Issue with steady rest

[Southtowns27]

I have a piece of 3" diameter brass, about a foot long that I need to face off. One end is in the 3 jaw, with the steady rest about an inch from the end. When I turn on the lathe, the piece slowly starts walking out of the three jaw no matter how tight I get it. What should I check?

 

[Tony Wells]

Your steady rest needs to be adjusted. Back off all the fingers and with the 3 jaw holding the material, put an indicator out where the steady rest will run. Tap it true as possible with a deadblow hammer or similar. Then turn on the lathe at a slow spindle speed and bring each finger into light contact with the material.

There are problems using a steady rest if the material is not close to perfectly round. Standard practice on relatively short pieces like that are to chuck and indicate, then slowly drill a center hole, skim the area to be run on the steady, then do either the above, or use a live (or dead, carefully) to spin the material while adjusting the steady rest.

There simply is no getting around the physics of a steady rest that is not centered with the chuck axis. Material will walk out if it is not adjusted correctly.

 

[bobl]

Have you tried putting a centre drill in the part & then use your centre in your tailstock. turn a shoulder, turn the part around holding on the register. Recentre the part & use a ccentre this will stop it coming out of the chuck. NOTE watch your speed, keep in down.

 

[Bob Korves]

I have a piece of 3" diameter brass, about a foot long that I need to face off. One end is in the 3 jaw, with the steady rest about an inch from the end. When I turn on the lathe, the piece slowly starts walking out of the three jaw no matter how tight I get it. What should I check?

The easy way to do it is to slide the steady rest all the way up to the chuck and then adjust the fingers till snug. Try to have the stock level with the tailstock center as well as possible, you can drill and use a center hole to increase accuracy. After you get the steady rest adjusted up against the chuck, open it up, slide it to the position you want to use it in, close it, and go to work...