The use of a rotary table in conjunction with a mill is a powerful combination. In fact, it is said that a mill with a rotary table is the minimum combination of tooling required to duplicate itself. The rotary table allows a part to be rotated under the headstock to drill radial hole patterns or mill curved slots. When used in the vertical position it can be used to cut splines or gear teeth. (An optional 90° angle plate P/N 3701 and 90° adjustable tailstock P/N 3702 are also available separately.)

Sherline's 4" rotary table is machined from bar stock steel and ground for accurate fits. On the surface are four t-slots to aid in mounting parts. The 72:1 worm gear is driven by a handwheel that is divided into 50 increments. This means that each increment is equivalent to .1°, dividing a circle into 3600 parts without interpolation. Seventy-two rotations of the handwheel turn the table one complete revolution. Backlash is adjustable and an oiling fitting is supplied to keep the internal surfaces lubricated. Instructions are included that not only cover the setup and use of the rotary table, but also give examples of how it is used to machine the internal spokes of a flywheel. Also included are the necessary hold-down bolts and clamps to hold it in place on the mill and an adapter that screws into the center hole to allow a Sherline 3- or 4-jaw chuck to be screwed directly to the table.

This item has not been offered on special since February, 2001, so if you've been thinking of adding a rotary table to your shop, now is the perfect time. It may be a long time before it is offered at this price again. This rotary table can also be used on larger mills or drill presses where its small size would be an advantage.