What rotary table

I am planning to buy an 8 inch rotary table and have a choice between a Soba or Vertex one has 3 slots on the table and the other 4. Any recommendations?

Assuming that they are of similar quality

Four Slots ... Much more versatile.

MichaelG.

4 slots much better.

Another recomendation for 4 slots over 3.

Steve

The only advantage I can see with 3 slots is you can fit a 3 jaw chuck without an adaptor plate so no loss height.

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But a three-jaw on a rotary table is heading towards 'chocolate fireguard' territory:

Get a slim four-jaw with through-holes for front fixing.

MichaelG.

The Vertex are reckoned by many to be better than most Far East RT's. Eight inch though, will you be able to lift it?

Go for as big a table as possible,the limits will be cost,weight,and machine size, you always run out of room for the work piece or clamping space. regarding slots, 4 is common practice,three slots would be useful for items like six spoke flywheels,it surprising how many engineering items are divided into 3 or 6, If you needed to sell it in future a 4 slot would be easier to sell. I had a French built 12 inch table which had a number of slots at 90 degrees to each other and none were radial,found it very useful,had to part with it recently as I just could not lift it (anno domini) so swapped it for an immaculate Taylor Hobson 10 inch ,a lot lighter and slimmer but superb quality,

Colchester made faceplates with 6 slots and the regular plate with 4 main slots and an assortment of shorter slots, the six slot is very useful for six spoke fly wheels,nearly all traction and stationary engines with spoked flywheels had six spokes,I have never seen a rotary table with 6 slots ,again it might be better than 3 or 4,

Most of the work on my existing rotary table is round, I just centre the work by moving the chuck on the table generally only a few thou. I can see the advantage of a 4 jaw chuck for some applications.

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Fair enough ... perhaps a 3 jaw is best for you.

Many of my workpieces are either not round, or the RT work is not concentric with the main shape.

MichaelG.

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So do you ONLY use 4 jaw chucks on your machinery and NEVER a 3 jaw ?

Edited By John Stevenson on 03/06/2015 10:03:34

"But a three-jaw on a rotary table is heading towards 'chocolate fireguard' territory:"

Could explain why all my models are just a blob on the floor, I have never used a 4 jaw on my R/T but seem to scrape by

May also explain why I seem to be able to knock them out at such a rate, don't spend half my time clocking items in that are held in a 4-jaw

J

PS 4 slots on my table (Soba 6" )

Edited By JasonB on 03/06/2015 10:13:51

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ROTFLMAO

If I had to use a 4 jaw like the purists all tell us then I would be bankrupt.

Yes but a worn old 4 jaw is far better to a cash strapped home engineer than a worn 3 jaw, until recently I've had to get by on what I could get second hand so my rotary table has a 4 jaw on it because I'd rather take a chance on a second hand 4 jaw than a second hand 3 jaw.
It's also more useful when it's the only chuck you have to fit your rotary table

Steve

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3 jaw chucks have their place, of course ... But my BCA, which has an 8" Rotary Table with four slots, has never had a 3 jaw mounted onto it. [see my comment at 09:55:56 today]

A small 4 jaw mounts onto it for holding small work.

It works for me ... and I was only offering my opinion.

MichaelG.

I'm convinced that you should do as Michael G says and buy both.

I have a three jaw and oddly most of the work I seem to want to do is rectangular.

At the moment I have drilled three holes 120 degrees to be in the middle of the other slots but drilled holes don't move so I'm in danger of making it into a Polyphon disc.

If you have a Camlock spindle on your lathe (eg Bantam D1-3), a 3-slotter could be helpful if you want to make a spindle nose adaptor for your RT. Allows you to mount all your chucks on the RT (including your 4-jaw!) but is more difficult to make if you get a 4-slot RT. Ask me how I know.

Been running daily since 1999 a Vertex 8" with dividing plates and 3 jaw chuck. Daily hover around 60 full revs to give you some idea. Just the odd clean out and lube every two years. Good buy at the time £60 plates and £195 for Vertex shop soiled.

Wish mine was 3 slot rather than 4 slot its purely a tool so drilled and tapped through chuck in to table and T slots to fix my old myford 5 1/4" Bison chuck. Its accurate and gets some stick.

I would buy the best table (bet it's not got Soba written on it) and use an adapter plate. Simples

Thanks for all the responses, I have bought an 8" Grafton rotary table off a well known auction site. From the pictures it looks OK the table is undamaged just missing the handles the screw in bit with a knob on, seller say good condition and can return at his cost, just have to wait and see what I get half the price of the Chinese ones. It's got 4 slots!