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Vertex rotary table

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Balljoint12/12/2011 10:24:13
39 forum posts
12 photos
I am looking to buy a rotary table and the vertex range has caught my eye, does anyone have any opinions as to quality etc
 
Thanks
John Coates12/12/2011 12:10:02
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558 forum posts
28 photos
I have their K4 vice and am thoroughly happy with it. Very robust and well made. Transformed my milling by having something substantial to hold work items.
chris stephens12/12/2011 13:16:27
1049 forum posts
1 photos
Vertex, if (?) they maintain their previous quality, are a good compromise between quality and price and are therefore a name to consider when buying tooling. I have their K4 vice, a 6" rotary table and drill chucks, all of which I would be happy to buy again, should the need arise.
chriStephens
 
The Merry Miller12/12/2011 13:52:21
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484 forum posts
97 photos

You can't go far wrong with Vertex.
I have the K4 vice (badged Myford) the 4" RT (badged Vertex) and the 6" RT (badged Excel)
Extremely good value for money.
I have modified the 4" RT to fit on the topslide of the Myford ML7 R-B lathe and also modified both RT's to accomodate dividing plates etc.
 
Len. P.
 

NJH12/12/2011 13:53:30
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2314 forum posts
139 photos
Hi Colin
 
I've had one for some years and I am wholly satisfied with it.
 
It is the 6" version and, as you will see, I have mounted a 5" 3-jaw chuck to a plain steel backplate and fixed it via some T nuts to the table. This is how it lives most of the time. If I need to mount a component directly to the table it is quick to remove the chuck which can then be fairly accurately re- centred when refitting by putting a No 2MT blank end arbour in the center socket of the table and nipping the jaws onto it. ( Further precision can of course be achieved with your dial guage!)
With the caveat of maintained quality mentioned by Chris I would recommend the make.
 
Regards
 
Norman
 
 
 

 

Martin W12/12/2011 15:27:31
940 forum posts
30 photos
Hi
 
I agree with all that's been said about the Vertex table. I have a 4 inch/100mm HV4 rotary table and have been very pleased with it. The construction and accuracy seem to very good considering the cost and mine is very smooth to operate with virtually no backlash.
 
One advantage of this type of table is that it has the table locking clamps on the periphery of the table which pulls it straight down unlike those with the table locking device which clamps the spindle from the side. The clamp acting on the spindle can, on some makes of table, move the table off center when the clamp is tightened, I believe this has been covered under an article in MEW.
 
Cheers
 
Martin
 
 PS
 
I bought a 3 jaw 100mm self centering surface mount chuck and this bolts directly onto the table via the T slots. This is quickly centered using an MT2 taper bar and nipping up the jaws to grip and then the mounting bolts can be snugged up. If greater accuracy is needed then 4 jaw and dial gauge would be appropriate, see Norman's post above.

Edited By Martin W on 12/12/2011 15:35:10

Johan van Zanten12/12/2011 15:57:24
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52 forum posts
98 photos
Hi Colin,
 
I use my Vertex 6" rotary table for more than 10 years and I am still happy with it. It is a good compromise between price and quality. I also use it with a (home made) dividing plate set to make gear wheels. The only problem is that their TS 1 tailstock does not fit nicely to the table of my mill, but that has nothing to do with quality. I think it's a good choice.
Balljoint12/12/2011 21:07:28
39 forum posts
12 photos
Hi Guys
 
Thanks for all of the info, I'd better get my letter off to santa pdq.
Nicholas Farr12/12/2011 21:30:34
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3988 forum posts
1799 photos
Hi Colin, I also agree with what has been said about the Vertex 6" RT, the only downside I have with mine, which I've mentioned in another thread is the fact that it only has three T slots, where four would be of more use. I have bought an indexing kit ( not Vertex version) from one of the popular suppliers to our hobby, which has been extremely useful, of which, one example can be seen in my Constructive Setups album, this was a quickie setup for drilling holes accurately in an oil spocket modification.
 
Regards Nick.
Dave Tointon13/12/2011 07:02:16
49 forum posts
G'Day Colin,
I've had a Vertex 6" rotary table for years and highly recommend it. .Very good value for money.
Regards
Dave Tointon
Clive Foster13/12/2011 08:51:58
3630 forum posts
128 photos

Yet another satisfied customer agreeing that Vertex made a good fist of the price / quality / performance balance. Mine is an 8".

 

Couple of niggles tho'.
 
Firstly the hand wheel is large enough to overhang the bottom of the table when horizontal so you have to ensure that it overhangs the machine table or pack it up. Occasionally an issue for me when using it on my square column Chester Lux style mill where, as usual with these machines, the spindle axis covers little more than the inner half of the table Y travel. This also means you need to make a stepped base if you want to store it horizontal.
 
Secondly, and this applies to all the smaller rotary tables, there really isn't room to use the conventional Tee nut, stud, clamp bar and step block / jacking bolt system. Even if the work is small the usual kits are too bulky so you need to get creative. Pity there is nothing more suitable off the shelf to get you going. When you do get creative remember that any Tee nut used purely to hold a stud should have a nut and washer holding it down onto the top of the table. Running the stud through and pushing up is unkind. I got hold of a small inch thick aluminium optical breadboard from Thor labs having a grid of 6 mm tapped holes at 25 mm spacing and bolted that to the table which was very effective for a lot of jobs and not silly expensive. Very tough anodised surface.
 
Even small tables are pretty heavy. For the 8" I made a pull out shelf on ball bearing drawer runners. Far better than wrestling out of a drawer or cupboard as you have a clean vertical lift.
 
Having now scaled up and become a Bridgeport user the Vertex table is on the disposals "when I get round to it" list. The extra real estate of the 10" and 12" tables I now use makes life much easier.
 
Clive

Edited By Clive Foster on 13/12/2011 08:52:53

John McNamara13/12/2011 13:51:20
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1377 forum posts
133 photos

Hi All

Re Vertex: I have an 8 inch.... It has never let me down.
If you carefully set the eccentric that engages the worm with the main gear it has negligible backlash. I am always careful not to overload the table with heavy cutting that may strain the gears.

You can use the vernier to divide and I have found it to be accurate. as long as you always turn the handle to the exact point and not more to eliminate the last vestige of backlash. I find it helps to leave the table clamps lightly engaged when indexing to place a small load on the gear engagement. Moving the handweel slowly to stop dead on the setting. I then tighten the clamps.

Microsoft Excel does a great job of calculating and accumulating the incremental divisions required when dividing

After about fifteen years of use it is still as good as new.

Cheers
John

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