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Bearing for steady rest
- Thread starter 220swift
- Start date
- Replies 12
- Views 2,231
My experience with steady rest usage suggests......
Most times I need a steady is on work that does not have a sacrificial OD.
To not marr the OD excessively, A leather "belt" is oiled up and placed between the plane bronze fingers of the steady rest and the work piece.
In less demanding applications, the bronze fingers run directly on the work, and the resulting markings are blended after.
Roller bearings ALWAYS embed debris into the work resulting in very unattractive blemishing.
I have never found plane bronze fingers less useful than anti friction roller bearings. 'Never have, 'Stopped looking.
Most times I need a steady is on work that does not have a sacrificial OD.
To not marr the OD excessively, A leather "belt" is oiled up and placed between the plane bronze fingers of the steady rest and the work piece.
In less demanding applications, the bronze fingers run directly on the work, and the resulting markings are blended after.
Roller bearings ALWAYS embed debris into the work resulting in very unattractive blemishing.
I have never found plane bronze fingers less useful than anti friction roller bearings. 'Never have, 'Stopped looking.
I need to thread a rifle barrel for a muzzle break and I don't want to mess the finish up.
I'll clamp the bearing in the steady rest and make a cat head out of the wide inside race and use none marring screws.
At least that's plan A, if a can find the bearing I need.
Hal
I'll clamp the bearing in the steady rest and make a cat head out of the wide inside race and use none marring screws.
At least that's plan A, if a can find the bearing I need.
Hal
Just make a snug fitting sleeve for the barrel for the steady fingers to ride on. Fix it with mounting wax if needed.
Is there a blade sight in the way?
on consideration,
Non Marring screws? Is there such a thing while threading a barrel? Marring presents it's self in degrees. What is acceptable to some is unacceptable to another. I've NEVER encountered a non marring work holding device that would stand up to machining. Heck, nylon 5C collets leave marks in blued steel.
Oiled leather will leave marks too, but not scuffs. Touch up blue and a bit of rubbing might get things back to good.
eta@
Any bearing with an OD large enough to pass the barrel and a SLEEVE to hold the cat head screws will suffice.
Turn up the sleeve to be a very light push fit in the anti friction bearing. drill and tap for the non marring screws , VIOLA!
I might consider a straight OD sleeve with screws on BOTH sides of the bearing. KISS
ps
oiled paper is not a bad buffer between screws and the work. ;-)
Rob F.
Diamond
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
- Location
- California, Central Coast
Is plan A to find a bearing with a wide inner race and drill and tap for the screws?
I made a cathead out of a bearing I had that fit in the steady, then a piece of heavy wall tube or pipe was turned and pressed lightly into the bearing, after being drill and tapped for screws.
Bearing aprox 3" OD and 2" ID . The hole in the tube ineeds to be large enough to be useful.
johnoder
Diamond
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2004
- Location
- Houston, TX USA
SKF used to make all sorts like these CARTRIDGES for pillow blocks
Of course you need to know none of these pretended to be PRECISION - if that is of concern in your class of work
A very round cathead OD running in fixed steady rest jaws would be more precision
Of course you need to know none of these pretended to be PRECISION - if that is of concern in your class of work
A very round cathead OD running in fixed steady rest jaws would be more precision
Scottl
Diamond
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2013
- Location
- Eastern Massachusetts, USA
Don't understand the desire for a bearing. A cat's head is normally a tube with screws and the bronze fingers ride on the (oiled) outside of the tube. After it's in the steady rest you fine tune the screws to get the work precisely centered.
Many bearing sources, BocaBearing, Applied industrial, simply look on eBay.
I agree with post above, turn a steel sleeve so that it is a heat fit on the barrel, run the steady rest on the sleeve, and then heat the sleeve to get it off.
I have a bearing steady rest, the down side is all bearings have play, may not provide the precision you want/need.
I agree with post above, turn a steel sleeve so that it is a heat fit on the barrel, run the steady rest on the sleeve, and then heat the sleeve to get it off.
I have a bearing steady rest, the down side is all bearings have play, may not provide the precision you want/need.
Rob F.
Diamond
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
- Location
- California, Central Coast
For me I was turning the ends of some square, forged railing posts. Very irregular and tapered surface. My steady has brass buttons and to get it to run without being sloppy it would then overheat the cathead's round tube and expand it- which tightened the buttons and smoke the lube on the cathead. I did different greases and oils before adding the bearing to it. Seemed logical at the time. I dont remember what the rpm was, 700 or so IIRC. It would be better to just run the steady on the cathead tube, especially if a ball bearing steady is used.
Cal Haines
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2002
- Location
- Tucson, AZ
michiganbuck
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2012
- Location
- Mt Clemens, Michigan 48035
Can youn pass the barrel through the head stock and hold it in a 4 jaw..with the action end held in a spider at the back side...work area sticking out 3" or so.
Spider and 4jaw turning with the part will leave no marks. piece of card paper enough.
Spider and 4jaw turning with the part will leave no marks. piece of card paper enough.
donie
Diamond
- Joined
- May 17, 2003
- Location
- Walla Walla Wine and Wild Turkey
The best solution is a sub headstock, a device like a steady rest, except passing the tube through a 4 jaw chuck on bearings. The only way to do it with precision. Most often seen on big machines, working heavy long tubes.
with the sub headstock solidly holding the tube down the ways, the other end can be held and located by the lathes headstock center, and driven by a dog, using lead pads to avoid marring.
with the sub headstock solidly holding the tube down the ways, the other end can be held and located by the lathes headstock center, and driven by a dog, using lead pads to avoid marring.
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