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Recommendation? milling rotary table

Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
4,692
I'm in the mood to buy a rotary table for my mill (Burke Millrite, it's like a 3/4 size of a Bridgeport). I'd like to try radius bolsters and other things.

What size rotary table do you guys like? Is 6" too small? 10" too big?
I'm looking at a used Yuasa

thanks
 
I just leave mine attached to one side of my bridgeport. It's not ideal for the table long term to have it hanging off for long periods of time, but it's my beater mill.

Harbeer, when you say radius bolsters, do you mean integrals that have the portion where the scales butt up against the bolster radiused? If so, bear in mind that if attaching to the rotary table directly, the smaller table will give you a smaller potential radius, and it would probably be a good idea to decide what radius you find pleasing. If you're looking for something way smaller than a 6" radius, then consider just using a large end mill. Yes, your mill can't swing a 4 or 5" face mill for it's intended use, but for cutting a bolster, it can, let alone a 2 or 3" end mill. Cut the bolster square, but with the sides where you want them, then swap to the larger end mill and cut the radius in. Hell if it's small enough radius, like 1 or 2 inches, just cut it all at once, feeding from the tail end of the liners, utilizing whatever DOC you're comfortable with on your machine. Always more than one way to skin a cat.

Lots of good uses for a rotary table, but for making knives, I never really use mine for much. Although they're really useful for lockbacks and certain types of autos, not remotely mandatory though. I've got a 10", I've needed bigger, but nothing related to knives, pretty sure I'd be fine with a 6" for pocket knives.
 
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