Enco 12" rotary table

[Cryoine]

Hello again guys, the machine shop owner is asking if I want to purchase and old rotary table that he has from what I can tell it's an enco btanded rotary table model number 73123

Apart from the I know nothing else about it would anyone happen to have some literature on this

 

[Vector Warbirds]

Probably never going to find one but this might help: https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/threads/help-with-enco-rotary-table-disassembly.363632/

 

[Xyphota]

I don’t have any literature to share so someone else might chime in on the enco specifically, but hopefully i have some helpful comments lol.

I took a quick peruse through your previous postings to see if you mentioned if you have a mill already. I didn’t see any mention, do you have a mill yet?

If not but you have plans on getting one eventually, I wouldn’t buy the 12 in rotary table unless you are 100% sure you won’t settle for anything less than a bridgeport (or larger) shaped knee mill. The 12 in table is going to weigh atleast 150 lb so it’ll be challenging to move around by yourself safely.

I myself have a knee mill and I am in the market for an 8in rotary table because that is the largest table I think I can safely move myself without a crane/engine hoist.

 

[Mcgyver]

Enco was typically lower priced offshore stuff so keep that in mind with pricing. I have a News 12" rotary table and it is heavy but I wouldn't want it any smaller. Its not the size of the work, its having room for clamps.

otoh I agree with the weight concerns. No way its 150lbs, but it is also not the horizontal/vertical style (I prefer a separate index head) so the Enco might be heavier. I lifted it for ages and still can, but I put in a table top jib crane a couple of years ago....none of us are likely to get stronger as the years go by and you can end up with a lifetime of misery with one wrong move of the back.

So its a dilemma, convenience of a large surface, vs getting up their in weight for safe lifting.

 

[Darren]

I'm with @Mcgyver on this. Love my 12" Yuasa horizontal RT.

 

[Xyphota]

No way its 150lbs

Maybe you are stronger than you think! KBC says their vertex 12in is 148 lb. Granted it is horizontal + vertical so maybe horizontal only has lighter castings.

VERTEX,12IN. 4MT HORIZONTAL/VERT. ROTARY TABLE,8-551-052,KBC Tools & Machinery

VERTEX,12IN. 4MT HORIZONTAL/VERT. ROTARY TABLE,8-551-052,KBC Tools & Machinery

www.kbctools.ca

 

[Janger]

At one shop I was visiting the machinist had a cart with a slippery plastic top for his RT. He would set the mill table to the height of the cart - then position the cart adjacent to the mill -and slide the RT onto the mill table and back. No lifting 150 pound RTs. I thought that was pretty convenient.

 

[Mcgyver]

At one shop I was visiting the machinist had a cart with a slippery plastic top for his RT. He would set the mill table to the height of the cart - then position the cart adjacent to the mill -and slide the RT onto the mill table and back. No lifting 150 pound RTs. I thought that was pretty convenient.

The hard part is keeping a straight face when the wife asks "what happened to my cutting board?!"

 

[140mower]

The hard part is keeping a straight face when wife asks "what happened to my cutting board?!"

..... Well, she wouldn't want you using a new one in the shop while she's stuck with the old one in the kitchen...... She'll get another.

 

[Susquatch]

At one shop I was visiting the machinist had a cart with a slippery plastic top for his RT. He would set the mill table to the height of the cart - then position the cart adjacent to the mill -and slide the RT onto the mill table and back. No lifting 150 pound RTs.

That is what I did with my big 10". I put it on the top of a rolling tool chest next to my mill. In practice, I found that it isn't as heavy as a 12 would be so I actually stopped rolling the cabinet over. I just lift it and move it. I have put my back out from time to time, but the rotary table has never been a problem cuz I don't have to bend to lift and move it.