# Roller steady rest for 1030V?



## PrettyHateMachining (Oct 24, 2017)

Hi guys,

Anyone seen or adapted a roller bearing steady rest for the 1022/1030V? Or even have any ideas I have a feeling I'm going to be using this steady rest a LOT so I figured I'd get something a little better suited for constant use.

Thanks!


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## dlane (Oct 24, 2017)

Should be easy enough to make roller fingers for one, where are you located ?.


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## PrettyHateMachining (Oct 24, 2017)

I'm in the Boston area. I suppose I could just drill and tap the solid fingers for little roller bearings. Is that what you mean?


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## richl (Oct 25, 2017)

This is one way of doing it


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## PrettyHateMachining (Oct 25, 2017)

That looks pretty straightforward, what did you use for the rollers if I may ask?


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## mksj (Oct 25, 2017)

Another variation of the same. I turned new fingers and used sealed ball bearings  (MRC R4ZZ H501 1/4" ID x 5/8" OD x 3/16" W). The bearings can take pretty high loads for their size. I also added a replaceable bronze bushing wear surface over the bearing outer race. The size of the bearing will depend on the finger.


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## Bob Korves (Oct 25, 2017)

Well, I seem to be contrary to rollers for my steady rest so far.  I have only used the brass ones that came with the steady, and they do nice work, no issues.  Why change?  I am concerned that swarf will get pounded into the work by the rollers.  Having both like Mark has is a good idea, maybe the rollers would be an asset with smaller work spinning at higher speeds.  Another idea I learned from Abom79 is to make a fairly large cardboard shield to fit snug around the work and against the steady to help keep chips out of there.


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## Silverbullet (Oct 25, 2017)

I would tend to think if the bearings are centered they would carry the load better. And with the speeds run to use carbide there almost a have to be bearings . The bronze are ok for sometime usage but not heavy use. Good luck with either way


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## PrettyHateMachining (Oct 25, 2017)

I am a total newbie but that was pretty much my justification. I'm running carbide and hours of work at ~1000RPM and I felt that the solid bronze fingers weren't going to be up to the task. They are already showing some wear and I got the lathe less than 2 weeks ago.


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## Bob Korves (Oct 25, 2017)

PrettyHateMachining said:


> I am a total newbie but that was pretty much my justification. I'm running carbide and hours of work at ~1000RPM and I felt that the solid bronze fingers weren't going to be up to the task.


You are probably correct.  200-300 rpm, moderate diameter, and plenty of way oil applied regularly, careful adjustment, and all is good with just the plain brass bearings.  Cannot measure the wear on the work afterwards.  High speed, use the ball bearings.  Keep the chips out from under the bearings or they will damage the work and the bearings.


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## mikey (Oct 25, 2017)

Just so you know, bearings will slightly mar the work. One trick that prevents marring and wear to the tips of brass fingers is to use cardboard, like the kind used for cereal boxes. Cut a strip, fit it between the work and the fingers and clamp the cardboard to the steady rest. Make sure the tips of the fingers are in full contact with the cardboard and then put oil between the work and cardboard. I have turned finished aluminum at 2800 rpm with no significant wear to the work, fingers or cardboard ... and the work was solidly supported. Might give it a try.


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## PrettyHateMachining (Oct 25, 2017)

I honestly don't care about marring the work, I don't do precision anything but that does sound like an interesting idea. You're basically talking about chipboard, not corrugated cardboard it seems? I will have to try that. Honestly I have a hell of a time setting up the steady rest in the first place, and so far I haven't had any real opportunities to use the live center in the tailstock.


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## mikey (Oct 25, 2017)

Yeah, any thin cardboard will do. I've been using this for decades, even though I have roller bearing tips for my fingers. This works fine, and one day you will need to support a finished work piece and it will work for that, too. Just keep the cardboard oiled.

Simplest way to set up the steady rest (assuming you aren't dialing in precision work) is to chuck your work piece up and get it as concentric as you can. The shop made tool with a roller bearing at the tip works well to get the work pretty close. Then slide the steady up as close to the chuck as you can and bring the fingers of the rest into contact with the work. You want to just contact the work, not push on it. Once your fingers are locked, slide the steady rest out to the end and lock it to the ways and you're set. If you plan to use cardboard between the fingers and the work, set it up near the chuck, oil it and slide it along with the rest. You might be surprised to find how well this works and it saves wear on the finger tips, too.


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## PrettyHateMachining (Oct 25, 2017)

That's a great idea too. In regards to your "as concentric as you can" comment, the question I have is - I'm using the 3jaw that came with the machine and the best I can get a workpiece to indicate is usually say 4-5 thousandths out (4-5 thou at the far end of the workpiece where I'm doing my cutting, about a foot from the chuck). Would this method of setting the steadyrest up at the jaws and then moving it outwards still work? Or should I really be making the workpiece spin "perfectly" with say a 4jaw first? I'm not sure if there's some way of doing better with the 3jaw, I didn't see any real adjustments on it (again, total ignorance here)


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## mikey (Oct 25, 2017)

Make a centering tool like this one: http://www.sherline.com/pages/tips/tip67.htm

These have been around for a long time but they work pretty well for general work and will work fine for most stuff you can use a 3 jaw with. If you need more precision, use a 4 jaw and a dial indicator to get it aligned, then bring your steady rest up and go from there.


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## PrettyHateMachining (Oct 26, 2017)

mikey said:


> Make a centering tool like this one: http://www.sherline.com/pages/tips/tip67.htm
> 
> These have been around for a long time but they work pretty well for general work and will work fine for most stuff you can use a 3 jaw with. If you need more precision, use a 4 jaw and a dial indicator to get it aligned, then bring your steady rest up and go from there.



Ahhhhh that looks like a brilliant idea. Can you buy these or do you have to make them?


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## mikey (Oct 26, 2017)

PrettyHateMachining said:


> Ahhhhh that looks like a brilliant idea. Can you buy these or do you have to make them?



Make one. Buy a small bearing, mount to the side of a piece of keystock that fits your tool post. You have to drill and tap for the mounting screw. To use, gently introduce the bearing to the work piece that is only lightly held by the chuck jaws. Keep speed low and slowly increase contact and the bearing will nudge the work piece true. Stop the lathe and tighten the chuck. Simple.


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## PrettyHateMachining (Oct 26, 2017)

Got it, will hunt down some parts and get to fabricobbling. Thanks!


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## PrettyHateMachining (Nov 6, 2017)

mikey said:


> Make one. Buy a small bearing, mount to the side of a piece of keystock that fits your tool post. You have to drill and tap for the mounting screw. To use, gently introduce the bearing to the work piece that is only lightly held by the chuck jaws. Keep speed low and slowly increase contact and the bearing will nudge the work piece true. Stop the lathe and tighten the chuck. Simple.



It came out great! 1/2" keystock, 5/16-24 bolts and some chinese roller bearings. It works amazing, what a time saver! Thank you so much.

I'll work on the roller bearing steadyrest at some point as well, I got some smaller bearings for that.

Adam


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## mikey (Nov 7, 2017)

PrettyHateMachining said:


> It came out great! 1/2" keystock, 5/16-24 bolts and some chinese roller bearings. It works amazing, what a time saver! Thank you so much.
> 
> I'll work on the roller bearing steadyrest at some point as well, I got some smaller bearings for that.
> 
> Adam



Try the paper thing first; it will surprise you at how well it works. As I said, I have roller bearing tips for my steady rest but they are rarely used - paper works better for me.


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## PrettyHateMachining (Nov 7, 2017)

Thank you for reminding me, I'm gonna make note of that as I had forgotten to try it (haven't used a steadyrest recently). I plan on making the roller bearings removable too, so it's an easy experiment to back out of either way.


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