Hi folks, just wondering if anyone knows a source of handwheel controlled metal slidy table things / compound tables / slide tables / x-y tables - whatever you want to call them - for a side project I've got going on.

Like the base of a milling machine where you mount the work.

Hopefully it wont be too big, and doesn't need much range of movement either. Also, tolerance isn't too much of an issue - should be fairly easy to satisfy those criteria? Something fairly basic is good, price is the driving factor on this one.

Used, new, whatever. can't find any anywhere - maybe I'm calling them the wrong thing?

Cheers, Al.

A quick ebay search for 'milling machine' I found these

Rotary table

bench top cnc mill

big mill

cross slide vice

If you're not too concerned about accuracy then this would probably do.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p...70&r=2194&g=106

COlin

Have a look at Proxxon Tools.They make a nice smallish one.


I eat rat poison
mike

I can cause trouble in an empty house !!

I've got one of those, there are three sizes in the range. I think it's the only Clarke thing I've bought that I haven't had to repair before using it!

I use it on a pillar drill, and would be lost without it.

I bought one of these; from axminster tools; looks a bit (but not much) better than the clarke ones.
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/14/produc...Vice-206617.htm

(search for cross vice and compound table - several size are avialable and ISTR cheaper than MM).

I have never used it and would be lost without my Silva compass.

Thanks guys, in fact I just need the x-y table rather than a sliding vice, as I need to mount a rotating vice on top, so it can move in a plane and rotate as well. I have found some decent swivelling vices, but I need to mount it on a moveable base...

Ta, I'll keep looking.

Al.

Couldn't you do it the other way round? Mount a sliding vice on a rotating base - front hub for example.

The table on my drill will rotate

Yeah - I could either use a rotary table and a slide-vice, or a slide-table and a rotary vice.

From what I've seen so far, I think there'd be less slop in a slide tabel and rotary vice, using low cost parts.

Those big rotary tables are great, but needs to be at least semi-portable. 60 kgs just for part of one bit of the machine is just too damn big.

This route may be possible if I can find a slightly smaller rotary table at a decent price.

Al.