Steady Rest

[Edward Weingarden]

I'm getting ready to build a steady rest. One set of plans I have says to make the internal diameter half of the swing. I have a Jet 1642 so that means an 8" internal diameter. With the wheels on and retracted all the way, that would limit me to about a 6" diameter turning piece; that sounds somewhat small. Is that the way it's supposed to be? Thanks.

[Roger Chandler]

When I made one for my former lathe, an 18" swing lathe, I made the inner circle 18" and being made out of plywood circles, the basic circular support was about 2" wide and two layers thick, so the outside diameter of the circle supports were 20 inches. I used 3/4" oak for the arms and inline skate wheels. I could use it on a hollow form of about 15-3/4" diameter.....never turned one quite that large in diameter, but it worked well.

After a while, I had Jeff Nicols make me one out of steel.........now that I have a new 22" swing lathe, I am going to have to put a riser block underneath the base of it, but I think it will be all I need for most hollow forms that I would do.

[charlie knighton]

that is sorta what you like to turn in hollow forms.......some turners like a shape that is the diameter is like 4 inches......some like big stuff.....on a 1642 you can do a large amount of different styles.....I like the diameter to be greater than the height....enables you to have a nice continuous curve


personally when I use a steady rest, I use the oneway bowl steady for hollow forms....works great and I can use it on all sizes

item #130-002 in craft supplies fall/winter catalogue page 37.......


really only need support where you are cutting....makes using calapers and lazor doodad much easier

[Sparky Paessler]

I would use a 16" ring. That would give you almost 15" that it would support. Here is one I did based on Jeff Nicole's design for a 16" swing lathe. I believe you can search on here for detailed plans to build this one.

[Barry McFadden]

I use the oneway bowl steady as well...got it from Lee Valley.. http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=48722&cat=1,330,49238&ap=1 works great and as Charlie said you really only need support at the place you are cutting..

[Mike Goetzke]

I would use a 16" ring. That would give you almost 15" that it would support. Here is one I did based on Jeff Nicole's design for a 16" swing lathe. I believe you can search on here for detailed plans to build this one.

Sparky - that is a nice looking steady rest. I'm a new turner but want to try a HF soon. I'm just wondering wouldn't these steady rests get in the way of the laser used on many hollowing systems?

Thanks,

Mike

[Edward Weingarden]

Good question Mike. I'll be using the steady rest for HFs and I have a setup with a laser.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Here is one I did based on Jeff Nicole's design for a 16" swing lathe. I believe you can search on here for detailed plans to build this one.
I built to the same plans for the Robust AB with a 26" ring. The plans that Jim Combs has put together based on the Nichols design (search on this forum) are easy to follow, require no more than an angle grinder and cutoff wheel and rudimentary welding skils.

I can attest to the last, not having welded since I was in college over 40 years ago, I made it through easily. Built mine with 3 wheels, all angled 7 degrees from the vertical to clear a laser.
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[Geoff Whaling]

Wood lathe steady rests come in all forms, spindle, bowl & large HF's, from string steady rests used by long thin goblet & trembleur turners to mega creations used for very large HF's.

I would suggest Google searches for "wood lathe steady rest" or for noted HF turners like Brian McEvoy, or the late Elmer Adams (who didn't use steadies on very large HF's) etc to get idea's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPSwy6wiDvI & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GslfEkuxpcY check out the 19" mark.

Many of the vibration issues are actually caused by inadequate mounting of the work piece. Most turners of very large bowls or HF's prefer face plates with coach screws / lag screws to mount the blanks.

I rather like steadys to be quite robust like the Vermec "Three Point Steady" however your lathe, hollowing system, tools & project will have its own unique set of design issues that will dictate what is a practical steady rest. Most commercial units are very well engineered - for a reason - product liability.

[Sparky Paessler]

Mike,

they can. You either have to go over the ring or under it. I just got one of the new Grizzly lathes and have built an open top steady for it to solve that issue.


Sparky - that is a nice looking steady rest. I'm a new turner but want to try a HF soon. I'm just wondering wouldn't these steady rests get in the way of the laser used on many hollowing systems?

Thanks,

Mike

[Jeramie Johnson]

Mike,

they can. You either have to go over the ring or under it. I just got one of the new Grizzly lathes and have built an open top steady for it to solve that issue.

Nice Sparky, just awesome. I see lots of other uses that setup can perform.

Would you be willing to share where you sourced the rails?

[Don Bunce]

Here are the plans:

http://www.tnvalleywoodclub.org/Plans/Steadyrest%20by%20JDC.pdf

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Thanks for the link!

[Sparky Paessler]

Nice Sparky, just awesome. I see lots of other uses that setup can perform.

Would you be willing to share where you sourced the rails?

Jeramie

that is a product called 80/20. I got mine at a scrap sale at work but you can buy it online. the U shaped piece of aluminum I used for the base is from McMaster-Carr. for more info and pictures see my post on it

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?234031-open-top-steady-rest-comming-along

[Thom Sturgill]

Jeff Nicols has plans on his site WoodenNicol (http://www.woodennicol.com/tools.html). I bought one of his before he stopped making them. He originally used fixed mounts like Sparky's and then started offering moveable wheel mounts. Mine has four fixed mounts and one moveable. I can place it where ever needed to avoid collision with the laser arm. Before he stopped making them, I believe he went to all moveable mounts. It is solid as a rock, however I agree with Geoff about using faceplates for deep hollowing.