# 14" Steady Rest



## kspainhour (Nov 22, 2016)

Hello,
Anybody happen to have pictures of a steady rest for a rockwell 14"?  The lathe I have didn't come with one.  Some pictures of one would help me identify one if I happen to run across a steady that is not identified.

Thanks,
Keith


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## 4GSR (Nov 23, 2016)

Keith ,

I've been looking for two years and no luck finding one.  I have one from a Sheldon lathe I'm going to modify to fit my 14' Lathe.

Ken

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


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## TOOLMASTER (Nov 23, 2016)

https://www.google.com/search?q=ste...ved=0ahUKEwi7s97-zr_QAhXlxlQKHW46BDgQ_AUIBygC


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## 4GSR (Nov 23, 2016)

TOOLMASTER said:


> https://www.google.com/search?q=steady+rest++rockwell+14"&biw=1506&bih=981&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7s97-zr_QAhXlxlQKHW46BDgQ_AUIBygC


I don't trust those pictures.  The 14" SR is shaped a little different than that shown the pictures. 

Here's a couple of pictures from the Rockwell Metalworking Lathe in the Yahoo Groups.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups...?orderBy=mtime&sortOrder=desc&photoFilter=ALL

Here's another



Actual pictures are hard to come by.  I have a parts list and exploded view of the SR I'll scan and post.

Ken


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## TOOLMASTER (Nov 23, 2016)

Whit is not to trust?. look oem to me ;-)

http://thumbs3.picclick.com/d/l400/...ilwaukee-wood-lathe-shop-made-steady-rest.jpg





4gsr said:


> I don't trust those pictures.  The 14" SR is shaped a little different than that shown the pictures.
> 
> Here's a couple of pictures from the Rockwell Metalworking Lathe in the Yahoo Groups.
> 
> ...


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## 4GSR (Nov 23, 2016)

Here's a parts breakdown of the Follower and Steady rest.


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## 4GSR (Nov 23, 2016)

TOOLMASTER said:


> Whit is not to trust?. look oem to me ;-)



The pictures that came up are of an older South Bend SR that was probably adapted to a 14" Rockwell metal cutting lathe, not wood lathe.  Not to say someone has made a wooden steady rest for a metal lathe.


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## TOOLMASTER (Nov 23, 2016)

There are some nice ideas there


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## kspainhour (Nov 23, 2016)

Thanks Ken. That helps. I am think I am going to have to modify one to fit also. I purchased a broken one on ebay. It looks like a telescoping south bend. I have repaired it and now I am questioning whether to cut it up or not. The picture and and manual helps. There is one on ebay now that may be close. I can post a link if its not against the rules. 

Take Care,
Keith


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## 4GSR (Nov 23, 2016)

Sure, it's not against the rules to post a link of the ebay ad.  If you like, send me a PM with the link attached and I'll offer you my honest opinion.  I promise not to buy it.  Ken

BTW- I just finished a crude layout of the end view of my bed and dropped in my Sheldon SR.  The Rockwell spindle centerline is not on the same centerline as the Sheldon is horizontal wise.  It's back about .430", which is away from the front of the lathe.  So that is one of the things you have to take in account when adapting a steady rest to your bed.  Ken


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## kspainhour (Nov 23, 2016)

Ok, Its ebay item number 302131453633.
Please feel free to buy it if you want. If it will work on your lathe. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lathe-15-Steady-Rest-/302131453633?hash=item4658701ec1:g:irQAAOSw44BYH-QC

Thanks for the measurement of the offset. I had noticed it when I put the steady rest that I have on the lathe, but didn't have the measurement. 

Take Care,
Keith


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## 4GSR (Nov 24, 2016)

Keith,

I think that one is a bit too wide by about 1".  I recall seeing that SR too on eBay.  I've attached a drawing of the end view of my 14" Rockwell lathe. I haven't had a chance to recheck the dimensions but I'm pretty sure they are reasonable correct.  If you like a copy of the cad file I have started send me your email address by PM and I'll send.  Ken

Edit: I forgot to mention, the steady rest in the attachment is a Sheldon model that some one milled the bottom flat.  I'm going to take a piece of flat bar, machine it to fit the bed and machine the height to fit the steady rest and mount.


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## talvare (Nov 24, 2016)

4gsr said:


> I'm going to take a piece of flat bar, machine it to fit the bed and machine the height to fit the steady rest and mount.



This is exactly what I did after searching for a steady rest for my lathe for a couple years without success. I found a 14" South Bend steady rest on eBay for a very reasonable price and modified it to work on my lathe. Couple of pics attached:







Ted


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## 4GSR (Nov 24, 2016)

Ted,

Got to ask, what is the Fram oil filter all about?

Ken


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## talvare (Nov 24, 2016)

Ken,

I use cutting oil as a "flood coolant" and it circulates through that filter back to the sump. I relocated the filter to the back of the lathe since that photo was taken.

Ted

Edit: Thinking about my response, I think I stated that incorrectly. The cutting oil is pumped from the sump through the filter and onto the work. It then drains into the chip pan, through a course screen, into a primary sump with a weir, then via a tube through a fine screen into the main sump.


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## kspainhour (Nov 25, 2016)

Thanks for the pictures Ted. That looks like exactly what I'm going to have to do. I did a little test fitting and this is what it looks like.

And it looks like we have the same south bend steady rest. I remember the part number on this one ended it "tt1"

Take Care,
Keith


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## talvare (Nov 25, 2016)

Keith,

Ya, it looks like pretty much the same situation and the same steady rest. It should work out well for you.

Ted


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## kspainhour (Dec 3, 2016)

I thought I would post a update. I ended up milling the steady rest down and making a base for it. Looks like it will work until I find the right one. 
I bolted it to the base with 4 socket head cap screws countersunk from the bottom up into the steady rest. 
Thanks again to everyone for the help.


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## 4GSR (Feb 6, 2017)

Here's a 13" Sheldon steady rest that was "butchard up" before I bought it that I was going to fix up to use on my 15" Sheldon lathe.  In luck, I found a 15" SR so this became surplus.  Then when I bought my 14" Rockwell lathe, I decided to adapt this 13" SR to my Rockwell lathe.  Worked out nice.  Now, if I can get the rest of the lathe back to running.  Ken


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