How to remove/install steady rest fingers

[Cadillac]

Mine are just like Steve showed above. The keyed shaft has to be able to spin within the knob. The shaft is keyed so it shouldn’t spin and only moves linear.

I made brass rollers for the fingers also. Haven’t used yet but good to have.

 

[mksj]

My last lathe came with brass fingers, but I opted to make my own roller type fingers using some O1 rod stock. They lock in with the side guide channel and are internally threaded. The bearings were something like 1/4" ID 5/8" OD and I use an oilite bearing that was 5/8'ID and 3/4"OD cut into pieces to go around the bearing. So less chance of marring and the outer bearing surface was easily replaceable. My new lathe came with roller fingers as stock. I was deep boring some large 3" stock at 300+RPM, not sure how long the brass fingers would have held up. I may ultimately make or modify the fingers so I can press on the oilite outer ring.

 

[Superburban]

My SB 16, came with another brand steady rest, that is missing the fingers. I have been planning on making the fingers with changeable tips. big fat brass ones, medium to fine brass, and rollers (made from the cut down tips from a set of roller lifters I have). Depending on travel, maybe extended ones that will come together, while allowing the regular ones to open to the maximum of the hole. But it is still in the dream phase, as I have a ton of higher priority projects ahead of it,.

 

[Janderso]

Beautiful work mk

 

[darkzero]

I actually like the brass fingers, well that's all I've ever used though.

Used the steady rest that came with my lathe for the first time yesterday. Surprisingly the brass didn't mar the tube at all, 500 rpm, I used vactra #4 as lube.

Figured I'd have to do some work on it but that thing is a piece of junk. Had to shorten the fingers & adjuster screws to use it with 2.5" diameter. That wasn't a big deal & got the job done but it's going in the trash. New one I'm gonna buy will come with rollers but I may make brass tipped ones to have anyway. The follow rest I have has worked fine without issues though.

 

[darkzero]

@mksj That's a pretty cool idea using oilite on the bearings. Did it make a big difference compared to the bare bearings?

I've seen some guys use cam rollers. What are your guys' thought on this, good, bad? They're needle bearings so they should support more load than a normal ball bearing of the same size?