# Where to place the Rotary Axis **URL:** \ **Category:** General Chat\ **Created:** [November 21, 2022, 11:37pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331 "2022-11-21T23:37:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phaidinyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@phaidinyak](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/phaidinyak)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 11:37pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/1 "2022-11-21T23:37:25Z")
How close to the back of the machine (4x10) can I place the Rotary Axis? ---
**Author:** ![subnoize](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/subnoize/32/2197_2.png) [@subnoize](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/subnoize)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 12:06am UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/2 "2022-11-22T00:06:02Z")
Hmmm, dunno actually. Every time I set it up it’s more based on what I need it to do so it changes. ---
**Author:** ![Stephen](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/stephen/32/2569_2.png) [@Stephen](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/Stephen)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/3 "2022-11-22T00:14:09Z")
If you mean inset along the X axis, you can set it based on the rotary work envelope you want. You can slide the cross-members to accommodate that. If you want a “swing” of 8 inches, then you can mount the rotary axis center at your machine’s maximum Y minus 4 inches. You probably also want the tailstock touchplate mount to stay inside the working area. ---
**Author:** ![jjneeb](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/jjneeb/32/244_2.png) [@jjneeb](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/jjneeb)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 1:51am UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/4 "2022-11-22T01:51:53Z")
One thing I would add is that envelop will vary depending on if you are going to just use 3 axis (the wrapped type that Vectic does), or true 4 axis like you can do with something like F360. The former allows you to onlly worry about the swing of the workpiece and that the spindle must be able to reach the axis center. The latter requires you to be able to reach further back in the swing which will require placing the unit forward more. Howver, the back is a good place because you can make some of that unusable area in the back usable again. ---
**Author:** ![phaidinyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@phaidinyak](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/phaidinyak)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/5 "2022-11-22T02:25:49Z")
I’m putting it across the back. I look for where the spindle would be at the back but I couldn’t find it in the documents. I have to move the back legs so I want to move them as little as possible. ---
**Author:** ![jjneeb](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/jjneeb/32/244_2.png) [@jjneeb](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/jjneeb)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 2:44am UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/6 "2022-11-22T02:44:23Z")
I just jogged all the way back on mine and the center of the spindle is rougly 14.5" from the back edge of the top. I have the 4hp spindle and standard AVID mounting. ---
**Author:** ![Stephen](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/stephen/32/2569_2.png) [@Stephen](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/Stephen)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/7 "2022-11-22T12:58:29Z")
Here’s the 5x10 work area diagram. It says the same as @jjneeb. > **[PRO60120\_workarea-00003-cst.pdf](https://www.avidcnc.com/dl/cad.pdf/PRO60120_workarea-00003-cst.pdf)** ---
**Author:** ![davidcnc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@davidcnc](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/davidcnc)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/8 "2022-11-22T15:19:44Z")
And don’t forget the Rotary footprint [https://www.avidcnc.com/dl/cad.pdf/Avid\_CNC\_Rotary\_Axis\_Footprints.pdf](https://www.avidcnc.com/dl/cad.pdf/Avid_CNC_Rotary_Axis_Footprints.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![phaidinyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@phaidinyak](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/phaidinyak)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 5:35pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/9 "2022-11-22T17:35:49Z")
Perfect, thanks. THese are just extra characters to satisfy the counter ---
**Author:** ![gilroykilroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@gilroykilroy](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/gilroykilroy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/10 "2022-11-22T18:48:37Z")
When I assembled my 5x10 it mentions the back “bay” being not the full 60cm wide. I naïvely changed the back bay to the 60cm and make the one next to it the shorter bay. Well, when I go to start the config process, I see the spindle does not go back that far 😬 Needless to say I changed the last cross member position to the way the instructions had it and put the rotary axis in the last 60cm bay. The final back bay is now just dead space. ---
**Author:** ![phaidinyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@phaidinyak](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/phaidinyak)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/11 "2022-11-22T19:35:21Z")
Yeah, the problem I have is I’m using the first bay for a vertical table and with a 8ft spoil board using the next to last bay puts the rotary axis to close to the spoil board. I need to move the last cross piece forward so I can move the rotary axis back a bit. ---
**Author:** ![gilroykilroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@gilroykilroy](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/gilroykilroy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2022, 7:49pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/where-to-place-the-rotary-axis/1331/12 "2022-11-22T19:49:08Z")
I am also using the first bay for vertical table too. The second to last bay is the rotary. The actual last bay is dead. A full 4x8 sheet of plywood does fit (barely) after the first bay to the rotary.