Vintage dividing head and rotary table

[AllenV]

I thought I’d offer up a rotary table and an indexing head for discussion. That is, if they are at all interesting.

I got these from my father about 12 years ago. He had them in his backyard shop in the San Diego area since my childhood. I recall using the index head as a teenager, round about 1976. I was attempting to make my own bicycle wheel hub with a one-piece turned aluminum outer shell and sealed bearings. I had the lathe work finished and was very happy with the result. The next step was to drill the left and right flanges for spoke holes. A 32 spoke wheel would need 16 evenly spaced holes on each side. I set the index head for 16 holes and drill one side. Pulled it off the mill and counted 15 holes!! Scrapped the part because I did not run a test, marking where the holes would have gone. Rookie error. I was so disappointed in myself that I abandoned the project.

The dividing head is from Ellis in Alhambra, CA. It has a 5-inch 3-jaw chuck marked “The Cushman Chuck Co.”

The rotary table is an 8-inch diameter with “Palmgren” in the casting.

Both can use a clean-up but are otherwise in good condition.

 

[benmychree]

I think that the Ellis is a copy of a Brown & Sharpe dividing head.

 

[MikeInOr]

Those look beautiful to me!

How much are you asking for them? I have a feeling that shipping would be quite steep.

 

[mmcmdl]

Both are nice tools !

 

[pontiac428]

Palmgren made tools using cheap(er) postwar manufacturing techniques but did not skimp on the precision of the finished parts. Everyone needs a RT, and Palmgrens are still a good value.

A lot of small manufacturers popped up in California from the aerospace industry, also after the war. It tends to be good stuff too. A well kept Cushman is a nice small chuck by any standard.

If you're running a mill, you will surely appreciate having both!

You probably already know how many divisions you need if you still recall the lesson from scrapping a part almost 50 years ago, but there is an excellent chapter in Moltrecht's Shop Practice book on dividing as a broad subject. I like to look through every now and again to brush up on some of the practical techniques.

 

[AllenV]

Palmgren made tools using cheap(er) postwar manufacturing techniques but did not skimp on the precision of the finished parts. Everyone needs a RT, and Palmgrens are still a good value.

A lot of small manufacturers popped up in California from the aerospace industry, also after the war. It tends to be good stuff too. A well kept Cushman is a nice small chuck by any standard.

If you're running a mill, you will surely appreciate having both!

You probably already know how many divisions you need if you still recall the lesson from scrapping a part almost 50 years ago, but there is an excellent chapter in Moltrecht's Shop Practice book on dividing as a broad subject. I like to look through every now and again to brush up on some of the practical techniques.

Thanks for providing this back story. It makes sense as he was part of the Southern California aerospace industry starting from the mid fifties.

When it comes time to brush up on my dividing head skills I another gem from his library. "Shop Theory" from the Henry Ford Trade School. It has a section on setting up and using dividing heads. Excerpts in the images below.

I really need to study the whole thing as it is full of fundamentals

 

[pontiac428]

When it comes time to brush up on my dividing head skills I another gem from his library. "Shop Theory" from the Henry Ford Trade School. It has a section on setting up and using dividing heads. Excerpts in the images below.

I bought my copy about a year ago. It's the textbook I wish I had when I was growing up! Makes the Navy machinist's manual look like a gloss over the subject in comparison. Smartphones have changed a lot of our behaviors, so in order to combat that, books like these belong on the nightstand or near the porcelain reading chair. Good for short attention skims or deep dives, whatever you're in the mood for. A lot of effort and resources went into writing these books, so save them from the recyclers!

 

[MikeInOr]

I thought I’d offer up a rotary table and an indexing head for discussion. That is, if they are at all interesting.

I got these from my father about 12 years ago. He had them in his backyard shop in the San Diego area since my childhood. I recall using the index head as a teenager, round about 1976. I was attempting to make my own bicycle wheel hub with a one-piece turned aluminum outer shell and sealed bearings. I had the lathe work finished and was very happy with the result. The next step was to drill the left and right flanges for spoke holes. A 32 spoke wheel would need 16 evenly spaced holes on each side. I set the index head for 16 holes and drill one side. Pulled it off the mill and counted 15 holes!! Scrapped the part because I did not run a test, marking where the holes would have gone. Rookie error. I was so disappointed in myself that I abandoned the project.

The dividing head is from Ellis in Alhambra, CA. It has a 5-inch 3-jaw chuck marked “The Cushman Chuck Co.”

The rotary table is an 8-inch diameter with “Palmgren” in the casting.

Both can use a clean-up but are otherwise in good condition.

How much are you asking for each one?

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I bought my copy about a year ago. It's the textbook I wish I had when I was growing up! Makes the Navy machinist's manual look like a gloss over the subject in comparison. Smartphones have changed a lot of our behaviors, so in order to combat that, books like these belong on the nightstand or near the porcelain reading chair. Good for short attention skims or deep dives, whatever you're in the mood for. A lot of effort and resources went into writing these books, so save them from the recyclers!

I actually prefer a physical book to and electronic version, I like the tactile interface. I know you cannot do a word search on a physical book; but I learn a great deal from the materiel I read while looking for other bits....

 

[AllenV]

How much are you asking for each one?

Have no plans to sell them. My intentions are to clean them up and use them.