JIGS & ACCES $PHPE S

Steady Rest

Usually, wood is a stiff, rigid material. ^ | But when turning a long, thin spindle 1 ij on the lathe, it gets a bit "rubbery." As the spindle gets thinner, it flexes and bends away from the turning tool. This makes it |LjH hard to avoid digging into the spindle.

To prevent the spindle from flexing, I 1' made a steady rest that attaches to the lathe bed, see photo. It supports the workpiece from behind, so it's easy to get a smooth, controlled cut.

SELF-ADJUSTING. One nice thing about this steady rest is it doesn't have to be constantly readjusted as you turn the spindle to a smaller diameter. Instead, it automatically adjusts to the size of the spindle.

WEDGE. The secret is a simple wedge that applies pressure against a tilting arm, see Exploded View and detail 'a' below. There's not a lot of pressure —just enough to hold a pair of ball

When turning a spindle on the lathe, this steady rest provides the support needed to keep it from flexing.

bearings gently against the spindle.

With the spindle cradled between the bearings, it won't bow out. And as the spindle gets smaller, the wedge gradually works its way down and tilts the arm forward, see detail 'b.' This keeps the bearings in continuous contact with the spindle.

L-SHAPED SUPPORT

I began work by making an L-shaped support. It consists of two feet with an upright brace sand-

Hardware

(1) %" x 3" Hex Bolt

(3) ¹/₄"x 1V₄" Hex Bolt s

(4) V₄" Lock Nuts w/Nylon Inserts

(1) ⁵he" Flat Washer

(1) ⁵/₎₆"x4" Carriage Bolt

(1) ⁵/w" Star Knob

(4) %" Flat Brass Washers

(2) V₄" I.P. x ³U" O.D. Ball Bearings

EXPLODED VIEW

WEDGE

WEDGE HOLDS HEAD ASSEMBLY AGAINST SPINDLE

V₄" I.D. x %" O.D. BALL BEARING

WEDGE

support arm /

---(E)/

LOCK NUT

mounting plate

^s/i6" STAR - KNOB

SUPPORT ARM

5P1NDLE

⁵/i₆" FLAT WASHER

V₄" x 1V₄" HEX BOLT

AS SPINDLE IS TURNED SMALLER, WEDGE SLIDES DOWN TO KEEP HEAD ASSEMBLY AGAINST SPINDLE

upper ©clamp block

¹/4" FLAT BRASS WASHER

^⁵Ae" x 4" CARRiAGI \BOLT>^

HEAD ASSY.

V₄" x 3" HEX BOLT

lower clamp ^/block

foot

SUPPORT ARM

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ShopNotes

No. 43