Follower Rests and Adjustment?

HMF

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A follower rest supports the part of the work that is being worked. It is used for light and long pieces of material to prevent deflection. Follow rests do need adjustment after every pass on the same stock, because they DO follow the cutting action, and hence the diamiter they grip onto is diffrent every pass. It sometimes needs adjusting throughout the cut. On a light lathe the difference between the support of a centre and travelling steady and just the steady as things near the middle of long slender work can really affect things. On a big lathe the travelling steady is about the most massive one imaginable and that problem doesn't seem to exist.

Steady rests do not need adjustment after every cut, only when you need support moved. Since you can't cut 'under' a steady rest. Also, When a steady rest is in use, its often a long slender part, At a low feed rate (Finishing) this can take a few mins per pass, So you may not be readjusting the steady rest nearly as often as you think.

Frank Ford has created a follower rest that actually FOLLOWS:

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Tooling/MiniFollower/minifollower.html


Enjoy,

Nelson
 
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