Lathe steady - advice needed.

[Les Symonds]

Hi...I'm making a lathe steady (one of these days) and am wondering what the knowledge out there is, about wheels....what size....how many....what type etc etc.
Any info offered will be greatly appreciated.

Les

[Graham]

The usual wheels used are from inline skates and they can be brought off ebay either including or excluding the bearings. They come in different hardnesses of the 'rubber' , mine are 'hard' and they can leave light marks on the wood they are supporting so I am going to replace them one day with some softer ones.

[malcy]

I've made a lathe steady using layers of plywood and skate board wheels with bearings from EBay. As Graham says the wheels come with various shore hardnesses. Mine are fairly hard and to prevent the work being marked, I usually wrap the turning with masking tape to stop the marking. I fear that softer rubber wheels will leave marks more difficult to remove, but that is just my feeling/opinion. Hope this helps. Malcolm.

[seventhdevil]

i was after one a few years ago and looked for ages but realised that the ones you can buy are really weedy and only good for tiny work in my opinion.

i ended up making my own and i suggest everyone else do the same.

cost me £200 total and it's custom made to my lathe...

[seventhdevil]

what size is your lathe les?

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Les I turned a 3/4" thick plywood disc and then used skateboard wheels, but I have in the past made them using roller bearings. Both types worked very well. I found the hardest thing was setting them up so that they were centred so the one with skateboard wheels was made large enough to pass over the end of what I was making at the time. I have to say that although I do use them ocassionally they were purpose made.
The other thing is they tend to be a bit noisy.

[Graham]

to prevent the work being marked, I usually wrap the turning with masking tape to stop the marking.  Malcolm.

That is one of those stupidly simple answers that I really wish I had thought of. 

[Les Symonds]

Graham/Malcy/John....what axles have you used for the skateboard wheels? All of the axle units that I've seen have been double ended 'trucks' - as one might expect for a skateboard.

what size is your lathe les?

.
Steve....I have a Record Maxi 1, with a 10.5" bed-to-centre height (21" swing)

[seventhdevil]

mine is 20" but if you put 1/2" underneath it it would fit yours.

do you want to borrow it?

[Les Symonds]

mine is 20" but if you put 1/2" underneath it it would fit yours.

do you want to borrow it?

....kind of you to offer, Steve, but I have borrowed one, just to try it out and am now determined to make my own so that I've got one here, full time. Besides which, I really fancy having a go at making one, anyway.

Les

[Mark Sanger]

Hi Les

I got inline skate wheels from the local tip. Four high quality bearing wheels on each boot for £3 the axles come with it so you just take out the wheel and axle and use as is, Then George made me the rest out of corrian he had lying around   then I sold my Maxi and have never used it  . Ply wood is a great option and you should be able to make one for £20.

[Graham]

I just put the wheels ( with bearings ) on 6mm bolts that secure them to the arms. dead simple.

[Les Symonds]

Hi Les

I got inline skate wheels from the local tip. Four high quality bearing wheels on each boot for £3 the axles come with it so you just take out the wheel and axle and use as is, Then George made me the rest out of corrian he had lying around   then I sold my Maxi and have never used it  . Ply wood is a great option and you should be able to make one for £20.

Cheers Mark....I have a half-sheet of 25mm birch sitting in the workshop, so it looks like I'm already half way there!

I just put the wheels ( with bearings ) on 6mm bolts that secure them to the arms. dead simple.

Thanks Graham...will give it a go.

Les

[malcy]

Hi Les. The axles on mine are M4 bolts which lock the wheels through the bearings onto the adjustable arms. I have attached two photos of my steady rest. It is nothing fancy and just rough finished, but it works well when is use it on mainly segmented pieces if they require some work well away from the drive chuck. Hope this helps. Any other questions please ask. Malcolm.

[malcy]

Hi again Les. Sorry. The last post I sent the same photo twice. They are of the rear view of the steady rest. The front view should like the attached photo. Regards. Malcolm.