adventures in spidle turning

Re: adventures in spidle turning *LINK*

Leo Van Der Loo

>Hi George

If you go to http://www.hdv.net/ you will find a plan for a simple and sturdy steady rest, there is also a lighter version of a steady rest right here on WC in WC articles & reviews.

Have fun and take care

Leo V


http://www.hdv.net/

Re: adventures in spidle turning

john Lucas

>George

Thanks, I needed a good laugh this morning. The 3 jaw chuck helps reduce vibration. Start turning in the middle of the piece and then work your way toward the ends. Do the Tailstock end 1st and then work back toward the headstock.

My first spindle steady was a simple V block mounted with the open side of the V facing my belly. I mounted this to an L shaped wooded adaptor that clamped to the bed of the lathe. It left marks on the wood but these were easily sanded out so I left this area slightly oversized.

Then I got smart and mounted some bearings on the thing. Small hard rubber wheels would probably work good as well. John

Re: adventures in spidle turning

Al Crandall

>I've made two steadies for bowls. I guess the main diference is that they have 4 wheels instead of 3 like a spindle steady would. I used in-line skate wheels from Wal-Mart. As I remember, the cost was about $19 for a set of 8.

Re: adventures in spidle turning Link!

Bruce McElhaney Spring Lake, MI

>I recently made one base on Donimic Greco's version. I used the wheels from one of my daughter's old rollerblades. It worked out pretty good even thought I had to guestimate all the dimentions. Dominic said he made his in a couple of hours. . . mine took all afternoon.

http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=turning&file=articles_128.shtml

cheap wheels

john Lucas

>Go to Goodwill. A set of rollerblades was $5 and I got 8 wheels. John

turning skinny spindles

Janice Manuel

>Actually, a 1" x 30" spindle can be done without a steady rest. I've had a couple bearings in my toolbox for years to make a steady rest with, but I've yet to come across a turning I couldn't do without it.

The trick is to use a light touch when carving on them. If there are no square areas on the turning, make it 8 sided with a band or table saw....Then, when you go to the lathe, you have relatively little material to take off...Either way, once you have the corners off the blank, a sharp gouge, and a light touch will go a long way. The other "trick" is, your left hand becomes the "steady"..It's hard to describe, I do it so automatically...but, I handle the tool one handed, and with my thumb on the tool rest, my left hand goes over and around the spindle. Then, it's a simple matter to balance tool pressure with hand pressure to keep vibration to a minimum.

If there is too much heat for your left hand to be comfortable, you are using too much tool pressure.

Bill Tindall, if you are reading this....you watched me do that skinny baluster last winter. Can you can describe what I did, better than I? I think that one was 1 1/4" x 38"....when I started on those, did 6 of em, I wasn't sure I could do them without a steady rest either....

Spindle turning is fun.

Re: adventures in spidle turning

John Trant (Baltimore/DC area)

>I routinely turn 14" spindles that are about 1/4" thick (magic wands) without a steady rest. Use your fingers of the "guide hand" to support the work.

John

remove the 2 for email

Rollerblade Wheels

Al Kapocius, Metro Greendale

>Tried the steady rest trick with rollerblade wheels from Goodwill.

How do you keep the wheels from melting????

Al Kapocius

Re: Rollerblade Wheels

Mark Kauder. Phenix City, AL

>Al,

1) Make sure that the wheels are not toughing each other (DAMHIKT).

2) Make sure that the wheels are 90 Degrees to the surface of the wood, not to spindle. Being off of 90 degrees to the surface causes a scrubbing on the wheels, and they wear quickly.

Mark