Author Topic: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting  (Read 9182 times)

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #25 on: April 05, 2022, 07:02:20 PM »
Tom, thanks!  :beer:
I decided not to cast the fingers after all, but make them out of the same 1/2" x 1" hot rolled steel I used for the older steady. Very tedious with my mill to slot those, but I made it through all three by the afternoon. They still have mill scale on them, they'll get a soak in vinegar and salt overnight, and then they get tabs brazed to them for the adjusters, and brazed tips to reduce marring the work.

I did also slot the aluminum casting to fit the fingers -- a heck of a lot easier milling aluminum! It was a pleasure by comparison. I have to admit, I don't particularly like milling. I'd ten times rather machine work on the lathe than the mill. But sometimes you have to.

Also drilled and tapped the casting for the retainer bolts. Again, easy as pie with aluminum. Hey, a plus, when I searched for the tap I found the missing old square headed adjuster screw for the old steady rest -- it was in the box of taps. I must have checked it against a tap for thread pitch, and then set it down.  :wack:

And finally I was able to fit the new steady parts together for a look-see. I'd managed nice close sliding fit by cranking the mill dials and winding out backlash in the old way -- DRO is still not fitted there.

Here's the present state of affairs;

I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #26 on: April 06, 2022, 12:53:03 PM »
Laying out for the hinge and hinge line:
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #27 on: April 06, 2022, 06:15:10 PM »
And the casting split and hinged. This required splitting the ring horizontally, and the hinge vertically. Then relieving to half depth alternate sections, front-bottom and back-top, of the hinge.

I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vintageandclassicrepairs

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #28 on: April 06, 2022, 06:46:44 PM »
 :clap: :clap: :clap:

John

Offline PekkaNF

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #29 on: April 07, 2022, 04:48:34 AM »
And the casting split and hinged. This required splitting the ring horizontally, and the hinge vertically. Then relieving to half depth alternate sections, front-bottom and back-top, of the hinge.

I see the problem, but not solution....unless cut slanted, but can't see that on the picture or explanation. I just don't see how the hinge is whitled from one part. How it is done?

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #30 on: April 07, 2022, 04:29:22 PM »
Thanks kindly, John!  :beer: :beer:

Pekka, I don't know if this is any help:
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline PekkaNF

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #31 on: April 07, 2022, 05:44:44 PM »
Oh. I see it now. Thank you.

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #32 on: April 08, 2022, 03:09:55 PM »
You're welcome Pekka!  :beer:

BTW after squinting sideways with my head practically on the mill drill's table trying to profile out that shape with a tiny mill -- the view almost completely obscured by the big quill, turning dials, Twice. Once for each side of the part. I eventually figured out there was an easier way. and I'll pass that on to anyone trying to do something similar.... No, I don't mean CNC it, I mean if you're hard core, like me with an old round column mill and an unmounted DRO. Or more properly hard headed....

Don't try to profile out that whole shape. Just mill a straight cut across the middle of the waste area to the pivot line. Turn the part over, re-clamp and do the same for the other side. If you've already done the horizontal and vertical saw cuts, the halves will then separate.

After that it's a heck of a lot easier to profile the hinge bit on each piece. In fact if you are working with aluminum like me, a coarse bastard file will profile these pieces faster than you can clamp indicate, and twiddle mill dials towards an approximation of the shape that needs file cleanup anyway to finish the job.
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #33 on: April 08, 2022, 04:43:59 PM »
I added the clamping bolt for closing the steady.

I made a 1" thick base for the steady rest that positions it at center height over the ways. It extends back from the rest forming an L shape. It was milled out on the bottom to fit in the gap in the ways and is meant to slide tight against rear way. It is bolted  to the rest from underneath using two countersunk 5/16" x 2" grade 8 flat head socket screws.

I've also cast a slide clamp of zinc alloy, and it fastens through the base with a trapped 3/8" bolt and nut.

The steady is now fully functional, but there are a few more refinements to come. It's rock solid presently on the ways of the new lathe.
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline krv3000

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #34 on: April 08, 2022, 07:01:00 PM »
in a word brill :) :)

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #35 on: April 09, 2022, 06:40:11 PM »
Thanks Bob! :beer:

Fingers brazed on the tips:
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #36 on: April 10, 2022, 11:55:50 AM »
This is the steady rest done, with the ferrous parts finished.

I had originally planned to add tabs to the fingers like the Gingery steady rest has, and individual adjustment screws, but have since decided against that. I now think that screw adjustment isn't necessary, or even desirable.

Fingers on a steady should be adjusted to stock diameter via light contact pressure. That's difficult to determine with a screw adjuster, but quite easy with plain slides, as long as they are good fits in deep slide channels, and are well supported and fully locked by the retaining bolts. That's the situation with this new steady rest. You can feel them slide into proper position. It's also much faster to set up without adjuster screws.

This steady has deeper and longer channels for support than either the Gingery or the cast iron rests. It has larger work capacity (4" vs 3" and 2-3/4" respectively), Unlike the Gingery, it is hinged, and it has a base that keys to the ways, so it can be set up on a part near the headstock, and then slid out to it's working position while remaining parallel with the ways, and retaining it's working diameter.

Unlike both, it has brass contacts on the fingers, and no screw adjusters. It has a simpler and stronger casting than either of the other two,

The steel fingers on the new rest are longer than on the iron steady and the slot length and bolt locations allow more bearing when the fingers are extended to the fully closed position.

The Gingery rest's fingers are not slotted, and have less support, due to side-mounted retainer bolts and washers. That's mainly a result of assuming no milling facilities by builders for slotting. The adjustment screws on the Gingery rest are probably necessary to help retain the fingers against end forces.

So, now my new lathe has a new steady... I learned a lot about what I like in a steady rest by having two other examples to look at while making design decisions. Quite an enjoyable project in the end! I'm looking forward to using it for building the Ryder engine.
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline jiihoo

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #37 on: April 10, 2022, 02:35:24 PM »
Simple, functional and beautiful :clap:.

Thank you Steve for opening your thought processes about the design choices. That was very educational.

Jari

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab + a New Steady Rest Casting
« Reply #38 on: April 11, 2022, 09:44:34 PM »
Thanks Jari!  :beer:

Finally, in use:
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline RotarySMP

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Re: Steady Rest Rehab
« Reply #39 on: May 01, 2022, 08:14:51 AM »
That was a pretty loveless product that someone threw on the market. No effort to machine the casting to make it work well. I am sure you will make the foundry proud.


I decided to try my oil furnace instead. Since it's insulated with refractory blanket, I figured the cool-down period might be slow enough if I covered the openings after the heat. In order to slow the heat up period, of reduce the risk of cracking, I decided to remove my oil burner and substitute my atmospheric propane burner -- originally intended as a brazing torch. It could do a slower heat up, and without all the noise of a blower ....I figured it would be up to the job.

For me it is the opposite. I think the Mig jet causes super sonic flow of the propane, cause the furnace is really loud on gas, but with a little 70w squirrel cage blower, it is pretty quiet on oil.


Best regards, Meilleures salutations, Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Cu salutari
Mark
https://www.youtube.com/c/RotarySMP