Purchased Indexer

[kubotaman]

Today I purchased an indexer for my PRS Alpha. What is the usual way you recommend to mount the headstock and tailstock to the table? I am thinking of grooving the table so I can slide the tailstock when needed to make room for longer or shorter stock. Any recommendations?

[jdervin]

There's a lot of good advice and a wide variety of solutions in these threads:

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1468

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1407

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1381

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1417

My personal favorite is the one employed by Jack Jarvis, but it is a customized table. My only other advice would be to hold off on doing anything too permanent until you've gained more experience. You'll find that there are pros and cons to most all of these set-ups.

[kubotaman]

I have a 5X10' table so I will mount it on the X axis. I also have the 12" Z heigth so I can easily do 16" in diameter. I was just wondering if a trough the length of the table would be the best all round option so I could slide the base mounts closer or further away. Any other suggestions?

[myxpykalix]

Daryl,
Here is a couple pictures of my table and i think you can make the same thing (kind of)...

Since you have a 12" Z what i would do is make a "torsion box" in a 4'X8' size then lay that on the table. Where you have the torsion box naturally your Z would be less but that then makes a indexer bay of sorts. I definitely would mount it in the X axis.
My indexer is mounted with the indexer motor at the 0,0 point. l'd get a piece of aluminum 8' long so you can readily change sizes.

Here is a picture that someone here made a track for cheaper than aluminum and i kept the picture to be able to do the same thing some day.

BTW...if you need any spiral toolpaths or others to try let me know I can make you some

[kubotaman]

Jack, I have seen your table before and that is what I am basically going to do. My 12" Z axis believe it or not have done quite well since I bought the machine new. I haven't had any vibration in it so far so I will keep the torsion box in mind if need be. As far as toolpaths I thank you for the offer. I am now trying to learn Aspire's way of doing the simple and hopefully more complex toolpaths right now. Sure wish that it would show the results that I am use to as in the "normal" sheet stock. Quite a lot of learning for an old fella!!!!!