Thread: Anyone bought or made a "center steady for a lathe????

I do recall seeing one that used inlineskate wheels. You can get them complete with bearing fairly cheap and the plastic won't mark the wood. I'll have a dig tonight and see if I can find where I saw it.

Rowan the Centre steadys are readily available .
Usually start around the $220.00 mark.
If you drop around I can show you the woodfast one.

Here is one plan
http://www.turnwood.net/projects/SteadyRest.pdf

Another idea, look under the Tools and Tips section
http://www.hdv.net/

Even string works
http://www.neowta.com/Articles/stringsteady.htm

Hafco have one that is sposed to be for the MC900 / MC1100 for $49

Haven't seen it "in the flesh" Wheels look small on the website picture.

I haven't used one on a wood lathe though I often have on an engine lathe.

My dad made one for his MC900 but I don't remember details.

Greolt

I think you can get a basic 3 point steady for the MC900/1100 from C/T at very low price, under $50 I think.

Here's a few more off the shelf

http://www.timbecon.com.au/products/lathe-accessories-377_0.aspx
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http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=300_14570_14710_14720

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AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH Information overload :eek: :eek:
Gotta luv the support u get from the members of this forum

Wood Butcher - may have been on "Wood Works" on foxtel, cause I saw one there once when he was hollowing out a deep vessel

Jim C - with the new job time is the factor but I will try, need to "donate" another paypacket or two to u anyway

Everyone else - thanks heaps I will go to all the links tonight after work and see what there is.

once again thanks heaps

Tankstand made one but he's clever like that.

Originally Posted by lyctus

I think you can get a basic 3 point steady for the MC900/1100 from C/T at very low price, under $50 I think.

na, its $89

The $49 steady is from Hare and Forbes. Look in the woodworking section (obviously) for the Roller Support. Or try pg 12 in the catalog.

I made tne one shown in http://www.hdv.net/ and it works well. I bought a used set of skates with wheels at the Thrift store, they were perfect for it. I found that the women's skates were less worn than the men's and the wheel bearings tighter.

The steady rest works well for smaller items but I have no experience with anything larger than 8 inches in diameter so far.

I made one about 2 years ago.
There is a pic and a bit of a how to on the "Bird" up here in Canada.

Cheers Gerome
http://www.phoenixwood.ca/forum/index.php?showtopic=262

I made a simple one some time ago for a specific job and it worked surprisingly well. I've no idea where it is now, somewhere under one of the piles of timber in my shed I s'pose. Bit hard to take a photo of.

Basically, 'twas just a 3'(ish) circle cut from ply (two sheets of 1/2" 5-ply laminated together) with a block bolted on the bottom to mount in the lathe bed and cup-hooks screwed around the perimeter every couple of inches. I simply tied a bit of string (real cotton, not nylon!!) to one cup hook and laced a "cat's cradle" around the piece.

I always meant to convert it to bearing guides but it just hasn't happened... for the few times I've needed one it worked well as is.

In his book"Woodturning Methods" Mike Darlow shows several different types of steadies,(including the left hand,if you're right handed). Also one made out of ply and string like Skew describes above.
Not too difficult to copy.