Thread: Oversize EE Steady Rest

I found these pictures years ago, but I can't remember where:



I've needed an oversize unit a couple of times over the years and always wanted to build one. I've modeled the main castings:



I'm considering getting these cast and offering them for sale-- probably around $180 for a set of raw castings. I'd also include drawings for post cast machined features and also (probably) drawings for all the hardware.

Anyone interested?

That is pretty cool- what size is the ID?

The ID is about 6"

I have made a few sr with flame cut steel and machined the fits... why use cast iron? a sr is a easy project....Phil

I made "big" one for my Colchester Chipmaster from Metal Lathe Accessories castings. They sell one targeted at South Bend 9" lathes, I I just spliced on a Dura-Bar base to fit the Chippie. There's no reason you couldn't do the same for a 10EE. I went way over-kill on the fit an finish, but, as Phil in MT suggests, fancy is not necessary. I'd go with roller supports instead of plain bearing fingers if I had it to do over. Rollers work better for supporting out-of-round thin-wall tube, which is often the case for extruded material.

Originally Posted by rklopp

I made "big" one for my Colchester Chipmaster from Metal Lathe Accessories castings. They sell one targeted at South Bend 9" lathes, I I just spliced on a Dura-Bar base to fit the Chippie. There's no reason you couldn't do the same for a 10EE. I went way over-kill on the fit an finish, but, as Phil in MT suggests, fancy is not necessary. I'd go with roller supports instead of plain bearing fingers if I had it to do over. Rollers work better for supporting out-of-round thin-wall tube, which is often the case for extruded material.

Yah want two selectable fingers/tip-types, actually. Leverages the basic work better.

Roller, and replaceable tip - usually to be able to choose among Bronze, plastics, or even woods.

I whipped one up from steel So I could modify automotive cylinder sleeves for motorcycles, the stock rest only has 3" clearance.
I would like to have a cast one that could handle 6" or close to it. If I am still alive, I would by the castings. Sounds like a good price to me!

I'm in for one. I have some 3 ½" tubing I need to turn, and I don't have a live center large enough or a steady rest that can handle the capacity. Al Sharon used to make some really nice large steady rests, I always wanted one.

I would be interested in one as well!

I'm moving forward with making patterns for this. I will post updates as I make progress.

Sounds good to me.
My homemade one is unhinged! I figured that if I needed one, I could scab something on later. This is the one I used for cylinder sleeves, has a capacity of 4 3/4".
It also showcases, what a crappy welder I am. I made this thing in 1998.

Just a piece of thick wall tube, I copied the telescoping adjusters from an import.

sneebot,

As I recall, the various 10EE incarnations had two different height steady rests.

Will your base casting be designed for the 12 inch or 12-1/2 inch swing 10EE?

Could you design the base pattern to allow material for both the early and the late 10EEs?

Mike

Originally Posted by mister honey

sneebot,

As I recall, the various 10EE incarnations had two different height steady rests.

Will your base casting be designed for the 12 inch or 12-1/2 inch swing 10EE?

Could you design the base pattern to allow material for both the early and the late 10EEs?

Mike

I hadn't really considered that. I believe the design I have will accommodate both as it has enough meat in the 'feet' but I will check.

I have a Rivett 1030F but bet I could scab a durabar base onto the bottom if it doesn't already fit. I'd also be in for a raw casting set at $180.

Originally Posted by sneebot

I hadn't really considered that. I believe the design I have will accommodate both as it has enough meat in the 'feet' but I will check.

It was a 1/4" rise "in the sand", so IF your base-base is made as a separate item (for the fit to vee and flat ways), THEN a 1/4" plate between as "shim" covers it for old and new(er) 10EE.

And also makes it easier to adapt to the Rivett mentioned. And probably many other lathes.

Page Two:

CAVEAT: There already is - or WAS - a line of "generic, no-name" cast steady's made much in a similar manner.

ISTR "Little Machine Shop" or some such entity carried them for a whole slew of sizes of light/medium lathes. Most already had a base-base pre-machined to fit specific beds, the "upper" done by swing-range to it any of several base-base selections.

Page Three:

Might be worth at least "looking at" the OEM steady Cazeneuve supplied for their HBX-360 lathes, nominal 14". It is a "large hole" and strong, but lightweight item, easy to handle.

No idea if Cazeneuve cast and finished it themselves, or simply "bought it in" from a speciality maker.

Looking at the (Monarch) 12.5" steady there looks to enough meat in the castings to shorten to fit the older height. I added a little extra material where this will be cored out in the pattern and the castings should be able to be finish machined for either height.

Originally Posted by sneebot

Looking at the (Monarch) 12.5" steady there looks to enough meat in the castings to shorten to fit the older height. I added a little extra material where this will be cored out in the pattern and the castings should be able to be finish machined for either height.

Thats excellent. I assume that includes the internal boss where the center bushing for the bed clamp pivot is bored, since that also needs to be ¼" higher?

Originally Posted by rimcanyon

Thats excellent. I assume that includes the internal boss where the center bushing for the bed clamp pivot is bored, since that also needs to be ¼" higher?

Instead of a boss in the center I have more of a wide rib-- so the center bushing could be placed at any height.

The SR on my old Weidenhoff was a piece of 8" thick wall pipe with some nuts welded to it and a piece of channel on the bottom, notched to fit the ways. Very crude, but worked fine every time I needed one. I have been debating whether to modify it for the 10ee or to make a new one. Latest idea was to flame cut one like Tom Lipton did, but it's never progressed past that point. What kind of weight do you expect the casting to have?

Dave

In the week this thread has been going on I could have made a few steady rests....Hi Hi...Phil