sweat as you please.

I gotta admit I feel very lucky getting as close as I did on the drilling. Take care in that bit! Might use the lathe as Graham suggests. And caution -- my PACSCIs are 1/4 inch shaft - so that doesn't leave a lot of meat when you get to the sides of the planetary shaft where its flattened for the gear.

As a compensation I didn't drill as deeply as I'd have liked. SO I get to make a new backing for the mount (tomorrow maybe) to take up the void.

I suspect you could just whack away with a drift punch before drilling. I built a small wood jig to use on the drill press and the whacking place.

Didn't shoot any pics of that incriminating activity :)

Hope that helps :cheers: Jim