Dividing Heads

Brento

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Say if i need to make a dividing plate since i am making a dividing head from scratch. Does the diameter of the hole pattern matter at all?
 
I think the only restriction would be the diameter of the holes and the room needed for them to get the divisions you want.
 
I think the correct answer is no it doesn't matter. As dennys502 said. I would be careful about the size so that you can fit the largest number of holes and smallest in a size disc that will fit the dividing head. It will be fun to see what others have to say.
 
It takes about a 4 1/2" diameter plate to accommodate the holes for the B&S type dividing head with three plates, much bigger for the Cincinnati type that has a higher number of holes that has only one plate drilled on both sides.
 
can you have more accuracy with the holed at a larger diameter?
Not sure. Have not started doing a plate yet. but like others it would be great to have as many amounts of set ups on one plate as well so its not wasted.
 
The hell of it is that you need a dividing head to drill the plates --- the spacing must be accurate, and the hole diameter and the diameter of the hole circle must be accurate; which came first, the chicken or the dividing head? It would seem that the larger diameter could be more accurate, but it still depends on the accuracy of the device used to divide the hole pattern.
 
Well my plan would be to take a pce of round stock and bore the center hole. Then go to the mill and indicate center of the hole. Since i don't have a rotary table i would use a cad program and plot each point as a X and Y coordinate.
 
Well my plan would be to take a pce of round stock and bore the center hole. Then go to the mill and indicate center of the hole. Since i don't have a rotary table i would use a cad program and plot each point as a X and Y coordinate.
That's a very good approach. You can then use the manually laid out dividing plate (CAD + MILL) to make a second using your dividing head, any errors will be reduced by the worm ratio of your dividing head, typically 40:1. You can do this as many times as you like but twice is sufficient.
 
That's a very good approach. You can then use the manually laid out dividing plate (CAD + MILL) to make a second using your dividing head, any errors will be reduced by the worm ratio of your dividing head, typically 40:1. You can do this as many times as you like but twice is sufficient.
So you would have to make a second plate with the same hole layout for the dividing head?
 
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