How do you adjust your steady rest?

[Eric Gourieux]

Peter's post about his "C" steady reminded me of a dilemma I've been having. I have a regular old "round" steady rest and will occasionally get a lot of rumbling as the piece spins. I've come to realize that it's from slight movement of the piece as it dries (even as it sits on the lathe). If I ease back on the wheel pressure or even move the wheels back away from the form enough that there is no contact, the rumbling stops. I've hollowed my past several forms without any pressure from the steady rest, and this has worked out fine. Am I asking for trouble? This brings me to my question:

How do you adjust your steady rest for hollowing? Do you...

1) Keep gentle wheel contact with the piece at all times
2) Adjust the wheels so they are as close to the piece as possible WITHOUT making contact
3) other...

[Wally Dickerman]

No contact is doing nothing to steady your piece. I adjust mine for moderate contact. Yes, I get some rumbling sound.

Years ago I had a steady rest with metal wheels.(Long before in-line skates)....Sounded like a rollerskating rink on Saturday night

[John Keeton]

I have a Jeff Nicol 4 arm steady. I pull up an arm so that when I take the wheel in hand and turn it, the form will move, but I can still feel just a bit of "skid" if I move the wheel quickly. I pull up the opposing arm and do the same. Then, I set the other two using the same process. I get some rumbling, particularly as the piece becomes more hollow.

I certainly agree with Wally - if you don't have some mild contact with the wheels, the steady is not serving its intended purpose.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I use the Oneway 2 wheel steady for bowls and I also get some rumbling. There is a slight amount of give in the wheels that should allow for normal change in the wood. I don't use it for rough outs since I leave them so thick. I only need the extra support for dry wood when I second turn. On green hollow forms I usually try not to use it once the walls get thin where the steady contacts the form.
faust

[Eric Gourieux]

Thanks, guys. I agree that no contact means no help from the steady rest - other than some confidence, perhaps. I've probably just been fortunate not to have any mishaps when there is no contact. My wheels are rubbery and have some give, too. John, I had been adjusting my wheels like you do before I started backing off on the contact.

Given what everybody is saying, I better start adjusting the SR to have light contact again. Thanks for your help and reassurance on the "rumbling".

[Thomas Canfield]

I use a "snug" contact on my 4 wheel Jeff Nichol's steady. To protect soft wood, I will sometimes use blue painters tape, about 2 or 3 layers, at the wheel contact area to reduce chance of crushing the surface fibers and getting a section that will not sand out. If there are some splits or bark, then some strapping tape over the blue tape will also help hold the wood, or a wood ring and hot melt glue is sometimes used where there are large sections missing. I do believe in firm contact for the area/sector where the cutting is taking place.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Eric if your getting a lot of rumbling something is wrong. Check to be sure the work piece is actually true round. If it's not this could be one cause. If it's not return the area true where the wheels run. Another thing to check is the wheel bearings. If their bad the wheels will not run true and will cause some rumbling.

[David DeCristoforo]

I have gotten into the habit of bringing up the tailstock with a large cone center. I usually drill out the center of the form with a forester bit. Then I slightly loosen the chuck, center the form with the cone center and then retighten the chuck. Before I mount the steady, I check that the area where the wheels will touch is true. If not, I true it up. Then I move the tailstock away, mount the steady and bring the tailstock back up. I set the wheels to contact the form with light pressure, trying to get all of the wheels set more or less the same. Then I remove the tailstock and set up for hollowing. I'm no "pro" but this somewhat fussy method seems to work well.

[Thom Sturgill]

David pretty much described my technique too. I want the wheels to turn easily with light pressure. I have had the wheels leave a series of pressure marks that are hard to get out.