I've been having difficulty arranging jobs held on an angle plate on my mill so that I can utilise the full X and Y range. JasonB suggested a webless angle plate so that jobs can be mounted on the inner face. I got a 4 "Soba plate from Axminster tools. These cast iron plates are ground on the outside surfaces and edges but the inner is as-cast.
I wanted to be able to mill a pair of slots at the mill table T slot spacing. The best solution I could come up with was this slightly hairy arrangement which is pretty much at the limit of my machine.
I used a 3/8" slot drill and it went OK. Having got the T slots I needed to mill the inner surface. Fortunately I have low profile vice designed for the Dore-Westbury milling machine.
The angle plate can be mounted to the table
this way:
or
that way
That took me pretty well all day, including cleaning up all the CI swarf and re-oiling the slides.
So, that gives me a lot more flexibilty about where the plate is fastened to the mill table. Thanks Jason.
Rod