Tips for building a steady rest

Cole2534 · Nov 15, 2018

I've basically given up on finding a factory steady rest for my lathe (Monarch 12ck, 30" c/c) so I think I'll build one but I have a couple q's-

Is iron necessary, or will a steel creation suffice? It would certainly be easier to build if I could weld up portions as needed.

Any reason to not use bronze tipped fingers? Rollers seems like they'd be a hassle.

Make it hold the swing over x-slide, or the lathe's full capacity? (or from some suitable drop and let the size fall where it may?)

Any major pitfalls?

Thanks, Cole

dsergison · Nov 15, 2018

buying ANY decent rest and simply making the right foot for it is much less hassle.

thermite · Nov 15, 2018

dsergison said:
buying ANY decent rest and simply making the right foot for it is much less hassle.

Seconded. There's a whole product line, stepped sizes, out there made to do exactly that.

As to Bronze vs roller? BOTH, of course. Because both needs exist.

Cole2534 · Nov 15, 2018

dsergison said:
buying ANY decent rest and simply making the right foot for it is much less hassle.

I think you're probably right, maybe I'll continue my search.

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Wlodek · Nov 15, 2018

In some occasions building your own makes sense. Not only building from scratch can sometimes be less work than modifying, but it allows one to get exactly what is needed. And steady rest is really a simple device that can be made in a short time. Here is one I've made a few years ago for my Harrison lathe. I do have the original, but it was way too small. This one can take 8" diameter and the clamping can easily be adjusted just with the one lever (after the work-piece is centred.)

Cole2534 · Nov 15, 2018

That's pretty close to what I'd envisioned. Do you ever wish you had threaded adjustments on the fingers?

Wlodek · Nov 15, 2018

Cole2534 said:
That's pretty close to what I'd envisioned. Do you ever wish you had threaded adjustments on the fingers?

I find the sliding supports more rigid, secure and easy to adjust: I clamp the object (at the time I've made the steady for machining flanges on 6" pipes after welding. I had quite a number to of those to make and the long bed Harrison was just long enough for the job) in the chuck(supported by tail-stock with a large live centre). I move the 3 sliding supports until the ball bearings just touching the pipe and clamp tighter by about half a turn to the closing bolt once the tail-stock is out of the way.

Rob F. · Nov 15, 2018

I seem to remember seeing a write up by BECKLEY on one he made for his monarch, well written and made to perfection. Couln't find it in a quick search.. I think the one he made was a follow rest though.

Cole2534 · Nov 16, 2018

Rob F. said:
I seem to remember seeing a write up by BECKLEY on one he made for his monarch, well written and made to perfection. Couln't find it in a quick search.. I think the one he made was a follow rest though.

Yes, and it is a great looking piece. I think it's now in the hands of another PM member.

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Cadillac · Nov 16, 2018

If you jump on bidspotter today their is a auction in Hoffman estates,Ill. They have five brand new steady rest for auction. No bids look to be for a 13+ size lathe. 5 buck opening bid can’t beat those prices. Check it out

dian · Nov 16, 2018

Wlodek said:
In some occasions building your own makes sense. Not only building from scratch can sometimes be less work than modifying, but it allows one to get exactly what is needed. And steady rest is really a simple device that can be made in a short time. Here is one I've made a few years ago for my Harrison lathe. I do have the original, but it was way too small. This one can take 8" diameter and the clamping can easily be adjusted just with the one lever (after the work-piece is centred.)

View attachment 242349

thats steel, right? does it ring?

johnoder · Nov 16, 2018

They are mighty proud of this one made from a bunch of pieces. Doesn't seem to be moving though

Machine Tooling Steady Rest - tools - by owner - sale

Wlodek · Nov 16, 2018

dian said:
thats steel, right? does it ring?

All steel. No ringing.

James H Clark · Nov 16, 2018

I have made a couple of steady rests. One for a lathe that had no steady rest, another because I needed a larger size than what it came with. Why would you not want adjustments on the fingers? I drilled and tapped mine with a left hand thread. This makes usage so much more natural. On the top finger, I milled a thin flat the length of the finger on the backside. In conjunction with the flat, I milled a small pocket that would, when filled with oil, allow a small amount of oil the flow down the flat and thus oiled the shaft running in the steady. Mine were both burnouts from 1.5 steel. After every thing was milled, I blued and scraped the flat and v-way surfaces to fit the lathe. Very solid, no ringing or vibrations. Good luck.

JH

tnmgcarbide · Nov 16, 2018

i have one from a mystery lathe(old sheldon?) i milled the base flat , milled a piece of
4" wide 1018 to fit the vee and flat on my machine . chucked a piece of 1" , then
centered the fingers of the steady around it to find the height... faced the steel plate
to fit and bolted the two together .

it is integral to the setup when centering the workpiece to have screws on the fingers.
your setup methods must differ from mine if you don't . it would take me forever to indicate without them . mine has solid bronze slotted fingers, but i plan to add
follower bearings .

a steel steady shouldn't "RING" , unless it's made as a solid ring . having a hinge
on the thing should take care of that.

DDoug · Nov 16, 2018

johnoder said:
They are mighty proud of this one made from a bunch of pieces. Doesn't seem to be moving though

Machine Tooling Steady Rest - tools - by owner - sale

"You would think" That they could have found someone in Texas to weld it.... :nutter:

tnmgcarbide · Nov 16, 2018

it's only $5500 !

from the pics , they should have named it "Rust in Piece"............

tdmidget · Nov 16, 2018

johnoder said:
They are mighty proud of this one made from a bunch of pieces. Doesn't seem to be moving though

Machine Tooling Steady Rest - tools - by owner - sale

If there isn't a "Hermann" in front of that Schmidt then someone is either trying to deceive or VERY impressed with himself.

Hbjj · Nov 16, 2018

The smaller one is my design
You can get close to it and it goes as large as the lathe can swing over the cross slide all steel no ringing
Rollers all the way
I've never wanted bronze but ymmv

Mike C. · Nov 17, 2018

Only reason I'd build one is to get an unusually large size that typically isn't available for that size swing lathe. My 18" L&S came with a factory 6" capacity and a monster shop built 18" steady just made up of welded 3/4" plate. The big one works extremely well, even though it was never painted and is about as crude as can be imagined. Here is it being used to hold a Vandercook proof printing press cylinder that had the handle trunnion broken off in shipping. Bored it out, pressed and bolted a new steel piece back in. The fingers on this steady are just steel. I turned a ring of scrap bronze and made it a light shrink fit to the cylinder tire for a bearing surface. A little grease kept it running smoothly. After finishing, a few seconds with the torch and it slid right off.

Tips for building a steady rest

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