Here is a rotary fixture table that I made to hold both the harmonic drive and the tail-stock.

It is not really meant for any particular purpose, its just so I can easily connect it to my machine when I need to work on the rotary. There are several other fixtures that I will be making, but for now I will show you how I made this one.

The table is the basic shape I discussed in my CNC table section.

CNC Tables

Its the same layout except I used a overhang that is about 2-5/8” which makes it 4-5/8” from the first table mounting bolts. Note that the mounting holes are all 5/8” from the edge. These mounting holes are 3/8” in diameter.

Next I added the six main harmonic drive mounting holes. The holes are all 11/32”. This is important because I am going to insert some 1/4-20 rivnuts later.

Next I added a series of holes so I could mount the tail-stock in several positions. Again these are 11/32” holes for the 1/4-20 rivnuts.

Here is what the fixture looks like once the holes are drilled.

I flip the board over and lay it on my workbench. I will be working from the bottom of the fixture table.

I am going to be using some clear Gorilla glue to add a little more strength to the nut, so I use a cotton swab to moisten the inside of each hole.

I place a 5/16” plain washer over the hole.

You can pick up some rivnuts here:

1/4-20 Rivnuts

After adding a couple drops of glue to the nut I set it in place.

I tap it into place with a hammer.

Here is the bottom of the fixture table with all the rivnuts installed. Note that I only work on four or five nuts at a time so that the water does not dry out.

I reinstall the table. I added a washer and 1/4-20 x 1” bolt to each nut and snug them up. This is done to make sure the Rivnuts are tight against the table while the glue cures.

You can use some 1/4-20 x 1” hex bolts to hold the rotary and tail-stock in place.

Here, I am using some 1/4-20 studs, and small knobs to hold both the tail-stock in place.

1/4-20 Studs

Small Knobs

That’s it, the fixture is complete. I will be working a couple alignment jigs that I will post once they are completed.

While this fixture is not a practical one its great for getting the rotary setup and doing some basic operation.

An alternative would be to mount the tail-stock and rotary drive on their own separate fixtures. This would allow you to work on large pieces.

Note while I am mounting this fixture to one of my CNC Construction Set machines, the fixture can also be easily mounted on the KRMx02 with a couple added mounting holes. That said, I will be doing a write-up on mounting directly to an 8020 series 10, 1030 extruded top very soon.