Hi all,

I've got this neat old steady rest, and I've had it for years, without
ever knowing what it originally fit, and well, was hoping to get some
help with its identification from some of you old (and / or new) hands
here in the group.

Here is the link to a picture and some dimensions / details. No spam
at this link, just info. on the rest.

http://www.indiancreekprecision.com/steadyrest.html

I believe it would fit a lathe with a swing of 16".
Its a very well made, heavy and rigid rest, I wish all steadies were
made this way. I love the adjusters on this thing.

I have thought about copying this pattern to make a 'jr' version of it
for my smaller lathe.

Anyway,
Thanks for any help.
Jess

Jess wrote:

I've got this neat old steady rest, and I've had it for years, without
ever knowing what it originally fit, and well, was hoping to get some
help with its identification from some of you old (and / or new) hands
here in the group.

Here is the link to a picture and some dimensions / details. No spam
at this link, just info. on the rest.

http://www.indiancreekprecision.com/steadyrest.html

I believe it would fit a lathe with a swing of 16".
Its a very well made, heavy and rigid rest, I wish all steadies were
made this way. I love the adjusters on this thing.

I have thought about copying this pattern to make a 'jr' version of it
for my smaller lathe.

If you are careful to provide the dimensions you have already measured, then you
shouldn't have any trouble selling it e.g. on ebay. It would be nice to
mention whether the castings are iron or aluminum. You're going to need some
luck to find out what lathe that came off of. If the castings are aluminum then
I bet it came off an import, the way those adjusters work. - GWE

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 07:29:51 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Jess wrote:

I've got this neat old steady rest, snip
need help with identifying its 'parent' machine
http://www.indiancreekprecision.com/steadyrest.html

snip It would be nice to
mention whether the castings are iron or aluminum. snip - GWE

Grant,

Thanks very much for the input.

These castings are heavy gray cast iron. Magnet sticks nicely.
This rest weighs 51.4 lbs., which is just about twice the weight of my
16" South Bend Steady rest.

The 'fingers' are 1.250 inch diameter, were turned on centers and are
an extremely nice fit in their bores, even with no tension on the
locks. The locks press in on the sides of the fingers in a gib or
tapered wedge manner.

I liked the large fingers, figured it would be a great candidate for
roller bearings. I may yet mill the bottom off of this thing and
kludge on something to mate with one of my lathes.

Maybe E. European import?

I was hoping someone here might recognize it as similar to one they
used on brand 'x'.

Thanks again,
Jess

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 20:27:59 -0500, Jess
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 07:29:51 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Jess wrote:

I've got this neat old steady rest, snip
need help with identifying its 'parent' machine
http://www.indiancreekprecision.com/steadyrest.html

Minor Update regarding hardware - the screws for the adjusters are
1/2-13 tpi
The hold down screw is 3/4-10 tpi
The banjo bolt for the swing - open feature is 1/2 - 13 tpi

Original color of the rest was probably blue - gray (or is it called
gray - blue, never can remember - you know a color similar to the old
South Bends and Monarchs.

Thanks,
Jess

In article , Jess
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 20:27:59 -0500, Jess
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 07:29:51 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Jess wrote:

I've got this neat old steady rest, snip
need help with identifying its 'parent' machine
http://www.indiancreekprecision.com/steadyrest.html

Minor Update regarding hardware - the screws for the adjusters are
1/2-13 tpi
The hold down screw is 3/4-10 tpi
The banjo bolt for the swing - open feature is 1/2 - 13 tpi

Probably off an American lathe, then. Nobody else on the planet has
been so stupid as to use 13 TPI - the std UNC thread pitch. Ever tried
screwcutting one? Yecch. BSW is 12 TPI, piece of cake.....

I have a very old Smith-Drum lathe with 1/2-13 bolts all over it.
Funnily enough I got a steady rest with it - that doesn't fit. One of
these days I'll do what you're doing, then probably sell it.

PDW

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 20:27:59 -0500, Jess
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 07:29:51 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Jess wrote:

I've got this neat old steady rest, snip
need help with identifying its 'parent' machine
http://www.indiancreekprecision.com/steadyrest.html

snip It would be nice to
mention whether the castings are iron or aluminum. snip - GWE

Grant,

Thanks very much for the input.

These castings are heavy gray cast iron. Magnet sticks nicely.
This rest weighs 51.4 lbs., which is just about twice the weight of my
16" South Bend Steady rest.

The 'fingers' are 1.250 inch diameter, were turned on centers and are
an extremely nice fit in their bores, even with no tension on the
locks. The locks press in on the sides of the fingers in a gib or
tapered wedge manner.

I liked the large fingers, figured it would be a great candidate for
roller bearings. I may yet mill the bottom off of this thing and
kludge on something to mate with one of my lathes.

Maybe E. European import?

I was hoping someone here might recognize it as similar to one they
used on brand 'x'.

Thanks again,
Jess

Oddly enough..I have one nearly identical that came with my 15"
Clausing Cholchester

Shrug

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

On Sat, 01 Oct 2005 14:03:03 GMT, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 20:27:59 -0500, Jess
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 07:29:51 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Jess wrote:

I've got this neat old steady rest, snip
need help with identifying its 'parent' machine
http://www.indiancreekprecision.com/steadyrest.html

snip It would be nice to
mention whether the castings are iron or aluminum. snip - GWE

Grant,

Thanks very much for the input.

These castings are heavy gray cast iron. Magnet sticks nicely.
This rest weighs 51.4 lbs., which is just about twice the weight of my
16" South Bend Steady rest.

The 'fingers' are 1.250 inch diameter, were turned on centers and are
an extremely nice fit in their bores, even with no tension on the
locks. The locks press in on the sides of the fingers in a gib or
tapered wedge manner.

I liked the large fingers, figured it would be a great candidate for
roller bearings. I may yet mill the bottom off of this thing and
kludge on something to mate with one of my lathes.

Maybe E. European import?

I was hoping someone here might recognize it as similar to one they
used on brand 'x'.

Thanks again,
Jess

Oddly enough..I have one nearly identical that came with my 15"
Clausing Cholchester

Shrug

Gunner
snip
Gunner,

Thanks for the help.
I don't guess Clausing ever made a 16, did they?


Jess

On Sat, 01 Oct 2005 15:21:01 -0500, Jess
wrote:

On Sat, 01 Oct 2005 14:03:03 GMT, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 20:27:59 -0500, Jess
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 07:29:51 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Jess wrote:

I've got this neat old steady rest, snip
need help with identifying its 'parent' machine
http://www.indiancreekprecision.com/steadyrest.html

snip It would be nice to
mention whether the castings are iron or aluminum. snip - GWE

Grant,

Thanks very much for the input.

These castings are heavy gray cast iron. Magnet sticks nicely.
This rest weighs 51.4 lbs., which is just about twice the weight of my
16" South Bend Steady rest.

The 'fingers' are 1.250 inch diameter, were turned on centers and are
an extremely nice fit in their bores, even with no tension on the
locks. The locks press in on the sides of the fingers in a gib or
tapered wedge manner.

I liked the large fingers, figured it would be a great candidate for
roller bearings. I may yet mill the bottom off of this thing and
kludge on something to mate with one of my lathes.

Maybe E. European import?

I was hoping someone here might recognize it as similar to one they
used on brand 'x'.

Thanks again,
Jess

Oddly enough..I have one nearly identical that came with my 15"
Clausing Cholchester

Shrug

Gunner
snip
Gunner,

Thanks for the help.
I don't guess Clausing ever made a 16, did they?


Jess


No..they made a 15 and a 17 though. How did you determine it was from
a 16" lathe ? Measure to the center of the steady, from the flat way?

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner