Steady Rest
- Thread starter REH
- Start date
what lathe do you have?
FInd a steady rest that was made for it and make UHMW or Delrin collets to fit inside a bearing that fits it.REH said:
Much more stable and accurate than 3-wheel rests.
OR here's a plan.
http://home.online.no/~oe-riis/steady_rest.html
http://www.poolndarts.com/index.cfm...og.Product&displayView=closeup&productID=5957REH said:
that one?
With an Atlas lathe ( flat bed? ), you can just make a base and use pillow block. Make a UHMW or Delrin collet ( 12.5MM, 13 MM, 13.5 and 14.00MM ), and you's done.
You put a slight angle on the compound rest and bore the hole slowly.REH said:
> Is this going to be mounted on the bed or behind the headstock,to be used with a small benchtop lathe like some of us use for repairs? Chris Hightower would be very helpful here. The steady rest I have is an outboard type,and was made for use with my little Enco lathe. It is a diamond shaped pillow block with an internal bearing and swivel. It is mounted on a 12" long piece of u-channel stock,with slots milled in it for the bolts and nylon-insert lock nuts that hold it in place. It can be adjusted up and down,and with the steel plate welded to the bottom,once you get the right distance set and height adjusted,it can be bolted in place. Having one made identical to mine would cost more than buying one from Chris,and he can also provide collets to fit it. Tommy D.
I aggree, that where & how the steady will be used is an important question, because they're actually 2 different setups in most cases. The size of the bearing you use may also be relivent to how it will be used.
If It's needed in between centers on the lathe, then probably have an easier time with a flat bed lathe that's slotted like some better wood lathes are, because the mount may be easier to fabricate, but alignment may become a issue unless you can overhang the steady on one side of the bed to help keep it aligned. That may be solved with a longer bearing or steady also, because it will somewhat self align it'self when you slide the work piece through It, but I don't know where to get those, and probably expensive if they were located.
Obviously the easiest to fabricate might be with the use of a flange bearing, and strong angle bracket for the mount. With that setup I would drill/bore for, and mount the bearing last, so I can align and center it with the lathe easier.
btw You could also mill the bottom of the mount to fit the slot in the bed, or attatch a piece of stock that is the width of the slot to the bottom of the mount. That is providing that the slot channel in the bedway runs true. you may also be able to use a self aligning bearing setup. the list goes on and on on how to do it, just have to figure out the best suited method for each paticular setup.
If you want to save yourself the aggravation, then I would call Chris & ask him first also. He already has some lathes figured out & setup to fabricate the parts, and for what goes into making them, he is reasonable on price. I've got parts for stuff I was making from him that I could have made, but when I figured out the cost to buy the parts to do it myself, I found It was well worth the little extra to save the time and aggravation, and put It toward something else I needed to build.
If you need more of a specialized mount, A machine shop may also be able to make you a base for your mount, and might even be familiar with or able to find the specs on your lathe to make explaining what you need easier. I have had that done also with mounts by someone I knew, and traded some production cues out for the work. He thought I gave him way too much for the work, so might not be too expensive to have done depending on the mount type needed.
Greg
If It's needed in between centers on the lathe, then probably have an easier time with a flat bed lathe that's slotted like some better wood lathes are, because the mount may be easier to fabricate, but alignment may become a issue unless you can overhang the steady on one side of the bed to help keep it aligned. That may be solved with a longer bearing or steady also, because it will somewhat self align it'self when you slide the work piece through It, but I don't know where to get those, and probably expensive if they were located.
Obviously the easiest to fabricate might be with the use of a flange bearing, and strong angle bracket for the mount. With that setup I would drill/bore for, and mount the bearing last, so I can align and center it with the lathe easier.
btw You could also mill the bottom of the mount to fit the slot in the bed, or attatch a piece of stock that is the width of the slot to the bottom of the mount. That is providing that the slot channel in the bedway runs true. you may also be able to use a self aligning bearing setup. the list goes on and on on how to do it, just have to figure out the best suited method for each paticular setup.
If you want to save yourself the aggravation, then I would call Chris & ask him first also. He already has some lathes figured out & setup to fabricate the parts, and for what goes into making them, he is reasonable on price. I've got parts for stuff I was making from him that I could have made, but when I figured out the cost to buy the parts to do it myself, I found It was well worth the little extra to save the time and aggravation, and put It toward something else I needed to build.
If you need more of a specialized mount, A machine shop may also be able to make you a base for your mount, and might even be familiar with or able to find the specs on your lathe to make explaining what you need easier. I have had that done also with mounts by someone I knew, and traded some production cues out for the work. He thought I gave him way too much for the work, so might not be too expensive to have done depending on the mount type needed.
Greg
I like this one.
Get at the end pretty easy.
Did u make that one?
That is pretty much what I have done, except I used Teflon instead of delrin.rhncue said:
Yes, I built that one but I am not quite finished. I have to complete the adjustable jaws so I can steady something which is being held off-centre.JoeyInCali said:
I like this one.
Get at the end pretty easy.
Did u make that one?