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Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting

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vtsteam:
The pour. This was from a mix of my not so good aluminum scrap -- pieces of an old auto bell housing, a thrift store trivet, old sprues, a spill from a prior session a few years ago, and other odds and ends. I melted an excess in order not only to have enough for this thick casting, but to pour some ingots as well

A steady rest is something that doesn't get used often. A cast iron version must have paint not to rust in the high humidity of my small shop. There's water on the concrete floor for one month a year in spring. It's just drying out now as a matter of fact. Even painted, anything ferrous unused for awhile will manage to rust.

This cast aluminum steady is of substantial proportions, and I think aluminum is the best choice here -- it always stays bright in my shop. Zinc alloy also stays good looking in my experience, in this shop. But I'm running low on that, and I want to reserve it for more important uses. I might cast the fingers for the steady rest in zinc alloy -- it's a good bearing material, and much stronger than cast iron or aluminum.

And no, I do not have galvanic problems in my shop when mixing any of these metals in a finished tool. That's through actual experience in over a decade with them. Likewise almost any high class machining project online mixes brass and steel in places, and they are a bad couple in the galvanic series. Okay enough of that..... out of the world of online armchair theory and back to practical experience.....and reality.....here's the pour:

awemawson:
Well it looks to have flowed and filled nicely Steve  :thumbup:

vtsteam:
Thanks Andrew!  :beer:

I forgot how easy aluminum is -- it cools in a couple hours instead of 8 or more for iron. Not so much worry about things like chill hardness or thick pasty slag, or inclusions. Aluminum dross is very easy to scoop off and tiny by comparison. Using the atmospheric burner is pleasant and quiet compared to the jet blast of the oil burner.

So I was able to unmold this pour this afternoon, and the result is a good one -- no surprises. Very slight smooth shrink cavity on the back which is hardly noticeable. the front, sides and hinge details are perfect -- which is why I placed the face in the drag. I did put a riser in  the base area, because I didn't want a shrink cavity there, and that worked out. This casting should machine out nicely, I think.

I might have to use the 12" swing Craftsman to face it as there's no easy way to clamp it down flat on the mill for that operation, and the new lathe doesn't quite have the swing to clear the hinge and base areas. But it will be easy to mount it on the Craftsman with the outside jaws bearing against the center hole.

vtsteam:
Faced off and bored.

tom osselton:
Nice looking casting!

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