Steady Rest Modification Plan

marka12161 · Jan 12, 2021

So i bought a steady rest that was close to the right dimensions for my mid 30s RP gear head lathe. Basically the "V" slot on the steady rest needs to move toward the center of the steady by about 1".

My plan is as follows:

Cut out a one inch section of the base approximately at the location indicated between the small dividers.

Cut the brace on the "V" side at the interface between the brace and the lower half circle as indicated by the pencil points.

Establish horizontal alignment of the base pieces and braze the base together on the bottom and braze the brace to the lower half circle.

This plan would provide the necessary side clearance between the base and the saddle and would register the center of the circle on the center-line of the spindle.

I'm feeling like the hardest part is going to be to establish alignment of the base and that the worst thing that i would have to deal with is to mill the bottom flat and shim it up.

Please let me know what you think.

Mark

L Vanice · Jan 12, 2021

Heating a loop-shape of cast iron to brazing temperature will usually result in the iron cracking as it cools down. I suggest you think of a solution that does not require heat.

Larry

cyanidekid · Jan 12, 2021

find one that fits the ways, or fabricate from steel and machine it to fit. welding/brazing a casting, and thinking it has a prayer of lining up with the ways is a fools errand!

Limy Sami · Jan 12, 2021

+ another on what they said.

michiganbuck · Jan 12, 2021

What if you just milled the steady base straight across the bottom flat and then made a sub-base fitted to your lathe and bolted and dowelled to the steady?

With the parting line filled and panted it would look original.

Richard Winn · Jan 12, 2021

mill the base off flat

bolt what you need to the bottom

dundeeshopnut · Jan 12, 2021

That's the plan for mine as someone has already hacked at it.

thermite · Jan 13, 2021

dundeeshopnut said:
That's the plan for mine as someone has already hacked at it.View attachment 310462 View attachment 310463

Don't over-think it. It does not "traverse". It isn't the cross slide bearing a cutting tool with cutting forces to be managed. It may have been USED just the "hacked" way it is now.

If you have a means of aligning it precisely, you could cast a filled-epoxy in that gap. Or dowel-pin in a block of shiney-wood, THEN mill the Vee. Not even "soft" solder heat on the dance-card.

The "job" of the inverted vee is to align it quickly each go without need of digging out a clan of measuring tools to manually set it.

Old Skewl hand wouldn't even bother - just start snugging the tips and checking alignment for "feel" of a comfortable balance. Clamp 'er. Touch up the tip positions. Make chips.

Once you activate the under-ways clamp, there should be PLENTY of resistance to unwanted movement.

Adjust the tips correctly, even if their "frame" is not perfectly centered, it just SITS where you clamped it, rotating stock sliding or rolling with minimal argument.

Peter from Holland · Jan 13, 2021

Like said before Mill the bottem flat and ad a subplate Or better prehaps Mill a groove and bolt a block with a V to it
Even if the steady ends up a bit high it does not matter to much

Peter

michiganbuck · Jan 13, 2021

With having access to a surface grinder and the ability to dress angles to a wheel for the V notch angles the subplate would be an easy task with fitting it to the lathe bed, finish grind it to height, and then just scribe it to centering the steady to mark it as it holds a slug in the lathe chuck, and bolt it in that place.. no fancy measuring needed.

Yes, cutting the subplate V notch could be done on the mill or by using a vise on the lathe with it having an end mill cutter in the spindle.

marka12161 · Jan 13, 2021

Thank you to all who responded to this thread. I've decided to cut my losses and return this to the ebay seller. I'll take it in the shorts on shipping but so be it. After some thought, this thing would take a bunch of work to get the required side clearance and the net result would be to reduce by one the world wide inventory of antique steady rests and a one bodged up one.

dundeeshopnut · Jan 13, 2021

I think you are making this harder than it is. As long as it is square to the spindle and somewhat centered on "Y and Z" it will do it's job admirably. 2 or 4 screws to hold your new "foot" to the existing legs [could even allow for some adjustment or fine shimming there] and your done. Curious. Since we both have the same rest, do you know the maker? My query came up empty.

jim rozen · Jan 13, 2021

cyanidekid said:
find one that fits the ways, or fabricate from steel and machine it to fit. welding/brazing a casting, and thinking it has a prayer of lining up with the ways is a fools errand!

I had to 'shrink' a tailstock from a 9" southbend, to make it fit an older Potter lathe, which I had bought sans tailstock. Key here was to drill two holes up from the underside before cuting the piece out of the risers. Dowel pins in the holes brought it into perfect alignment during brazing. Nothing cracked.

marka12161 · Jan 13, 2021

dundeeshopnut said:
I think you are making this harder than it is. As long as it is square to the spindle and somewhat centered on "Y and Z" it will do it's job admirably. 2 or 4 screws to hold your new "foot" to the existing legs [could even allow for some adjustment or fine shimming there] and your done. Curious. Since we both have the same rest, do you know the maker? My query came up empty.

I don't think so. I'm not all that worried about alignment. The problem is the base is too wide so the time i hack it up to get the proper side clearance, putting humpty-dumpty back together again will be a bit of a pia. Easier to just send it back rather than screw around with it.

Peter from Holland · Jan 14, 2021

Thats why I prefer to modify a steady that is on the low side for the intended lathe Just mill some flats on the underside and bolt on a subplate
And if the total wide is about the same as original it even looks good

Peter

310 Guy · Jan 14, 2021

Or just make one. It's not hard... For my Graziano SAG12, piece of 1.5 inch thick mystery aluminum I found in the shop (it cut like 6061.) Some half-inch bolts
with bearing bronze caps pressed onto the ends. Works just fine...
Bill

marka12161 · Jan 14, 2021

310 Guy said:
Or just make one. It's not hard... For my Graziano SAG12, piece of 1.5 inch thick mystery aluminum I found in the shop (it cut like 6061.) Some half-inch bolts
with bearing bronze caps pressed onto the ends. Works just fine...
Bill

View attachment 310532

Nice job. That's a much better alternative than bodging up a nice steady

maynah · Jan 14, 2021

I posted a couple for sale a week or so back.
Maybe they'll be closer to what you need.

A couple of steadies and a follow rest for sale.

Steady Rest Modification Plan

Stainless

Attachments

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Aluminum

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Stainless

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Cast Iron

Stainless

Stainless

Similar threads