Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Completing a steady rest.....pt4
roger lance
I made a very basic securing plate from a piece of hard maple......
and settled on this means of attaching the wheels to their arms......
With the result that the rest is finished and awaiting a turning project.....
Only after use, will I know if this design is good/bad.....but I can say now that this method of attachment to the lathe is very secure.....the rest seems very stable.....so, I think it will work well for me.
Re: Completing a steady rest.....pt4
Bruce, a MN Galoot
I made a very similar one, using a design by Dom, when he still hung out here. I used the same wheels as you have, and while they work very well, I need to find some substantially smaller ones for really small spindles.
Re: Completing a steady rest.....pt4
roger lance
Bruce .....the wheels we used are from Lee Valley.....I was surprised they didn't offer smaller wheels.....maybe someday.
Experiment......
roger lance
To check the minimal size of diameter these wheels would allow, I used some drill bits and a caliper and found that with the three wheels touching a minimal diameter was 39/60" or just under 5/8".......
So, if you turn smaller than that, you'll want a smaller wheel.
Re: Completing a steady rest.....pt4
Bruce, a MN Galoot
My wheels are from LV, too. Some times, I turn spindles as small as a half inch.
Re: Completing a steady rest.....pt4
William Duffield
You could use some ball bearings. Your roller blade wheels each have two of them. You already know they will fit your axle bolts.