Do I need a tilting mill table?

[great white]

I've been thinking about buying a tilting table for my bench top mill (cx600/g0704). The reduced z clearance isn't an issue for the projects I do.

But I started thinking about the range of travel a table would have (ie: angle) and the fact that my mills head will tilt 45 degrees from vertical it either left or right directions.

Would a tilting table offer anything over just tilting the mill head?

I'm starting to think a tilting table would just be more of a limitation than and asset.....

 

[jwmelvin]

I’ve used mine for milling the edge of a press-brake die, for example. They let you use the longer x travel instead of the y travel that you’d use if you tilt the head. If your work is within the y travel, and you don’t mind the time resetting head tram, then tilting the head should be work.

 

[great white]

I’ve used mine for milking the edge of a press-brake die, for example. They let you use the longer x travel instead of the y travel that you’d use if you tilt the head. If your work is within the y travel, and you don’t mind the time resetting head tram, then tilting the head should be work.

That's actually part of what I'm thinking about.

I'd be looking at a 5x7 table and the y travel on my mill is 7". Short of having unsupported work off the ends of the tilt table, it seems I have the same amount of travel available with either option....or buy a longer tilt table, which is not really within my budget.

 

[jwmelvin]

I'd be looking at a 5x7 table and the y travel on my mill is 7". Short of having unsupported work off the ends of the tilt table, it seems I have the same amount of travel available with either option....or buy a longer tilt table, which is not really within my budget.

My tilt fixture is also 5x7, and I used it for a 12" part. That's not ideal (and I'd like to get a larger tilt fixture), but it did work. I likely used a machinist jack and some sort of clamps for the overhanging ends, but I seem not to have taken a picture.

I have used the tilt fixture quite a lot for v-grooves, and it often stays on the mill table for extended periods.

 

[C-Bag]

I have a mill drill with no head tilt. FWIW the tilt table has worked as I’d have no way to do what was needed without it. I also have 5x7.

 

[DavidR8]

Of course you do... what a silly question

 

[Aaron_W]

It would also allow for a nod feature which your mill does not have allowing you to choose which way the tilt runs, as well as allowing compound angles.

I have a small tilting vise, but so far have had no need for the tilt function. I'm sure it will be appreciated when I have a project that needs it, just hasn't happened yet. The tilting vise still works as a nice small vise, so not wasted. I haven't had a need to tilt the head yet either.

Angle plate is another option.

Actually I do have a tilting angle table on my Sherline mill, I forgot I have it so obviously it sees a ton of use.

 

[great white]

This is interesting:





Maybe I should just make one myself. I ran across those pics on a machinery clearance site, from the UK if I remember.

That looks like aluminum, I'd probably at least do 1018 and maybe even make the top table a t-slot table. I've got the tooling for it already. the big plus of making it myself as I can size it to my particular mill. As short or as long as I want it and the holes/slots where I need them to fit things like my rotary table, clamp kit, etc. My benchtop mill has roughly 13" of vertical clearance, so I shouldn't have a lot of problems fitting it under the head. Of course, making it myself means I can make it shorter if needed, although at the cost of tilt angle.

 

[jwmelvin]

I wonder a bit about rigidity. The usual design has a large-radius interface and should offer much better rigidity as a result of the large contact area. But maybe it’s not as much of a benefit as it seems to me. It would be possible to stiffen the design above with an adjustable brace of sorts.

 

[tjb]

I have had one for a few years and only used it a few times. In my shop, it's not the kind of tool that's used routinely, but in my opinion, it's well worth the cost for certain projects. The biggest advantage I see is not having to re-tram the head when milling at an angle. Knowing what I know now, I'd definitely buy one again if I didn't already have one. You may find that you may also want a magnetic angle finder to go with it. That's come in very handy for me.

Regards