Thread: Spindle steady for lathe.

I have made and use a couple of 3-point steadies but I really don't use them that often as they're rarely the best choice for the jobs I like to do.

More often I use string steadies or simply hook a finger over and behind the spindle if it's thin enough to do so. (Then again, for many years I had no fingerprints on a few fingers. )

As with most tools, I choose the type of steady depending on why I want any steady in there at all... different tools for different uses.

Generally speaking, one shouldn't rely on a steady to prevent catches. At best they'll slightly reduce the risk of a catch due to the wood "chattering" uinder load.

Where a wheeled steady excels is acting as a safety net. In case things go wrong (a nasty catch? An inadvertent bump?) it'll most likely trap the work on the lathe rather than having it UFO across the room. Hopefully minimising any damage and leaving things in a recoverable state.

A 2-wheeled steady would fail miserably there.

On t'other hand, wooden blocks, string steadies and hooked fingers are pretty much useless against catches but they work well for damping out excess vibration and flex when that is the primary concern.

All that being said, I wouldn't say no to adding the pictured 2-wheeled steady to my collection. I can think of a couple of times in the past when it would've been handy. It just wouldn't be regular go-to.

The design of many of the spindle and bowl steadies I see, don't seem very practical either in a production environment or purely for ease of use. For a production spindle turner quick, accurate adjustment would be a priority over absolute accuracy from say a 3 wheel steady.

To me the placement and the range of adjustments for the wheels etc don't seem to efficiently address the forces applied to the work piece whilst turning. Equal and opposite forces sort of thing!

For spindle turning with the skew, spindle gouge etc they are generally presented well above the horizon (or 9 o'clock viewed from tailstock) so the thrust of forces tends to be towards the 4 to 5 o'clock position. My theory is that the steady's two wheels are probably best positioned at the 6 and 2 to 3 o'clock positions.

For HF and bowl turning the individual adjustments of each wheel of a 3 or 4 wheel steady seems rather laborious, with potential for mal-adjusted setups (more force applied by one wheel?) that may actually crush a vessel as it becomes thinner. Now a scroll operated bowl steady would be a nicety!

It still comes back to the knowledge, experience and skill of the turner.

For spindle forms I frequently use a 3-wheeled steady like this one: https://mcjing.com.au/steadfast-steady-rest.html

I use them to steady flutes while boring/reaming:
IMG20170929105048-1296x2304.jpg

Cheap and cheerful but I'm curious about the designs you've illustrated here.

V

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

I have made and use a couple of 3-point steadies but I really don't use them that often as they're rarely the best choice for the jobs I like to do.

More often I use string steadies or simply hook a finger over and behind the spindle if it's thin enough to do so. (Then again, for many years I had no fingerprints on a few fingers. )

As with most tools, I choose the type of steady depending on why I want any steady in there at all... different tools for different uses.

Generally speaking, one shouldn't rely on a steady to prevent catches. At best they'll slightly reduce the risk of a catch due to the wood "chattering" uinder load.

Where a wheeled steady excels is acting as a safety net. In case things go wrong (a nasty catch? An inadvertent bump?) it'll most likely trap the work on the lathe rather than having it UFO across the room. Hopefully minimising any damage and leaving things in a recoverable state.

A 2-wheeled steady would fail miserably there.

On t'other hand, wooden blocks, string steadies and hooked fingers are pretty much useless against catches but they work well for damping out excess vibration and flex when that is the primary concern.

All that being said, I wouldn't say no to adding the pictured 2-wheeled steady to my collection. I can think of a couple of times in the past when it would've been handy. It just wouldn't be regular go-to.

String steady's ! Ive never heard of them . Just googled and had a quick look. OK . I don't think they are what I'm after at the moment but good to see.
What I'm wanting is to steady long spindle work . Ive got a very fine spindly leg table that has legs like 600 mm long legs that are about 19mm thick that I want to copy one day. Among other stuff . Just the other day I was turning some legs that needed a steady and I don't have one for the lathe I was using.
I tried speeding the lathe up . slowing it down . Going slow speed with the lathe and very slow with the skew feed gave me the the best finish but there was still a vibration going on that was causing a spiral pattern in the leg to appear. I think a steady would have solved that problem ?

I wasn't thinking a steady had anything to do with preventing catches either. Do they do that as well ?

I have a very simple steady as can be seen in the pic. It just camps to the bed and I tap it with a mallet to snug up to the turned bearing point on the spindle. It's got metal shoes to eliminate wear and I use wax as a lubricant.

For spindle work I would suspect the ones with wheels and lots of moveable parts will allow for vibration that will translate into a harmonic finish. This one will do about 70mm.

The three point wheeled ones I have always considered them best for bowl or vase work.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

The design of many of the spindle and bowl steadies I see, don't seem very practical either in a production environment or purely for ease of use. For a production spindle turner quick, accurate adjustment would be a priority over absolute accuracy from say a 3 wheel steady.

To me the placement and the range of adjustments for the wheels etc don't seem to efficiently address the forces applied to the work piece whilst turning. Equal and opposite forces sort of thing!

For spindle turning with the skew, spindle gouge etc they are generally presented well above the horizon (or 9 o'clock viewed from tailstock) so the thrust of forces tends to be towards the 4 to 5 o'clock position. My theory is that the steady's two wheels are probably best positioned at the 6 and 2 to 3 o'clock positions.

For HF and bowl turning the individual adjustments of each wheel of a 3 or 4 wheel steady seems rather laborious, with potential for mal-adjusted setups (more force applied by one wheel?) that may actually crush a vessel as it becomes thinner. Now a scroll operated bowl steady would be a nicety!

It still comes back to the knowledge, experience and skill of the turner.

I Have some saved skate board wheels somewhere. My first search failed to find them. I was thinking of making one until I saw the two wheeled one I put up. It seems a reasonably good price compared to making a similar adjustable unit the same size I think.
The older timber method gives support around the back of the turning, like you say, from the tail stock end, from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock. Which is probably what is so good about them.
The two wheeled ones pivot in the middle like scissors only I'm pretty sure, so adjustments are limited to matching the top with the bottom possibly. Two wheels at 12 and 6 o'clock are no good . It would have to be between 1 and 2 o'clock for the top and 4 and 5 o'clock for the bottom. Perhaps between 12 and 1 and 5 and 6 o'clock would be better?
Just looking again maybe they can be adjusted to different angles on that center pivot as well but I think the positions have to be equal to each other? If that makes sense? More info on the website would be nice. They are good at replying to questions though . I asked today and got a reply saying they are used on spindle work as well as bowls.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Now a scroll operated bowl steady would be a nicety!

one of those spiral adjustable ones ?
Who uses them ? Metal workers ?

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

I have a very simple steady as can be seen in the pic. It just camps to the bed and I tap it with a mallet to snug up to the turned bearing point on the spindle. It's got metal shoes to eliminate wear and I use wax as a lubricant.

For spindle work I would suspect the ones with wheels and lots of moveable parts will allow for vibration that will translate into a harmonic finish. This one will do about 70mm.

The three point wheeled ones I have always considered them best for bowl or vase work.

A harmonic finish ! Is that what its called. Another new one

Originally Posted by dubrosa22

For spindle forms I frequently use a 3-wheeled steady like this one: https://mcjing.com.au/steadfast-steady-rest.html

I use them to steady flutes while boring/reaming:
IMG20170929105048-1296x2304.jpg

Cheap and cheerful but I'm curious about the designs you've illustrated here.

V

Nice pic and link. I hadn't seen them. By the looks I'm not sure about the leverage issue of the top arm. Must lock well does it ?

Ill take some better pics of that book about the old steady and put it up.

Maybe its just a matter of me trying the wood type and the two wheel . Make one then spend the $ if I have to to find out ? All in the name of a good time

IMG_2401a.jpg IMG_2402a.jpg IMG_2403a.jpg IMG_2404a.jpg IMG_2405a.jpg IMG_2406a.jpg

There is another, specific steady for longer spindle work, with 4 wheels and encaptures the entire job. I'll have to see if I can find a pic of it, somewhere. I have seen them used on jobs up to 8.5 meters. Yes they are a custom item, I dont know of any manufacturer that produces them.

I also have been taught to use "steadies" about 1/3 lenght from the tail stock, instead of the middle of the job. The reasoning is to better support the job, while allowing unfettered access to part of the job and minimizing the harmonic distortion (whiplash) from over pressure of the tool.

You can see one of the circular rests at Woodturning Steady Rest - Bing video, There are a number of them on the web. Just search wood turning spindle steady rest.

Originally Posted by auscab

I wasn't thinking a steady had anything to do with preventing catches either. Do they do that as well ?

Only to a minor degree.

Chatter while removing bulk volume can easily induce a nasty catch. (The same is true for finishing cuts, but they tend to unwanted catches rather than disastrous ones. )

So steadies reduce the risk of catches in the sense that they can reduce or limit the degree of chatter.

As I rarely do any spindle work, I do some production work very in frequently in the way of wooden rollers for very old barrel mowers. So for me its skate board wheels on homemade mild steel frames out of flat bar and angle iron made specifically to suit my lathes. What I do is to grind the polyurethane tyre? To a rather narrow tread so it has some give. They are simply made for ease of adjustment and ability, are they the best design? Probably not, but they work for me and I would think most spindle work would be between centres, and therefore negate the use or the need.

But much depends on what is being turned chair legs, house finials, Newel posts etc shouldn't need any support and for production work I cant see it being of any use as it would be too slow to adjust I have a project/idea/thought bubble To turn and carve a African type walking stick about 1.5m in length. Although it will be in some very old Iron-bark it will need a some sort of support in middle, will figure that out when I get there

Originally Posted by auscab

A harmonic finish ! Is that what its called. Another new one

If someone were to play with rpms and such they could probably come up with an interesting finishes to spindles similar to chatter work or face plate work, which is essentially a harmonic vibration of a thin tool.