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Interest for a larger capacity steady rest for HVL-H lathe

Bob E

Hot Rolled
Joined
Sep 25, 2006
Location
Middletown, PA
I'm wondering if there would be any interest for a HLV-H steady rest that will handle a 6" dia. ?

After searching for a stock steady rest for my toolroom lathe, I'm realizing it may not be worth the money wanted for the stock 3" capacity.

I have designed a much larger steady rest that would handle a 6" dia. with the same footprint as the Hardinge unit. My concept would consist of weldments that would be stress relieved before grinding bed angles.

My price point would be around $500.

Think true-blue Hardinge fans would go for this?
 
I'm wondering if there would be any interest for a HLV-H steady rest that will handle a 6" dia. ?

After searching for a stock steady rest for my toolroom lathe, I'm realizing it may not be worth the money wanted for the stock 3" capacity.

I have designed a much larger steady rest that would handle a 6" dia. with the same footprint as the Hardinge unit. My concept would consist of weldments that would be stress relieved before grinding bed angles.

My price point would be around $500.

Think true-blue Hardinge fans would go for this?

Monarch 10EE factory steady - the "common" one, anyway - has a silly-tiny diametral capacity, too. And yet it is on a larger and considerably stiffer lathe.

However.. already-common larger ones, other lathes or no-name - do not even need a proper sole plate with match to the Vee-and flat to be jury-rigged to position and height.

It is a"steady". after all, so nothing has to traverse, Mill clamping kit, Cee-clamps and allthread can hold it atop a stack of shims and drops.

Sanity check is that with a short bed, nothing of large diameter is so lacking in stiffness to NEED a steady at all, anyway.

Only the small-diameter goods are likely to be "whippey", and even then, it is a "travel" rest more often needed.

Of which there are four if not FIVE variations for the 10EE alone.

Shorter answer? No market likely. Anyone in really RARE need can fab a jury-rig, easily enough.

ISTR our clever John Oder has a PM post a long while back where he even used wood for the fingers. Mind, it weren't BALSA wood, but still....

Build ONE if you need it yerself. Post it on PM. See if anyone begs a copy or the plans.

Otherwise, there's bound to be a better use of your ingenuity? How well is the Hardinge community/market served with TRAVEL rest options, for example?

2CW
 
That's not a bad approach.
I do have a large, orphaned steady rest somewhere in the shop, I will dig it up and see if it can be used.

Bill's one respected the Hardinge bed, had invested some WORK into making that part proper.

But... other vee and flat ways? So long as not overly tall lots of them can be bought cheap and used.

Think about the stresses. Or lack-of, usually. And that whatever ELSE they are, or are not? They are adjustable, always, at the interface to the work.

I'm not keen on using Big Box PINE for a base, but garontee I have some well-aged White Oak stair tread that would do just fine, ignorant cabinet-maker's wood router for my "mill".
 








 
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