Diy Steady rest ideas

[johnnyb]

I wondering if anybody has any great designs for long spindle steady rests that I can copy. I've ordered some online skate wheels.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Only Look at Axminster or amazom

 

[ChaiLatte]

A google for 'wood lathe steady rest plans' finds a few.

This is the first:

https://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/forum/woodworking/turning/18816-steady-rest-plans-pdf

Another place to look is Pinterest - find something that looks good to your eye and do some detective work.

 

[johnnyb]

That's the exact one Tim Mason makes and sells on ebay. I don't think it will be a big job tbh. Actually that design would be significantly stronger than Tim masons having a second support ring.

 

[johnnyb]

Steve Jones seems to have a low tech method but it's hard to see what it's made with.

 

[Sachakins]

Used to watch Mike Waltd a lot for sensible turning info, this was his making of steady rest. I imagine it's a lot like many others, but here's the video link.

 

[niall Y]

I think the ones with housings to hold the roller arms allow for greater rigidity if you get a catch.

Also, the ring form that most of them use as standard can be improved upon to give the optimum diameter possible, for a turning on the lathe. This can be done by having extra material on the outer diameter of the ring at three, or four fixed points, (depending on the number of arms used ) which will allow one to move the position of the fixing bolts further out. Material can then be removed from the inner circumference at these same positions, allowing the rollers to be tucked further out.

 

[CliveB]

I have a design for woodturning that I haven't quite finished yet for a 170mm centre height lathe. This will provide for a max 110mm diameter workpiece. However, it really requires a milling machine to make, although some patient work with a file would do it. The "ring" in the photo attaches to the piece of steel angle which then bolts to the lathe bed. The ring is just a 12mm section from a large diameter steel pipe, cut to length by the supplier. If you want a dimensioned 2D drawing I can send you one. Very simple design really. Parts so far:-

 

[Colin Hovland]

I wondering if anybody has any great designs for long spindle steady rests that I can copy. I've ordered some online skate wheels.

I built this fifteen years ago. You need to make it to suit the lathe swing, that being twice the measurement of lathe centre to lathe bed. I used skateboard wheels, and Bandsawed out the size etc.

 

[adrspach]

I have done simmilar to Mike Waldt one and one shown above. I was thinking long time about 3 or 4 spurs and decided for 3 due to being easier to adjust as well as less material needed. I used old wheels from my skates and some scrap wood from old crates. Once I get to a skate shop i will get smallest diameter wheels I can get to make it useable for smaller diameters. Unles I find the way how to grind down present wheels to smaller diameter. Tried it already but it is pretty messy process with sticky polyurethane dust everywhere.

 

[Vulcan]

Maybe I’m missing something but some seem determined to over complicate things by constructing round steady rests.
If you look a bit closer on the net there are plenty of ones that aren’t round and as a result look much less difficult or time consuming to make.
Some examples. Bottom one is a commercial unit from Amazon that could be home built as well.

 

[Vulcan]

Then again, if you want to turn something like a Trembleur you might want to make something like this.

 

[Vulcan]

There’s a full write up of this one, if it’s of interest.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-gb/discover/woodworking/2021/february/shop-made-steady-rest

 

[Robbo3]

My quick knock up based on an idea by Alan Stratton of As Wood Turns
- https://www.aswoodturns.com/2014/09/steady-update/

Note that the wheels are free to pivot slightly on the centre bolts.

 

[Nail]

Some great ideas there!

 

[johnnyb]

I'm loving those pared down ideas tbh. How long do things take to arrive from ebay nowadays?

 

[Sachakins]

I'm loving those pared down ideas tbh. How long do things take to arrive from ebay nowadays?

Depends, some sellers ship direct from China, some are local sellers.

 

[johnnyb]

Ebay pains me post covid. Seems to take a fortnight for anything to appear.

 

[Vulcan]

eBay delivery can vary widely. In the past I’ve had stuff arrive quicker from China than items posted in the UK.
Amazon has replaced eBay for lots of stuff I buy. Next day delivery is a bonus and some things are the same price. If it really is much cheaper then I’ll still use eBay though.

 

[Yorkieguy]

I made a steady back in Autumn 2020 during 'lockdown' when we were all placed under Government 'house arrest', so such projects filled in time and helped stave off 'cabin fever'. It was an 'MFJ' project - made from junk - all that I needed to buy was the roller blade wheels, some bolts and 6mm screwed inserts. I could have bought the knobs, but time wasn't of the essence so I made a little jig and made the knobs from plywood.

There was nothing unique about it - countless similar versions on YouTube, which I used for ideas. The main issue with any lathe is how to adapt it to fit the bed of the lathe - in my case, the cast iron bed of a Nova '16-24' (16" diameter capacity, 24" between centres). I cut the outer 'circle' on he bandsaw, and the inner circles with a router attached to a home made plywood circle arm cutter.

It took almost as long to make the knobs as it did the rest of the steady. Some self explanatory pics attached. To make the knob jig, I cut a hole in plywood using a 2" diam hole-saw, making a relief hole first into which the sawdust can collect or the saw will clog with sawdust and stall. Then I used a pillar drill to cut the five notches in the knob blank.

I've since disposed of the lathe and the lathe steady. I had it ten years, having listened to the mantra of "buy a lathe as big as you an - you can always turn small items on a large lathe but you can't turn large items on a small lathe". True that might be, but was I ever going to turn anything 16" diameter. Highly unlikely - I don't know anyone who does). Downsized to a smaller variable speed Axminster lathe - 305mm diam, 456mm between centre. Does me nicely.

Hope that's of interest.