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Posted to rec.crafts.woodturning
Leo Van Der Loo
 
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Default A question about steady rests

Hi Kevin

If I understand your question right than you ask in essence how do I get
the middle of my spindle round so I can position my steady rest ??

If your spindle is thick enough than that's easy, just turn the center
part round and have your steady run on there, shape the spindle till the
steady is in your way and move your steady to a already turned part of
your spindle, and finish the rest of your spindle, of course you don't
need a steady usually if your spindle is that thick.

But if your spindle is not thick enough to turn the center part to round
than you will have to get some help, one way is to use a short piece of
pipe that fits tight on your rough spindle and run your steady on that,
fat chance right ?,well you might be lucky.

Then there is the part that you could make yourself and run your steady
on, it is a short piece of pipe (not thin wall) and you drill 4 holes
crosswise on each end, then tap thread in each hole and screw bolts into
them, now you can position the pipe where you want and by adjusting the
bolds have it run true, set your steady on that and turn your spindle.

Seems like a lot of work ?? I think it is, but if you want to make a lot
of spindles it will save you time, if only one or two you probably
better go the way you were thinking of, round a part set steady, do some
more, move steady, etc.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo


Kevin wrote:
Here is a question that has been nagging at me for some time. It's kinda
like that piece of popcorn stuck in your tooth that, try as you might, won't
come out with tongue work alone.

Let's say you are turning a chair leg about 20 some inches long. Now this
leg is gonna flex and vibrate about halfway down as you are turning it. The
solution, I guess, is to use a steady rest. the steady rest will have 2 -3
wheels that ride against an already rounded part of the piece, in effect
limiting the amount of flexing and providing for a smooth turning
experience. The question has to do with using the rest. Do you first round
off a part of the leg, apply the rest, round some more, and move the rest
down to the newly rounded bit?