Steady rest set up

[Captain Jerry]

Ive never had to use the steady rest before but now I have a 22" piece of 1" diameter brass that I want to use for cylinder heads on the Encabulator. I don't want to saw it up into smaller lengths and it won't fit through the spindle bore on my lathe. I'm thinking I could setup the steady rest and use it to support the outboard end while I part off some 1/4" slices.

Any advice or pointers before I botch it up?

Jerry

 

[Artie]

Nah, just go ahead and botch it up mate!

Seriously nothing magical, simply keep checking that the rest adjusters dont move while doing the job (mine do) and a little lubricant on the rubbing blocks... Too easy... ;D

 

[mklotz]

If you're cutting close to the steady, arrange a cardboard shield for the workpiece so that swarf doesn't get between the work and the steady fingers.

 

[Captain Jerry]

Artie, Marv,

Thanks. Sounds like it should be easy enough.

If I have any problems, maybe I'll look this guy up.

Jerry

 

[Maryak]

Make sure there is still room for the saddle/tool post at the end of the bed.

Most steadies have brass ends, plenty of lube for brass on brass. Don't grip the work too tight. Check the alignment after each parting off.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Captain Jerry]

Nah, just go ahead and botch it up mate!

Seriously nothing magical, simply keep checking that the rest adjusters dont move while doing the job (mine do) and a little lubricant on the rubbing blocks... Too easy... ;D

My blocks have lock nuts. I didn't crank em down hard, just tight enough to give some drag. It was, as you said, too easy.

If you're cutting close to the steady, arrange a cardboard shield for the workpiece so that swarf doesn't get between the work and the steady fingers.

No problem with swarf Marv. I used a SHARP! HSS cutter, low speed, slow feed, and the little brass pills just piled up on the cross feed. I could see a real problem might come up if I was cutting aluminum and a long curl got caught in the support bars.

Most steadies have brass ends, plenty of lube for brass on brass. Don't grip the work too tight. Check the alignment after each parting off.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards
Bob

Just barely had room. The saddle is at the limit of its travel and I had to clamp the cutter in the right side of the tool post for the first cut. I must have had the rub blocks set up just a bit loose and the cut started to chatter. I really wasn't expecting that with brass, but just a very light turn on the top rub block and the chatter vanished.

I'm still not sure that I had it set right. I checked for runout with the DTI and there was none, with almost no effort. Then I realized there wouldn't be any as long as the blocks were reasonably snug and the bar was reasonably round. The cut went fine until the last 1/8th inch. It grabbed and jumped like the cutter height was wrong. I checked, it was. Even though there was no appreciable runout, the center of the bar was lower at outboard end than at the chuck.

New rule. Set the cutter height where you want to cut. I did. Problem solved.

I tried a piece of steel just for comparison. Lube the cut on the steel but otherwise same story.

Here are some pics.

Jerry

 

[steamer]

Don't be afraid to oil those brass jaws real heavy.....it's marginal lubrication at best and they need all the help they can get....600W wouldn't be out of place here. Something thick and tenacious.

Dave

 

[joeby]

Just as a reminder, if the center isn't correct on the steady rest you will turn a taper on your work. The spindle and steady rest centerlines need to be coincident.

An individual at work scrapped a long punch a few weeks ago because he failed to check this, he just indicated both ends of the punch and saw they were running true, which they would, but the part was not on the spindle centerline on the steady end.

Kevin

 

[Captain Jerry]

Kevin

I'll remember that. I was just parting off little discs so it didn't matter except for the way the tool bit acted.

Jerry

 

[Mainer]

I'm still not sure that I had it set right. I checked for runout with the DTI and there was none, with almost no effort. Then I realized there wouldn't be any as long as the blocks were reasonably snug and the bar was reasonably round.

That's why you set the fingers up near the chuck, then slide the steady rest out to the end...assuming you can. My steady rest opens up so moving it along the bed is not a problem If your steady rest is a solid ring, you might have difficulty.

[Edit]: I just looked at your pictures. Your steady rest doesn't swing open, but you ought to be able to adjust the two bottom fingers while leaving the top one loose until you move it into final position. The two bottom fingers ought to be enough to locate the bar correctly.

 

[Captain Jerry]

I'm still not sure that I had it set right. I checked for runout with the DTI and there was none, with almost no effort. Then I realized there wouldn't be any as long as the blocks were reasonably snug and the bar was reasonably round.

That's why you set the fingers up near the chuck, then slide the steady rest out to the end...assuming you can. My steady rest opens up so moving it along the bed is not a problem If your steady rest is a solid ring, you might have difficulty.

[Edit]: I just looked at your pictures. Your steady rest doesn't swing open, but you ought to be able to adjust the two bottom fingers while leaving the top one loose until you move it into final position. The two bottom fingers ought to be enough to locate the bar correctly.

Thanks Mainer

Thats about what I did and I think thats why it was only a small speck low. The bar is quite heavy and had some droop at the point I started which was about 4" from the chuck. I needed that much room to get to the bed clamp bolt on the steady rest. Now that I know what to expect I'll be more vigilant.

Jerry

 

[joeby]

As Mainer has mentioned, you can set the jaws up close to the chuck or you can indicate along the length of the part on the top and front (easier with two indicators) to get it straight.

If you imagine the chuck end of your work being constrained to the lathe centerline (has to be) and you move the steady end off the lathe centerline (still running true because of the steady jaws) you'll see that the work is at an angle to your tool travel. Possible trouble for parting off if it's bad enough.

I'm not criticizing, just a few things to look at to avoid problems. Sometimes all the little things combine forces to give you a headache.

Kevin

 

[Maryak]

Glad it worked well for you.

There are things you can do and things you can't do. I'm never sure which is which................. Just ask your wife

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Captain Jerry]

Good point Kevin. I caught the droop because of the nib left but the bar could forward or back And I didn't see it because the bit had quite a bit of side relief.


Bob

I did ask my wife and she said I.m right. ;D