Electronic dividing head & Ratary Table

[Bezalel]

I'm going to need a few gears for my ETW Wallaby build. 
 
http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,930.msg10807.html#msg10807

And as yet,  I don't have a dividing head to index the gear blanks to cut the required number of teeth. 
 
A few months back , I treated myself to a little 4" rotary table .
 


And for a while now I have been thinking about how I can effectively attach some indexing plates that would allow me to use the table as a dividing head also.

 Eventually I settled on a solution.  ...............   A Stepper motor - If the Stepper was the same profile as the table or less I could mount a bigger plate on table without having to worry about how to wind the handle.
 
So started ordering the bits I would need.
 
I'm going to need one of these
 


and a coupler - the Stepper has a 5mm shaft and the Table worm drive has a 10mm shaft so naturally the coupler is 10x5 measuring 30mm long 25mm Dia.


 
I already have a Mach3 CNC driver which has a GX16-4 socket output so I'll need a few of these ;

 
 
 
The  Stepper only comes with 300mm of cable so I'll need one for the motor and a couple more for an extension lead. They come as pairs and the cable shell has the same thread as the chassis mounting nut so they can be used as in line or chassis mounting.
 
All I need now is turn up an adaptor that holds it all together. 
 
 
Bez

[Bezalel]

Well thanks to some much needed Alibre coaching from Dave Sohlstrm I have drawn up the adaptor that should  will bring this all together.
 

 
Hopefully there is an active PDF sectional view and a PDF drawing with the dimensions attached.

 
Bez
 

[Bezalel]

The adaptor is turned from 50mm dai Aluminium   Which in my case would be a casting.
 

 
To fit the adaptor the standard handle had to be removed.
 

 
In hind sight it would have been better to buy a duel shaft stepper and put the handle back on after the motor was fitted but that's an improvement for another day.
 
With the handle and womdrive shaft guide removed from the body of the casting the adaptor can be fitted with the shaft coupler inside.
 
Note to self: line up the coupler clamp screws with the holes in the adaptor BEFORE tightening the screws into the table body and the stepper motor    
 

 
 

 
As mentioned previously the chassis mount connectors can be converted to "in-line" connectors by arranging the shell from a plug to be fitted to the back of a socket as seen here.
 

 
Extension cable
 

 
 
 
Below is a short video of the testing by running some G code that simulates the cutting of a bolt head in round stock held axially in a chuck fitted to the table (Still awaiting delivary of the chuck).


 
 
 
I'm  more than happy with the result.   
 
 
Bez
 
 
 

[Bogstandard]

Lovely job Bez.

I only wish we could get much smaller but more powerful stepper motors and shorter couplings. Mine doesn't stick out quite as much as yours in relationship to size, but they sure can get in the way sometimes, when things get tight.

I bought a cheap screw on T-slotted faceplate to take mine from 6" to 9" size, I use a Myford nose thread as an adapter.

You can walk away from these electronic ones, and as long as you leave them switched on, you don't have to worry about where you are up to, as you normally do with division plates.

John

[Bezalel]

Thanks Bogs
 
I would have liked to have had the coupler touching both the RT body and the motor body, to make it stick out that little bit less.   
Unfortunately the mounting holes in the RT body are only 25mm apart, Which is the same diameter as the coupler.   Hence the diameter reduction, part way down the adaptor, to allow me to put the mounting screws in. 
If it turns out to be a problem  I might have to make my own much smaller coupler.
 
Any way, in the mean time, it still fits neatly in into it's normal storage tin, with all it's accessories.
 

 
 
Cheers
 
Bez
 
 

[swilliams]

Very cool Bez. Looks like you're ready to cut gears

Steve

[metalmad]

Wow How cool is that!
Nice one Bez
Pete

[vcutajar]

Nicely done Bez.  Can we send you our gear requirements now.

[Bezalel]

Sure! 

I'll practice on yours- I am sure the angle between teeth will be perfect. But if recent history is any indication the acuracy of the blank diamiter should get you gears accurate to +/- 2& half teeth


Bez