Thread: Need help identifing some 17" steady rests

These rests were in the tool cage that I bought at auction. It was at a tech
school in Milwaukee years ago, that moved to a new building next door. The
building was scheduled for demo, so every thing in the four story building was
for sale, from the lighting to the auditorium seats.

In the main machine shop, there were rows and rows and even more rows of
lathes. There were, as advertised, more then eighty metal lathes in the sale.
Most of them appeared to be South Bend 9s and heavy 10s. There were two
17" Clausing Colchester 8000 series lathes and some 17" LeBlond's. There may
have been some other 17" lathes, I just don't remember.

Looking at the photos, the base of the gray one will not fit my 15" 8000 series
Clausing but I believe that the 17" has a wider bed. I still would like to know
for sure.

The other one looks to have been modified, maybe. If so, it was done
long ago. The notch was cut on an angle. Not likely that it was a
manufactures cut.

Just looking to put them up on the bay and would hope to be able to put a
proper label on them.

Thanks, jim

The gray one has Monarch style knobs

Yes, there is a difference compared to my 15" Clausing rest.



One odd thing, I set the gray one, (it is marked 17) but on the lathe, side by side with my
15 and looking through them. The gray one is only slightly taller in side the work area.
Measuring from the flat that sits on the ways to the flat of the split it is 8". I will assume
the manufacturer is taking advantage of the circular part diameter, fitting down between
the ways, to gain that extra inch of dia. The same measurement on my 15" is 7.850.
That measurement gives me .350" to the top of the ways. Granted, the ways are closer
together on my 15", just seems odd.

Gray could be for 14" Monarch which swings 16 1/2 standard

The second one bears a very strong resemblance to my Seneca Falls steady based on the details of the casting. The bottom must have been machined to remove the V groove. Mine is for a 9 inch lathe and is smaller, but the overall shape is similar.

Tom B.

The gray one is a Monarch. The round boss on the TS side should have a serial # stamped in it. Measure from the inside edge of the flat way to the center of the hole, it'll give you a pretty good idea of the size.
Harry

The only markings that I saw on the gray was the number 17. I looked again today, out in
the sun light and found this on the hold down bar. C323AA





As for the other one, the sides may have been milled off to fit some other application but
I don't think that the bottom has been touched.

jim