I have wired up my new Rotary. But I am now grappling with the decision as to where to place it. Also, how do I switch between XYZ cuts an rotary? During the installation process they had us change the tool setter coordinates, also homing etc. Ideally I would like to mount it vertically. Any guides to practical use?
Thanks
I have a journeyman and X-axis rotary set up.
I don’t remember having to change the tool setter coordinates (I don’t use a 1F work bench, if that is the difference, and my tool setter is back-left of the bench)
I have my rotary running across the front, with an X-axis rotation, sitting in the well I created for vertical milling that I rarely use. This gives me extra height, like having a foreman, as I can use the blocks on the rotary to use bigger diameter stock.
I’m finding that the rotary kicks out a lot of chips that are hard to capture in a dust boot. Running along the X-axis may limit chip and dust buildup on the rails. The X axis seems not to be in the line of flight of dust and chips compared to the Y axis.
I do not plan to move my rotary very often, as I don’t always need the whole cutting area of the machine. So, whether you go x-axis or y-axis milling may depend on your stock’s typical size and dimension.
I imagine moving your spindle out of the way is easier when setting up stock with the X-axis rotary.
Most examples of rotary milling appear to be on the x-axis. In the early days this may make using tutorials easier to translate.