"Harold & Susan Vordos" wrote in message
...

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...
snip----

Would it also work to get it into the steady, mount the indicators to
your cross-slide and run it up and down the bed while checking the
indicators?

There is no better way to get a steady running properly than to do it
while
the machine is running, much as Erik suggested. The problem with a steady
set up any other way is that you risk having the steady slightly off
center,
which often results in the part walking out of your chuck.

To get a steady running properly, all you have to do is get your part in
the
chuck, fairly well snugged, and have the steady in the desired position,
jaws slightly backed off. You don't even have to have the top of the
steady
closed if you so desire. The part is highly unlikely to go anywhere while
you're adjusting the bottom two jaws, which you do under power at slow
speed. Do as Erik suggested, start tightening one of the jaws slowly,
stopping while you still feel the intermittent contact of the rotating
part.
Go to the other jaw and do the same thing. At this point. very carefully
bring in one of the jaws until you feel it making constant contact. You'll
be able to feel it through the adjusting screw. Do this slowly so you
don't
overshoot center. Do the same for the second jaw, then close the top and
do
the same for the third. At this point you may wish to either tighten or
back off all three jaws ever so slightly to insure the proper amount of
running clearance, or lack thereof.

Setting up a steady by placing it next to the chuck and them moving it to
proper location is to be avoided.

Harold


Mount your magnetic base to the chuck, put the point of the indicator
against the shaft. Be a far away from the chuck as you can with out the
indicator being affected by gravity as you rotate the chuck. Giving you a
false reading. (Magnetic bases with fine adjustments are generally not good
for this.) Rotate the chuck by hand and read the indicator. It works kinda
like dialing in a 4 jaw chuck. Only you have 3 supports instead of 4. (Well
sometimes you have 4 supports on a big lathes.) Read the indicator in line
with the support and directly opposite the support. Adjust the supports
while reading the indicator movement. Adjust the supports of the steady rest
until the indicator reads zero all the way around. If anyone wants me to I
can post pictures to the drop box, if it's not clear.
Remember if you are not lined up properly the shaft will work out of
the chuck, which could get really exciting at high Rpm's.

Richard W.