Steady rest project

[Peter Fabricius]

Hi Peter B.
I really like your design for the steady rest. It will go nicely with my Monster Hollowing rig. I saved a couple of pictures and hope to remake the smaller one I now have.
Your wheels look like the Lee Valley ones? I looked at them when they first came out but decided they were too large in diameter, so I am sticking with the set of old roller blade wheels that I bought from a good will store for $5.00.
I have the wheels on a smaller round 10" Steady that I made years ago for my first lathe.
Peter F.

[Peter Blair]

Peter F. I too have switched to smaller roller blade wheels for most of my turning. I do use the Lee Valley ones when turning something smaller. I really like them because they seem a little softer.

[ron david]

some of my tools will not win any beauty contests, but sometimes you need them now( one could go broke buying all the dodads out there to do the job for you now). you just make them out of what is handy. I needed this just for the one job about 15 years ago. it was a 15' flagpole for a boat. most times I will just put my hand behind or use a stick with a notch in it stuck in a tool rest holder out the backside. for this one I used 1"plywood a piece of aluminum angle 3 old lathe bearings set in wood wheels with a bit of masking tape around it to soften it a little.




ron

[ron david]

I also have this mould for a steady that was designed for a 20" swing. it was professionally made for a machine shop here. fellow just came in one day and dropped it off rather than throw it away. if someone has a need for it. price of shipping - mail

ron

[Peter Blair]

Here is a nice C steady. I would have used smaller wheels for more range. I still need to make mine yet, but have my the required wheels.

https://woodbowlsandthings.wordpress...eady/img_1339/

Attachment 335273Attachment 335277

This is mine.
A few changes I would make if you decide to make something like it
There are lots of good plans out there on the net for a steady if you
want to make one. Mine works fine for me but for the few changes I would
make if I made another.
I would be sure that there is a clear path for
the laser. This to me is critical but possibly if I was more experienced
it wouldn't matter.

1. if you make one from steel try to keep the section that fastens to
the lathe bed as short as possible to allow it to support larger
turnings.
2. build it so that the wheels are as close to the right hand side of
the jig to allow you to move it as close to the end of the form as
possible. I would put the slots for the wheels on the right instead of the left
3. If possible find clear wheels, they seem to leave less marks.
4. Wheel size is important and I now use two different sizes smaller for larger forms and larger for smaller forms.

[john taliaferro]

I am running heavy logs ,but i am getting some staining under where wheels are it goes 1/2 '' deep in a silver maple . Dark brown ring half way around shows up when drying . Been running on a rib then turn away later ,i am sure it is pressure but why only half way around .

[Sparky Paessler]

I use a camera when hollowing instead of a laser and built this open top steady to address the problem of the steady being in the way of the camera

[Don Frank]

20160422_202726.jpg


I finally decided on a three wheel design. Should have used a wider piece of steel for the base plate as this design only allows me to do something that is 16" in diameter. I filled the tubes with sand. I doubt that it will reduce any vibration but was easy to do and can't hurt. If I find the need to do a larger hollow form I could always cut the base plate and weld it to a wider piece of steel. Anyway, thanks for all your feedback and ideas.

[Brice Rogers]

Don, Thanks for reposting and showing what you made. It looks like it will do what you want it to. If you find that the upper arm has too much flex or vibrates, it looks like you could easily add a gusset in the corner without decreasing its capacity.

My current lathe can take up to 22 inches, but I doubt that I'll ever turn something that large that needs a steady rest. So, when I make my next steady, I'll probably make it smaller. Perhaps the same size as yours or even less.

Thanks again for reposting.

[Don Frank]

Brice, I had intended to gusset that corner and I had sprayed primer on it before I remembered that detail. We'll see how it runs "as is", but it's an easy fix if I need to.

[john taliaferro]

I put a chunk of steel on laser arm helped slow the vibration . Watch the temperature on wheels they pop loud when they get to much load . I did try ball bearings but they brused the wood deep and left a dark ring after finish causing a design change .