Is the 4″ Rotary Table at ArcEurotrade better than SOBA ?

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Is the 4″ Rotary Table at ArcEurotrade better than SOBA ?

This topic has 18 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 8 April 2010 at 21:32 by Sub Mandrel.

Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

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2 April 2010 at 18:31 #50358
MarcuSweden
Participant
@marcusweden
I need to buy a Rotary Table that fits my minimillclone from Amadeal http://www.amadeal.co.uk/acatalog/XJ12-300.html .

I was thinking of a 4″ table from Chronos or ArcEurotrade but the table from ArcEurotrade is much more expensive and cost £137,50 and a SOBA table from Chronos cost £71,49 , the best thing would maybe be to buy a set containing rotary table, tailstock and dividing plates but the set at ArcEurotrade looks like “noname made in china” and is quite expensive while the SOBA from Chronos looks like “made in india” and has a better price.

I realy dont know which one to buy, any thoughs is helpful.
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2 April 2010 at 18:31 #16543
MarcuSweden
Participant
@marcusweden
2 April 2010 at 19:24 #50359
Frazer Heslop
Participant
@frazerheslop19754
I purchased a 4inch table made by soba and spent longer repairing it than using until the pinion gave up and no spares are available.On purchase the table moved over 20thou when using the lock screw I remachined the casting and pressed in a close fitting ring then machined the worm to accept thrust bearings and fitted adjustable nuts for back lash after all this the pinion then failed .
2 April 2010 at 20:30 #50363
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Maybe the 4″ Sobas are different but I’ve had a 6″ Soba for about 9 months and am quite happy with it. Got the full set with div plates & tailstock.

Jason
2 April 2010 at 20:38 #50364
Fenley
Participant
@fenley
I have to agree, the Soba range does seem poor quality for some items . I prefer the vertex range of tooling which seems far beter quality and comes from Taiwan.

Chester UK are selling a 4″ on Ebay for £99 at the moment. No doubt other retailer will sell for similar prices.
2 April 2010 at 22:11 #50367
Frazer Heslop
Participant
@frazerheslop19754
Thanks for the infoAndy i will have a look at the Harrogate show as i now need a new rotary table but am now very wary of some of the equipment now on sale as I seem to have had most of this imported stuff fail and it seems to be a waste of material. I had been considering replacing my trusty old Myford with a modern import but will definatly be keeping it now as at least you can buy spares.Sorry for high jacking the thread.
2 April 2010 at 22:42 #50369
Ian Raines
Participant
@ianraines81423
I purchased the 6in rotary table from Warco complete with div plates it works satisfactory with alittle bit of play but nothing you cannot get around. It was about £130 at midlands show.
3 April 2010 at 06:42 #50370
Jens Eirik Skogstad 1
Participant
@jenseirikskogstad1
I has Soba 6″ rotary table, bought from Cronos. I am very satisfied with the rotary table, There are a set division plates and a tail stock. it can tilt to 90 degree, also horizontal and vertical and it has a MK2 tapered hole. The Soba products are made in India.
3 April 2010 at 08:44 #50371
peter walton 1
Participant
@peterwalton1
I have the 4″ Soba purchased from Cronos, with which I am reasonably satisfied. Not sure I understand how the pinion broke.

I converted my one to stepper drive for use as 4th axis on my mill, a very trying experience so if you want to convert the table I for one would recommend the Arc-euro unit as that has certainly been converted in a much easier fashion and can be purchased already converted and at a reasonable price considering all the work mine entailed, I wich I had gone that route!

Peter
3 April 2010 at 12:28 #50377
MarcuSweden
Participant
@marcusweden
I´s a 6″ table to big for my small minimill ? table on minimill is 112mm wide and the 6″ will look big but maybe it will work fine anyway ?

I did look on the vertex rotary table on ebay , both chester and chronos sell it on ebay.co.uk but i want to buy it with dividing plates, also chronos has the vertex table marked “SORRY OUT OF STOCK” on their webpage and i dont know how to buy it from ebay with the dividing plates.

On chesters webpage they take £126,59 for the rotary table which feels like more than the £99 on ebay , same company two different prices….
3 April 2010 at 12:48 #50378
peter walton 1
Participant
@peterwalton1
On my micro mill (X1) when a chuck is mounted on my 4″ table there is not a lot of room left of the Z-axis so much so that I am considering raising the whole column.

Its ok with the rotab horizontal its just that all the bits joined one upon another doesnt leave much room for the cutter and work piece.

I even have to put the cutter in a morse collet so as to leave enough room.

Peter
5 April 2010 at 22:50 #50431
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
I bought a 1 1/2″ SOBA milling vice from one of the ‘usual suspects’. the jaws were about 3 degrees off true and the left had screw thread stripped under modest pressure. In the end I found another screw that fitted and milled the jaws straight.

I bought a much bigger no-name vice from Proops for £20 and its excellent…

Neil
5 April 2010 at 23:14 #50432
MarcuSweden
Participant
@marcusweden
I have decided to buy the Vertex 4″ rotary table after the things I read here. I will try to find a kit with the Vertex table and dividing plates.

I have never bought anything from Ebay uk , Is it anything special to think of when buying from ebay ?

Anyone who own the table from ArcEurotrade ?
6 April 2010 at 00:04 #50433
Windy
Participant
@windy30762
I have bought numerous new and secondhand small tools etc from Ebay.

A word of warning on the second hand sales, study a photo very carefully some sellers are very economical with the truth and if not as advertised demand money back.

If seller refuses tell them you will notify Ebay, many of these sell regulary and most do not want a bad feedback or to be banned from Ebay.

Windy
6 April 2010 at 19:38 #50464
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
Email the seller with a couple of sensible questions, even if you think you can guess the answers. The tone of their reply is a good guide.

Yopu can’t avoid being ripped off completely though – I bought a used mini-lathe motor for £40 from the back of ME. The elderly seller sounded a real gent on the phone. The armature had two blown coils… you can’t trust the old people of today!

Neil
6 April 2010 at 23:34 #50475
MarcuSweden
Participant
@marcusweden
Thanks, but i can trust Chronos and other large shops when they sell on Ebay ? But i dont understand why Chronos sells the Vertex rotary 4″ table on Ebay but has it marked as “Out of stock” on their own webpage.
8 April 2010 at 11:31 #50512
Doddy
Participant
@doddy
As I’m on a bit of a tight budget I went for the Soba from Chrono’s – I to love quality tools but as a begineer sometimes I have to balance usefulness, cost and quality and for 70quid it’s not bad at all –

Yes there’s a bit of backlash, but a good machinist can and should allow for this whenever moving anything, table lock is fine with no movement to the work when locking in place.

The worm wheel adjuster and lock is of little use and had to spot face the mounting holes

But I’ve added an old spare 1/2″ chuck via the 2MT which is on centre height for my lathe (75mm)

Not the most robust of set ups but cheap and cheerful and very handy – apart from that it comes in a lovely wooden box !
8 April 2010 at 17:47 #50522
MarcuSweden
Participant
@marcusweden
Thanks for the pictures ! perfect to se how big it looks on the milling table.
8 April 2010 at 21:32 #50532
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
Looks OK for £75.

I made my own from continuous cast iron. It’s as ugly as a pig, but it has a wierd cotton-reel table (not slotted) that gives the advantage of swapping chucks with my mini-lathe, without too much height.

I made the gear wheel by free hobbing, the first one had 61 teeth! the second was dodgy too, but then I discovered that brass came in different grades and got a good wheel using 1/4″ engraving brass. One of the failures became the handwheel and the 61-tooth one sits in the bits box to remind me not to get too cocky!

Neil
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