Home Built Steady Rest

[Dale Winburn]

My new home built steady rest. This is my own design, I've never seen another like it. The range of the steady rest is approximately 3 inches to just over 8 inches. This covers maybe 95+ percent of hollow forms that I turn. The steady rest is very solid, I have gotten several hard catches without losing alignment of the hollow form.

I purchased a set of inline skates at the local Thrift Shop for $5.00 ( 8 wheels) I've used 4 wheels on the rest, I have 4 spares. I have maybe $15.00 invested in metal and other hardware for a total cost of $20.00 +/-.

The eight plates that hold the wheels and provide the adjustments were made using my small milling machine with a rotary table. The up-rights (1" X 1.5" X 11") are drilled, threaded and are bolted to the base (.5" X 3" X 14").

Thanks for looking,
Dale Winburn

[David Walser]

That should definitely get the job done!

[daryl moses]

Nice!! Great design. Looks very sturdy.

[Brian Kent]

Very nice construction. Overbuilt in the good way.

[Roger Chandler]

Hey Dale......there's that mechanical genius showing again! :D You always amaze me at what you build from your own designs......first a bowl lathe, then a rose engine lathe, and now this steady! Way cool! Are you going to bring it to show and tell Saturday?

Thought about a patent?

[Hal Taylor]

That's a unique design which looks sturdy, useful, and versatile. I second Roger's suggestion - patent if at all possible.

[Jeramie Johnson]

Just awesome. Where is the receiving line?

[John Grace]

Very clever and well executed...suspect that 'jig' will last longer than most of us.

[Dan Jechura]

That means you will sell them for $25. <VERY BIG GRIN>. Really how much would you sell one for? Very nice.

[Curtis Myers]

How did you cut the curved slot for the bolts?

[Dale Winburn]

Thanks Guys, for the comments, I think I'll skip the patent issue.

Dan, I enjoyed building the one for my own use, a second one would be WORK and I'm retired.

Curtis, The plate is clamped to the rotary table with the pivot point at the center of the rotary table, the plate can then be rotated to cut the curved slot and the outer radius.

[david privett]

I think I see that you used roller skate wheels, I found them to be a little hard they left tracks , I went to skate board wheels they are quite a bit softer and the contact surface is wider. Just a fyi if you have a issue. But it looks very well engineered.

[Tom Megow]

Dale would a base plate that was increased from 14" to 16",18" 20" etc that had a slot or series of holes make it capable of "steadying" larger diameter vessels or bowls? Is the height also a limiting factor?
I am obviously not an engineer or designer. I do like the simplicity and heft of your Steady Rest! Well Done

[Dale Winburn]

Dale would a base plate that was increased from 14" to 16",18" 20" etc that had a slot or series of holes make it capable of "steadying" larger diameter vessels or bowls? Is the height also a limiting factor?
I am obviously not an engineer or designer. I do like the simplicity and heft of your Steady Rest! Well Done

Tom, My lathe has a 12" capacity, the base plate distance from the center has to be somewhat matched to the uprights distance from the bed to center. For a larger lathe (16", 18" or more) the base plate and uprights would be longer and the plates would be larger. I did some trial and error tests to get the best combination for my lathe.

[Richard Casey]

I think I see that you used roller skate wheels, I found them to be a little hard they left tracks , I went to skate board wheels they are quite a bit softer and the contact surface is wider. Just a fyi if you have a issue. But it looks very well engineered.
Dave, as the OP said he used Inline Skate wheels for his. I built my own steady and I went and bought brand new Inline Skate wheels and as they are polyurethane they are quite soft and will not even mark a gloss finish.
rgds,
Richard.

[David DeCristoforo]

Excellent design. Want one...