Cutting a 4" hole through 1" thick aluminium, The lazy way!

In case anyone wondered how I was able to hold an 11" diameter aluminium disk in my elevated headstock Boxford (in a separate thread) I have uploaded a video to YouTube showing how I cut a large central hole so I could grip it in the chuck.

Video is shaky as I am lowering the cutter and giving the job a spin whilst holding the camera. This was the second hole I cut, the first one started almost by itself. Cutting through the 1" takes about 10 minutes.

The rotary table is made out of a car front wheel bearing/hub assembly. It has very little preload and yet no detectable play.

The video is at,

http://youtu.be/Jv8_JCiAbRk

Ian P

Edited By Ian Phillips on 27/07/2013 21:11:53

Edited By Ian Phillips on 27/07/2013 21:12:36

Hello,

I suspect that you, Sir, are a bit of a genius on the quiet.

Carl.

Hi Ian, thats a neat idea.

Regards Nick.

Hi Ian,

I have done something similar but always used the handwheel on my rotary table. As you say, yours almost do everything by itself! I suppose the bearings in your rotary table has much less friction than mine. Nice video.

Thor

I would have done the same but I dont have a real rotary table. The 'table' on my rotating axis has a few sets of indexing holes in its top face (12 & 10) and I use it as a rotary indexer (with a lash up clamping device)

I have used it to 'carefully' cut large radii on rectangular reatures by arranging temporary travel stops. Rotating the job whilst cutting needs concentration and a firm grip on the table! but it works.

Ian P

Having said that if you have a table on which you can disengage the worm gear then