Oops

[Brian Kent]

Just glad I had that steady rest to that if I had a catch it wouldn't pry the bank loose.
In this case I barely touched the rim with the tip of a v scraper.

On the end of the 10" chalice, the physics works against me.
I have a whole lot of long work to do (23 more chalices 10" x 3.5") so I guess I build a new steady rest this week. This kind of thing is why I am researching all of the right systems for my next rig.

Kinda kicked the energy out of me.

[Doug Ladendorf]

Glad you were not hurt Brian. That would take the wind out of my sails too, and necessitate a change of shorts. Do you use tail stock support when you can?

Doug

[Bruce Page]

Wow, glad you're OK.

[Sid Matheny]

Wow that looks like it might make your heart beat a little fast for a while. Glad you are OK after that!

[Brian Kent]

Yes, I use the tail stock except when hollowing the cup. Usually I drill to depth before shaping. Not this time.

I think I'll switch to the small chalices and small and large plates for awhile, as I decide on materials for the next steady.

I have made quite a lot of these lately (this is the top of 4 bins full) and then blew 2 in a row. This one and the previous one where I was using a hollowing tool for the cup and tried to make the inside bigger than the outside. I think that it is good that I quit for the night.

[Brice Rogers]

Brian,

When you got the catch, what happened next? Was the fracture of your steady what lead to the cylinder being torn out of the chuck? Would a stronger steady have kept this from happening or would some other part of the lathe have been destroyed ?

[Reed Gray]

Oops is right... Solid wood with the grains lined up makes for an easy split under much pressure... Been there, done that.... As part of a serendipitous mistake, I now end up turning scoops out of 2 pieces, the scoop and the handle. Turn a short tenon on the handle, and cover the joint with a bead. Might work on your chalice.

robo hippy

[Steve Schlumpf]

Glad you were not hurt! I agree with Reed - solid wood makes for a fairly weak steady when all the grain lines up. On your next steady - try using cabinet grade plywood - less chance of something like this ever happening.

[Mark Greenbaum]

Maybe making your steady rest from laminations of plywood would give it a bit more strength? It looks as though the impact fractured the oak frame along a grain line. Right? I, too, am glad you weren't hurt. I would stop for the night also.

[ALAN HOLLAR]

For a 10" long spindle I would have made the tenon as large in diameter as possible, or used a faceplate and screws. There is so much leverage at that distance from the fixing that the holding power from such a small tenon is easily defeated.

[Scott Brandstetter]

Glad you weren't hurt and totally get how you felt afterwards. I am still having a hard time getting completely back to the lathe after shattering my finger. Good thing is that you're on your own time and can decide when and how to move forward.

[Brian Kent]

Autopsy of a broken steady rest.

Nova G3 chuck with 50mm jaws. [I could buy larger jaws or go back to using faceplace and screws.]

Tenon was just slightly larger than inside of jaws for maximum contact. This chuck and jaws are rated by Nova for a 2" spigot.

Turning blank was 10-3/4” x 3.5 inches. Client ordered 10” tall chalices.
[I have been successful at these dimensions 30+ times, but I am always working the limits.]

Steady rest materials:
Made from a piece of a laminated desktop. An oak veneer covers blocks of hardwood. Total thickness = 1.25” [Would ¾” Baltic Birch be adequate?]

The channels for the arms are 1/2” deep. They probably could be shallower or I could use aluminum T-racks.

The breaks came in the grain of the inner wood blocks, at the cut-outs for the arms on the left and top of the work-piece. The blocks of wood acted as if they were solid piece of wood, allowing the split on the grain. Where it split there was only one layer of surface laminate on the back of the steady.

Technique problems:

Turning Speed 1720 RPM. [probably way too fast]

I was using the sharp tip of a V scraper, which had been good for control in the past.

The tool point was just above center-line to hollow the cup, but I made the mistake of touching the outside of the cup with the tip of the tool as I was trying to get a clean rim.
The gouge in the wood from the catch was just 1/16” deep (6/100”) in the maple blank.

[Trevor Howard]

Brian, when I made my steady rest I ordered an angle ring from McMaster Carr

http://www.mcmaster.com/#angle-rings/=125yf0a

[Mike Goetzke]

Brian - what is a "V-scraper"? I've heard of other types of scrapers but not V.

Thanks,

Mike

[Brian Kent]

Brian, when I made my steady rest I ordered an angle ring from McMaster Carr

http://www.mcmaster.com/#angle-rings/=125yf0a

I have no welding resources. Did you make one using bolt-holes? If so, could you show a picture or a plan?

[Brian Kent]

I am making decisions quickly so I can get back to work. This will be for the Delta 46-460. I want to try ideas that will be used for a larger steady 20" to 22" lathe soon. (No, I can't wait because I need to make the pieces that I will sell to buy the larger equipment.)

At least this one will be made from wood. Less learning curve than with metal.

I like the C shape Lathe Steady shown on the "Woodbowlsandthings" site. I do not have a laser guide now, but would like this shape for the future larger system with a laser.

Will 2 layers of 3/4" baltic birch be adequate for this purpose?

I would like to use T-track for smoother adjustments and a shallower cut for the channels.

How do I attach the skate wheels to the T-track???

The wheels will be on the tailstock side and the base will be mostly on the headstock side.

I expect glitches and challenges on the way, BUT this is not how I intended to spend my one day off tomorrow. :(

[Brian Kent]

…and I am considering buying the Nova 100mm jaw for better support at the base. (currently using the 50mm jaw)
The 100mm has a minimum compression size of 3.071" and the pieces I am turning are 3.5" in diameter.

[Brice Rogers]

Brian, There are obviously multiple ways to approach this and this is just one way: I used aluminum bar, 1" x 1/4", to hold the wheels. I threaded the bar at the ends (for the wheels) and stuck a bolt through the wheels that was a reasonably good fit. I used washers on each side of the wheel and a jam-nut on the other side of the bar to lock the bolt into place. I may have also used a drop or two of locktite once I had adjusted the clearance to a reasonable minimum.

[Brian Kent]

Brian - what is a "V-scraper"? I've heard of other types of scrapers but not V.

Thanks,

Mike

I don't know the real name. It is what I call a scraper with a point on the end at about a 75° angle in the shape of a V. I'm sure somebody knows a better name.

[Len Mullin]

Brian, thankfully you weren't injured. If I was building a new steady rest, I would use either form-ply plywood or baltic birch plywood. I like using form-ply for something like this, more than I like using baltic birch. What I like about the form-ply, is that it has a protective sheet on the face of it that protects the plywood from the cement that it would come in contact with. For a steady rest you don't have to worry about the cement, but it doesn't have a grain to it like wood does. I believe this gives the plywood extra strength, which might help prevent things like this from happening. Now, get your nerve back, and get to turning.
Len

[Allan Ferguson]

I made my steady rest with two layers of 3/4" Baltic Birch ply . slots for wheel support 3/8" deep. 16 lathe.

[Brian Kent]

I am hoping this will be ready by tomorrow.

[john taliaferro]

Mine is steel but its not notched and i have no problem with arms slipping ,only wheels melting and poping .

[Trevor Howard]

I have no welding resources. Did you make one using bolt-holes? If so, could you show a picture or a plan?

Brian I used the one with the bolts holes, I will try and get a picture tonight.

[Brian Kent]

Thanks. I am making one right now out of Baltic Birch, but will be looking in the future to how to do one for a 20 or 22" lathe.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Here is a simple and solid one you can build from some good wood and 2 treaded rods, size to whatever size lathe you want to use it on, not mine.

336587

[Brian Kent]

And done. 7.5" between the wheels.

The only remaining question - natural wood or Delta Gray?

[Brice Rogers]

Brian, Interesting use of the Tee channel. Looks like it'll work fine.

Question: Where do you buy Baltic birch in the Escondido or N. San Diego area ? I've seen birch at Home Depot (Escondido) but it is only 7 ply and has some voids in the plies.

[Brian Kent]

This is from Rockler on Claremont Mesa Blvd.
About once a week my work takes me that direction.

[Steve Mawson]

Good job on the study, like the way you used 4 wheels. Made one like it several years ago and I worked fine. I would not paint that good looking wood.

[Brian Kent]

For a variety of reasons this is smoother and more secure than the last one. I was able to turn a 3" x 3" cup on a 10.5" piece without a problem. And it looks much smoother that when I make then by drilling out first.

[Reed Gray]

Is this the scraper you were talking about?

https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/129/4630/Henry-Taylor-M2-HSS-Richard-Raffan-Signature-Spear-Point-Shear-Scraper?term=raffen+spear+point+scraper

I turned mine into a negative rake scraper...

robo hippy

[Brian Kent]

Yes, only much cheaper: 3rd from the left: http://www.harborfreight.com/Professional-High-Speed-Steel-Wood-Turning-Set-8-Pc-61794.html

[James Combs]

Brian, the new steady looks like it will do a good job. The only concerns I would have with it is that for you next one I would beef up the areas at the mounting base(see my red arrows on your pic). If anything were to go wrong with this one I think it would be at either side of the mounting. Those areas appear to be "less robust" then the rest of the steady.
336654

[Brian Kent]

Good eye, James. I had made a mistake measuring and ended up with a cutout that was too high. I was about to throw it away when I realized I could cut some off the bottom, center it, and then built up the area around the base. The part your pointed at is 3/4" high and 1.5" thick. I could easily add more material at your arrow points. Thank you.

I will also be watching to see if those sides and tops are big enough. So far, it is like a rock, but I had intended for those to be about 50% thicker.

Here is a picture of that spot from underneath. I will strengthen it but it does have wider material than it appears.

[Stan Smith]

Hi Brian. Looks like your new one may solve your problem. Knowing my lack of knowledge of steady rests, I bit the bullet and bought a commercially made one off of ebay. The one that I had previoulsy bought from PSI (for considerably less $), didn't do the job. Here's a pic of the one I use now:

[Brian Kent]

Stan, I just looked at the PSI steady rest and it doesn't look at all adequate. This one looks very useful.

[Stan Smith]

Hi Brian. Yes, it serves the purpose very well. Seems like I always have to learn the hard (and expensive) way. :mad: