ROTARY TABLE ADAPTER

To enable a Rotary Table to Hold a Myford Chuck

I find that when turning items, I often want to immediately mill flats on them, cut slots in them and many other operations that require transferring the turned item onto a Rotary Table.

The problem is always maintaining concentricity between the turned items and the milled parts, so it helps if the lathe chuck can be transferred directly to the Rotary table without disturbing the work in the chuck.

I made the illustrated plate in two parts and Araldited them together - the central boss is recessed into the plate. Originally the home made "T" nuts were attached by studs and nuts using the slot cutouts, but I found that the 4 jaw chuck would foul the nuts when fitted. I therefore recessed 4 holes to accommodate four hex head set-screws which proved much more practical.

The No 2 MT item is a milling cutter holder. I made the bore through the centre boss, a nice sliding fit onto the head of this holder. To fit the adapter, I first insert the holder into the 2MT socket on the rotary table and then slide the adapter plate onto it. After tightening the "T" bolts, the holder can be tapped out from the back of the rotary table, thus giving a through hole and ensuring that the adapter plate is concentric with the rotary table.

The Rotary Table Adapter Ready for Fitting to the Table

The Adapter in Place On The Milling Machine

The adapter is made with a Myford nose to fit my ML7B lathe. The same system can however be adapted to any small lathe. If possible, the through hole should be made at least as large bore as the bore through your lathe.