A question about steady rests
 

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?

A question about steady rests
 

In article ,
"Kevin" wrote:

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?

That's what I do. I turn the segment where I want to place the steady to
round - not to the final size - and place the steady. Turn down the
tailstock portion to size up to the steady and then move the steady to
the adjacent newly completed section. Then the headstock end is
accessible along with the roughed section where the steady was placed
originally.

After all sizing is finished, I remove the steady and blend any portions
that're obvious.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners,
Cascade Woodturners,
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Pour your end-grain sealer into a clean, wide-mouth
clothes detergent bottle. The lid makes a handy dipping container for
your brush and the leftovers will drain back into the bottle when you
recap the jug.

A question about steady rests
 

"Kevin" wrote: (clip) 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?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's one way you could proceed, but it may not be the best. Putting the
work into a steady-rest before it's running true will force it to vibrate,
so it may never true up. The long spindle will start out thicker than it's
going to end up, so it will vibrate less. The smart thing is to get a
smooth round surface near the middle for the steady rest early on.

If you start to have vibration before the piece is round and smooth in the
middle, it is usually possible to reduce the speed to get away from any
resonance. Then, gently wrap the fingers of your left hand (if you're right
handed) around the work to support it. This will damp the vibration and
also keep the wood from bowing. The soft, half-open grip of your hand will
allow the wood to find its own center (hopefully.)

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?

A question about steady rests
 

Leo Van Der Loo writes:

Hi Kevin

If I5B 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 ??

I thought his question is what to do when you have a long spindle and
have to use the spindle rest in several places. I've done this, and
moving the rest is awkward. I have to
1) loosen the clamp of the steady rest from the wood
2) remove or loosen the bolts
3) move the tool rest
4) rebolt the steady rest
5) adjust the clamps on the wood.

After doing this three times for one long object and I too wold like
to know a better way. But I was doing long rods, and not chair legs,
so one ssteady rest wasn't working.


BTW the I like the Oneway spindle steady is much nicer that the Noname one
shown he

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx...&FamilyID=5000

I have both, and the Oneway makes steps 1 and 5 very fast, and steps 2 and
4 are faster. Also the Noname burned the wood first time I tried it.
The Oneway is definitely superior.

But I wonder if there is a better way, especially for production
turning. Could one have a long tool rest, and have several steady
rests not engaged, and then as one works down the object, quickly
engage one rest, and continue down the spindle without stopping the lathe?

The string steady rests used for tremblers come close, but I never
tried them. I don't know how well it would work for larger diameter
objects.

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A question about steady rests
 

"Bruce Barnett" wrote in message
...
I thought his question is what to do when you have a long spindle and
have to use the spindle rest in several places. I've done this, and
moving the rest is awkward. I have to
1) loosen the clamp of the steady rest from the wood
2) remove or loosen the bolts
3) move the tool rest
4) rebolt the steady rest
5) adjust the clamps on the wood.

After doing this three times for one long object and I too wold like
to know a better way. But I was doing long rods, and not chair legs,
so one ssteady rest wasn't working.


Use the bodgers' rest. you can make up three or four, pre-position, and
install the wedge once the area is round. Can't be whipping that spindle at
2500 rpm, though.

A question about steady rests
 

"George" George@least writes:

After doing this three times for one long object and I too wold like
to know a better way. But I was doing long rods, and not chair legs,
so one ssteady rest wasn't working.


Use the bodgers' rest. you can make up three or four, pre-position, and
install the wedge once the area is round. Can't be whipping that spindle at
2500 rpm, though.

Thanks. I'll have to do this next time!


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