Steady Rest Opinions

[Jon Finch]

Ok, I blew up a couple bowls over the weekend so it must be time for a steady rest (or modification to my turning style :o). I try to form the lip while the walls are still thick, which does work, but without fail on one of the very last light passes down the inside of the bowl the gouge will catch right at the start and walk across the lip to the outside (yeah honey, I wanted that bowl to be 1/8" shorter). Problem is on larger bowls I get way too much vibration to "fix" the lip, hence the steady rest.

I'm likely to just build my own but I'd like to learn from you guys before starting. What would you change about your rest? What do you really like about your rest? And where do you guys get those rollerblading wheels? 4 wheels? 3 wheels? or only 2 wheels?

[David E Keller]

Never built a rest, but a google search should yield a bunch of sources for rollerblade wheels. I typically think of them being used for spindle turning or tall forms like vases... something that extends out from the headstock a long way.

Another option would be to turn and sand the rim of your bowl before hollowing out the remainder(ala Jimmy Clewes). That leaves a lot of wood in the blank and affords you some stability. Also, a trip to the sharpening station prior to the final passes may help you with the finishing cuts. I get the gouge 'skates' sometimes also... I usually use a shear scraping cut with a bowl gouge to lightly clean up the rim.

[Wally Dickerman]

Jon, a steady rest will help your problem but it won't solve it. I don't know what grind you have on your gouge but I'll assume it's a fingernail grind or a side grind. Wood vibration as the rim gets thinner is a big part of the problem. To help avoid the tool ruining the rim as you say, roll the gouge over so the flute points to 3 o'clock. Aim the back of the grind in the direction you're going to cut. Give the tool good support with your left hand, then push the tool into the cut lightly until the cut is started. Then finiish the cut. Don't try to make the cut more than an inch or so. Completely finish the rim before proceeding further down the inside.

A foolproof way to do the job is to modify a square nose tool by grinding the left side at about 15 deg. for an inch or so. The left corner of the tool will have a sharp point. Start the cut at the rim with the sq. nose, taking light cuts, then complete it with the gouge. The square nose tool won't run away from you as the gouge tends to do. I grind my sq. nose tool at about 30 deg. as I do with most of my scraping tools.

The side ground square nose tool has a lot uses. I've been using one for perhaps 40 years. Mine is side ground on both sides.

Wally

[Bernie Weishapl]

Jon I use the Oneway bowl steady. It cuts the viberations almost to nothing. Last couple of cuts are with a conventional grind bowl gouge (P & N).

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jon - I made my own steady rest and it does help - but I only use it on those pieces that extend a ways from the headstock.

Have to agree with Wally on this - a steady should help a little but it will not solve the problem you are experiencing with the finishing cuts. Biggest suggestion when it comes to a finishing cut with your bowl gouge - is once you figure out where you want to start the cut - follow through! When you hesitate or just lightly touch the bevel - you get the results you posted!

[Allen Neighbors]

Jon, I made my own Steady Rest, for things that extend out a good distance from the headstock, as Steve said. I also made a Bowl Steady, that I use when trying to turn the edge of a bowl. The Bowl Steady only has 2 wheels, that ride about 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock. It helps to keep the edge of the bowl from flexing as you make a cut.
The wheels are adjustable for different sized bowls. It could also be used on a relatively 'flat' hollowform.

[Steve Kubien]

Nice design Allen. Consider that copied!

[Jon Finch]

Work on technique... point taken.

[Thomas Canfield]

If you change your mind and decide to buy one, I give a hardy recommendation to one from Jeff Nichol who is a member. The 3 wheel metal frame is well built, solid, and well priced.

[Reed Gray]

I have never used a steady rest. With all the bowls I turn, I would spend more time adjusting the steady rest than turning. If your gouge is skating across the rim of the bowl, it is the same thing that happens when you get that decorative spiral cut with a skew. You are coming at the wood cutting edge first, not bevel first. This would be having the handle pointing in towards the center of the bowl, when it should be pointing more towards the rim. This is easier to show than describe. Some use a parting tool to start the cut, which I consider cheating (and I would have to put one tool down, pick another one up, then put it back down and pick the other one back up again), but it does give you some wood to rub the bevel on before you cut. I have learned to do it without thinking. When it is flat, before you have removed anything, you rub the heel of the bevel first, with flutes at 3 o'clock. Then rotate the handle of the gouge till the point/nose just starts to cut. The more you pull the handle more towards the nose, the deeper it will cut. As the inside gets deeper, I line the bevel up with the inside of the bowl first, then rotate just till it starts to cut, then come back to the top, and start the cut. I do use my hand for a steady rest if I am getting vibrations. Apply just as much pressure with your steady hand as you do with the gouge or scraper. If you are using too much pressure on your steady hand, it will get hot. If you are putting too much pressure on your cutting hand, it will vibrate. This is some thing that you need to learn to feel.

I really need to do my bowl turning DVD.

robo hippy

[David Walser]

...

I really need to do my bowl turning DVD.

...

I'll buy your first copy!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

ok, i blew up a couple bowls over the weekend so it must be time for a steady rest (or modification to my turning style :o). I try to form the lip while the walls are still thick, which does work, but without fail on one of the very last light passes down the inside of the bowl the gouge will catch right at the start and walk across the lip to the outside (yeah honey, i wanted that bowl to be 1/8" shorter). Problem is on larger bowls i get way too much vibration to "fix" the lip, hence the steady rest.

I'm likely to just build my own but i'd like to learn from you guys before starting. What would you change about your rest? What do you really like about your rest? And where do you guys get those rollerblading wheels? 4 wheels? 3 wheels? Or only 2 wheels?

See the red sentence, that's the NO-NO.
You turn fairly thin walls and do it going down in steps, finish the cutting then, you do not go back when the walls are all turned, that's asking for trouble, the walls will flex too easily and then come back for a nasty catch.
As for a steady, Alan showed an simple one, I have one with just one wheel, it works fine, after-all you only need to steady it a bit, you could even do it with your hand, but that might get a little warm.

Sally Ann has roller blades, there's 8 wheels right there ;-))

139071

[Jon Finch]

See the red sentence, that's the NO-NO.
You turn fairly thin walls and do it going down in steps, finish the cutting then, you do not go back when the walls are all turned, that's asking for trouble, the walls will flex too easily and then come back for a nasty catch.
As for a steady, Alan showed an simple one, I have one with just one wheel, it works fine, after-all you only need to steady it a bit, you could even do it with your hand, but that might get a little warm.

Sally Ann has roller blades, there's 8 wheels right there ;-))


I'm sure you're right. I just need more practice. When I do the inside of a bowl in steps I have a real hard time making a single continous fair curve down the whole length of the bowl. So I come back to the rim and make one or two very shallow cuts all the way down to remove those transition points from cutting in steps. The bowls I ruined over the weekend were box elder and at 1/4" thick - 7" tall I couldn't get the gouge to start cutting at the rim without skipping. Then I couldn't clean up the rim (due to skipping too). And I'm pretty sure my gouge was sharp. I might have had better luck with a harder/denser wood (the elm I turned over the holidays didn't skip like this).

Maybe it's time to buy a video...

[Reed Gray]

One thing I forgot to mention is that if you are using your hand as a steady rest, make sure to round over the rim of your bowl. A square edge is sharp, like a razor saw, and will slice you easily. You also want to round it over because if the wood is green, a sharp edge will dry quicker than a round one, and your risk of cracks forming goes way up.

robo hippy

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I'll buy your first copy!

Can I pre-order copy #2? :)

[Jon Finch]

Rather then spend my weekend free time building a steady rest, I decided to give a nice piece of apple a try while watching the Vikings throw away a shot at the superbowl.

139756139757

This time it went off without a hitch. Hope it doesn't split.

[Hilel Salomon]

I'll add a second recommendation for Jeff Nicol's steady rest. They are much cheaper than any of the other one's I've seen and are built extremely well. I won't core a large piece or make a large hf without it. I also have two pairs of the oneway steady rests. For what I need them for, you really need one on each side. They therefore cost more and are not nearly as good as Nicol's rests.
Regards, Hilel.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I'm sure you're right. I just need more practice. When I do the inside of a bowl in steps I have a real hard time making a single continous fair curve down the whole length of the bowl. So I come back to the rim and make one or two very shallow cuts all the way down to remove those transition points from cutting in steps. The bowls I ruined over the weekend were box elder and at 1/4" thick - 7" tall I couldn't get the gouge to start cutting at the rim without skipping. Then I couldn't clean up the rim (due to skipping too). And I'm pretty sure my gouge was sharp. I might have had better luck with a harder/denser wood (the elm I turned over the holidays didn't skip like this).

Maybe it's time to buy a video...

Leo makes a lot of sense here as this too has been my experience. Cut the rim first, then go into the bowl in steps and DON'T GO BACK TO THE RIM. Just sand and that's it.

[Mike Lipke]

As far as the transitions, You need to invest in an 80 grit gouge.

[Mike Svoma]

+1 for Jeff Nicol's steady rest. Works great!

[Jamie Donaldson]

You can make a simple 1 roller steady rest "on a stick" which you can hold in the left hand while cutting with the tool held in the other hand. Lots better than trying to use just your hand as a steady- it gets really hot!

[Thomas Canfield]

I agree with Leo. The last pass might need to be starting with 120 grit or so paper to even out any earlier steps.