Steady Rest, P/N 1074

P/N	NAME	WT.	PRICE
1074	Steady Rest	.75 lb.	$40.00

Using a steady rest on the lathe...

All materials have a tendency to deflect away from the cutting tool when you are turning them in a lathe. This tendency is especially noticeable on long, slender parts and long pieces of bar stock, which makes it quite difficult to hold close tolerances. The best way to support a long part is with a center mounted in the tailstock. However, for one reason or another this is not always possible. As an example, it may be a piece of stock that you want to center drill so that you can mount it between centers, or it may be a part where a center drill hole would ruin the looks of the part. Whatever the reason, steady rests provide a means of supporting the part. The Sherline steady rest has three adjustable brass blades mounted in a holder that mounts on the bed of the lathe. These blades can be adjusted to the diameter of the part to provide necessary support. Another advantage of the steady rest that is often overlooked is the fact that work held in position by the rest turns concentrically with its outside diameter. This means that concentricity is assured when working near the steady rest, because, at that point, it must be running perfectly true despite imperfections in how it is chucked or centered at either end.

The easiest way to set up a steady rest is to first mount the part to be machined in a collet or 3-jaw chuck. Then mount the steady rest onto the bed of the lathe and slide it over the free end of the part and up as close to the chuck as it will go. The three blades can then be adjusted inward until they lightly contact the part, supporting it, but not binding it. Once the blades are set and locked in place, the steady rest can be slid back out to support the free end of the part. If you want to check the accuracy of your setup, you can use a dial indicator mounted on the crosslide. Once you are satisfied with the setup, apply a drop or two of oil where the blades come in contact with the part, and you are ready to start machining. The Sherline steady rest will accommodate any size part up to 1.75" (44mm) in diameter.

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