On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 09:06:41 -0600, "Karl Townsend"
wrote:

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


I made a whole bunch of idler rolls for my apple line water bin dump exactly
this way. Step one was to weld in a four inch long solid rod inside the end
of a 2" steel pipe. This rod was then turned to 1" for pillow block
mounting. The idlers are 6 foot long, the chuck wouldn't even begin to hold
it anywhere close. So, I set the bottom two jaws on a pipe stub next to the
chuck, then slid it out five feet and adjusted the top one just slightly
tight. I really wish I'd had a larger spindle hole for this job

Worked fer me. How would you have done it?

P.S. I did this on a five foot lathe. The steady was clear at the end of
the lathe. I built a special tool holder bracket so the cutting was actually
beyond the end of the lathe. Wild, but got the job done.

Karl


Karl,
It's true that the way you did it will work. And the longer the part
the smaller the off center error. However, When turning shorter parts
the error may be enough to work the part out of the chuck. In my
experience it's common for the steady to not repeat when clamped to
the ways. Things like the vee in the steady being a larger angle than
the one on the ways can prevent good repeatability.. So I will locate
a steady roughly next to the chuck but will always get it closer when
it's clamped in position.
ERS