Let's build a STEADY REST!

[@michaelhayward7572]

To us guys who've done this for decades, and know most stuff this young lady puts out, the content on this channel is still a breath of fresh air and an enjoyable watch due to her great narration, camera work, humility and empathy. Kudos. Keep up the great work.

[@Blondihacks]

Aww, thank you for the kind words. It means a lot when a veteran approves. 😁

[@ThisOldTony]

nice work!

[@dziggy3004]

Absolutely love your video production techniques, including your edits which are EXTREMELY considerate of the audience! Thanks for leaving the mistakes in, for calling them out, and letting us learn through your eyes!

[@petem6291]

Dear Quinn , If I ever need a heart valve , I want you to make it ... I just got off the phone with Mr. Pete / T.O.T / And Joe P , we all agree you are a machining prodigy Thanks for taking the time to make these videos Pete m

[@bradthayer6782]

You definitely have the best fingernails of any of the YT machinists. And you’re a pretty fine machinist as well who does a wonderful job explaining things.

[@brendanaengenheister5351]

I'm a retired university technician which means that I spent 35 years designing and machining prototype parts for research projects, I'm very impressed by this channel and the way setups are described and explained, well done Quinn and more power to your elbow. :-)

[@6NBERLS]

I would have been tempted to mount the steady rest in the lathe without any of the fingers etc. Then I think it would have run a boring head through the center of the steady rest taking the absolute minimum cut. This would hopefully leave a partial circle that was centered on the lathe spindle axis. Maybe this would be enough to set the part up on the rotary table. Or maybe a light press fit circular piece could be cut and fitted to the steady rest to set it up on the rotary table.

[@Blondihacks]

That would be a great way to do it!

[@jimsvideos7201]

I admire your patience in getting the casting dialed; I'd have been sorely tempted to biff the whole thing and just make one from scratch for 5x the time and 10x the money.

[@BiscuitWaite]

I would have done that anyway. We have a saying in our shop, you either have time or money, rarely do you have both. My time I consider cheap so yeah, I'd have used it as a boat anchor.

[@howardosborne8647]

@@BiscuitWaite you'd end up shipwrecked. Unlikely as it may seem It is even less use as an anchor than as a steady. Like 'The Man With No Name' this is The Casting With No Purpose'

[@billbaggins]

Looks like you could make a good "industrial style" toilet roll holder from one.... Now if only I could get some toilet paper 😁🇦🇺

[@petermurphy3354]

@@billbaggins I can sell you a sheet lol 😁🇦🇺 also

[@billbaggins]

@@petermurphy3354 🤣🤣 went shopping yesterday, one Woolies had run out, the other had at least 20 pallets in the fruit and veg section... people were taking selfies with them 😁

[@IBWatchinUrVids]

A decent alternative for gauge blocks for this kind of slot measuring is adjustable parallels. Slip them into the slot, open them up until they're tight, then mic the end of them. I got a set of used Starrett adjustable parallels for around $50 with some dude's initials sloppily engraved on the side of each. (Thanks a lot DEL, whoever you are)

[@howardosborne8647]

Maybe its him from Trotter's Independent Trading fame.

[@Blondihacks]

For sure! Great tip.

[@gregmiller2510]

Pop-can shim stock = Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

[@metalshopwithtroy5755]

Great book

[@bostedtap8399]

Classic or Romantic. Yes, great book.

[@jlucasound]

Refreshing AND consistent!

[@1crazypj]

First two chapters of 'Zen' are pretty boring but it gets better

[@rickpalechuk4411]

Nice build so far Quinn. We all dislike the crappy steady we get with our units, so this should be helpful for us. Thanks for sharing, Cheers

[@ninthm00n]

3xYahtzee had me Laughing out loud scaring the dog. Once again Quinn saves our Saturdays.

[@edwardgiovannelli5191]

One way I use to center parts on a rotary table is that I turn a two diameter 'puck'. One diameter fits snugly into the Morse #2 socket in the middle of the table (it only needs to be .100 deep, give or take) , and the other diameter fits snugly into some feature of the part being centered (in this case, the ID of the center rest). For most work it's accurate enough... occasionally perfect.

[@eatenkate]

I shall be walking around in my studio on monday declaring things sub-awesome. It is a good way to insult your tools without them knowing, so they don't get all sassy and start performing even worse. Thank you.

[@gerbil7771]

I always used the pointy end of the edge finder to find the centre of holes too small for the cylindrical end of the edge finder. I’ve never used an edge finder stationary like you did but that could help a handy way to use it.

[@addisongardner1989]

Love it, Quinn. Excellent, self-effacing humor, as usual, and making learning fun. You rock, kid!

[@jackdawg4579]

Wow just got myself a minilathe and the steady rest that came with it has all the issues you list with this one! At least now I know I haven't broken it, it is supposed to (or should i say it is only capable of) adjusting the fingers in one direction only - it just came dodgy!

[@jackotoole2265]

Great project. I have a the same steady rest problems. Would boring the centre of the rest while mounted on the lathe, to provide a reference surface, help with the rotary table setup?

[@Blondihacks]

Yah, that would be a good way to do it. Clamp something to the face of the steady rest and bore it with the lathe! Great idea!

[@TCB031]

I love this project! It's kind of a blend of a restoration with some engineering and machining to boot. Well done and can't wait for more.

[@bostedtap8399]

Excellent improvement mods, good to see free machining steel being used for its purpose, many a hobbyist, and some more experienced machinists, struggle with machining mild steel. Looking forward to further mods. Regards John.

[@roylucas1027]

I enjoy your narrative during the video. Thank you and take care.

[@FredFred-wy9jw]

Quinn a good alternative to measuring a slot is to use an adjustable parallel.. insert the parallel into the slot at an angle so one end is above the work ... expand the parallel until it’s tight... then measure the parallel with a mic.

[@dougberrett8094]

Quinn, on your bushings. One way to get the bearing to fit over the threads but still fit the smaller diameter behind is to simply thread the bushing and the size the hole after. I used this technique to fit a dimmer control wheel circa 1975.

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Great video thanks. Since I bought my lathe in the early 1970 era I have used the steady rest about 4 times.

[@danielchapa2112]

Great job on the bearing pins, excellent!👍🏼 I like the emphasis on the coffee break to reset, coffee is our friend.☕️

[@cuttingtooldesigner]

Planning on doing the same for my South Bend, IF I can ever find time to get out in the shop. Looking forward to the finally. Keep them coming Quinn.

[@Evans25291]

Thanks for all the amazing content Quinn. Keep up the good work.

[@prodoverjeff2876]

Roller as opposed to a solid finger, definitely a superior choice. A little work making them, but you're not afraid of work. And the steady rest is adjusted by hand so slight out of tolerance production is fully acceptable on this job. Well done as usual.

[@garymucher9590]

Seems your new idea and design solves all your previous issues but one. And that is how thin the web section is. Thumbs Up!

[@Blondihacks]

That’s what the straps over the top are for

[@douglascampbell9809]

Yes I have been waiting all morning to get my machining knowledge increased.

[@woodscreekworkshop9939]

Do you have any idea how long I’ve searched for Cratex? Thanks for the link! 😁

[@Blondihacks]

Model railroaders have all the best toys. 😁

[@bigrick7108]

Gesswein has all the polishing stones, ceramics and deburring supplies.

[@Ericthenorse]

The "track cleaners" can also be found cheap in sets of several grits by looking for guitar fret tools... They are used for finish polishing...

[@dennysvideos4683]

I made a steady rest for the Lion 13 x 40 lathe we purchased in the mid 70's. It had bearings for rollers like you are doing and for whatever reason every once in a while it would try to walk the part out of the chuck. Something I had to be aware of whenever I used it. Good looking project.

[@GregorKropotkin-qu2hp]

I wish that there were a lot more women like you around, I find you inspirational and just know that if all girls and young women in education were made more aware of what can be achieved when stereotypes are binned-as you demonstrate so masterfully-it would be a better world for everybody. Respect!

[@BruceBoschek]

Thank you very much. As always, a lot learned and time well spent. Can you tell me where I can learn about the "razor blade trick?" Thanks in advance.

[@a89proof]

kzbin.info/door/pp6lgdc_XO_FZYJppaFa5w

[@denniswilliams8747]

I would like to see the razor blade vid. What should I search for? Thank You

[@stevennailedit]

I would like to see it demonstrated as well please.

[@hairyfro]

Idea for finding the center of the steady rest: put the face of the rest in a shallow puddle of epoxy to form a "skin" covering the opening. Stick a dead center in the spindle and push the rest gently into it to form a divot on the epoxy.

[@metalshopwithtroy5755]

Your always a great watch quinn. Cant help to wonder if using the mt2 arbor with rest tightened then transfer all with arbor to rotary table with enough to dial center in might of expediate centering operation.

[@Blondihacks]

There wasn’t really a way to tighten the fingers against the arbor. The whole thing was clumsy and awkward and nothing held together very well with those clamps, I’m afraid. Plus it was too hard to remove the arbor and get the clamps in place without something moving.

[@metalshopwithtroy5755]

@@Blondihacks hey thanks for the reply and take care of yourself too❤

[@leebarnhart9725]

Putting that snap ring on over a chip pan with out a safety net was the gutsiest move I ever saw.

[@Blondihacks]

Luckily I have a whole box of them. 😁

[@NiHaoMike64]

How about a miniature pair of snap ring pliers as another machining project?

[@johnapel2856]

Good project. Lots of little fiddley bits. Well done. I knew a guy who made carburetor jets on his 9" lathe. Wow. I got my stickers and enjoyed the "Meow" from Sprocket. Thanks!

[@TCB031]

Happy Birthday, and thanks for all thought and effort that you put into your excellent videos!

[@TheFishingHobby]

I always learn a lot watching your videos. Thanks for teaching while you work 👍

[@donkinzer5718]

Tip: If you grind your parting tool with a slight angle on the cutting edge (longer on the tailstock side) it will leave the parted off piece with less of a burr.

[@Blondihacks]

I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work on this blade. It causes deflection.

[@jonneil3086]

I make aluminium cans for a living. They can very by up to 30 micron, but by the time you add ink, varnish and internal lacquer this can add to the variation. On average your looking at about a thou maybe two on a bad day. I would suggest taking the sample about 1 inch from the base of the can. As there is a taper for strength at the base of the can.

[@labouche10]

I would recommend that NASA be made aware of this ASAP! They rely on Quinn to make so many of their parts!!! 😂😂

[@brianmoore1164]

Awesome awesome awesome video! I was wondering how you were going to figure out where the center of steady rest opening was. Thank you for including that.

[@DudleyToolwright]

A great way to find slot width is to use an adjustable parallel - wedge it in the groove and measure. Of course, you need a set (preferably two) of adjustable parallels, but they are very versatile and useful. Another way to remove a round burr like you had on those little parts is to put the burr in a vise and close it on the burr. It was nice that on this project, you have yet to give us the finger. Perhaps part 2.

[@steved8038]

Yet another interesting and informative project from the house of Blondi , Thank you looking forward to the next chapter regards from the UK.

[@Cancun771]

Watching the first half of this made me decide that if I'll ever do this, I'll be replacing the central casting as well cause _damn._ Can't take much longer to weld that part crudely from steel and mill/bore the features. And plus I could make it a 'closed loop' with a hinge, like the big boy steadies.

[@Blondihacks]

I gave serious thought to doing that, I won’t lie. I decided to try reusing the casting, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll make a new frame to fit the other parts, so not much lost work.

[@TheRadioShop]

That was so satisfying! Was the quickest 22 minute video I have ever watched. Mmmm coffee, having a cup now.

[@nickworrall7245]

Hi will you be making a video of what turning tool is used for what ? i.e. What each one looks like and it's use. I'm just starting out and the different types of tool are completely daunting. Thanks Nick UK

[@Blondihacks]

You might check out my Lathe Skills playlist. I did do a video on tool bits that you may find helpful.

[@nickworrall7245]

Thank you

[@tomk3732]

Cool project. I was thinking of making one from scratch - now I have idea for fingers.

[@pknodle]

I saw the link to Joe Pie's channel but not a link to the razor blade trick. Do you know which video he explains it in? I need to make a similar groove and I don't quite understand what the trick is doing. Also, your channel is fantastic! Thank you so much for all the useful information.

[@Blondihacks]

I explain it in an earlier video of mine as well, either last week or the week before, I think. You drag the razor blade over the surface and you can feel the edge of the tool, so you know when it’s flush

[@petermurphy3354]

This is great, I need to make one of these and a follow rest version. I found a second steady rest for my little Taiwanese Compact 8 copy at a yard sale recently, so will mod one of them 😁

[@JackdeDuCoeur]

Shameless mid-work promotion of merch disguised as a coffee break. Nice job.

[@Blondihacks]

😬

[@kitvandaveer7735]

@@Blondihacks jo

[@tonythomas951]

LMAO. Your timing is incredible. Yesterday I was out playing with my lathe and steady rest and was just starting to brainstorm the issue. You make life easier somehow.

[@tonythomas951]

PS youre very good. VERY good.

[@nicksetudeposturale270]

I cheered when the bearing went on!

[@FoxMacLeod2501]

Awesome! I'm looking at building one of these myself, so this is very timely. Great stuff, as always!

[@robertoswalt319]

Really nice project. I look forward to the next episode.

[@Corbald]

Holy crap! I don't know what I'd use them for, but I need those bearings in my life!

[@Corbald]

Also: I love your advertising! You could teach courses at any major ad agency! Laughing so hard every time that I don't even mind being advertised at!

[@Ferndalien]

This is great! I inherited a Sheldon lathe from my father and it came with accessories - except a follow rest, which I really could have used in a personal project not long ago. Have you thought about making a follow rest from scratch for your lathe?

[@terrytopliss6423]

Nice bit of machining Quinn,looking forward to the next stage.👍👍👍

[@MattysWorkshop]

Gday Quinn, I have the same steady rest and been thinking how I can improve it, I’m in Australia so I have to find somewhere to buy similar bearings, the plate that goes inside the ways on mine is a lot thinner then yours, i can fit mine in 1 piece but it’s a little tight and you have to hold your tongue the right way, I’m looking forward to your next video and thank you for sharing, Matty

[@rldoyle5705]

love my adjustable parallels

[@KimbrellBrad]

I really like your style of showing the mis-steps as well as the perfection. I make a LOT of those mis-steps! More than you LOL

[@TandaMadison]

Well done! Looking forward to seeing it all come together.

[@samrodian919]

Love the design Quinn. I am going to copy this on my lathe steady if I find it not working properly like yours . Greetings from over the Pond.

[@langleycityshaveshop7729]

Got a link for the Coaxial indicator?

[@PorchPotatoMike]

“Doing 5 jobs, all of them poorly” Sounds like me!

[@Blondihacks]

Me too. 😁

[@GregorKropotkin-qu2hp]

Ditto!-I get it right in the end though-after 3 or 4 attempts-works out a lot more expensive but I will not be beaten!

[@wescox2769]

On Adam Booths videos at the machine where he worked using steady rests he put a round plastic guard, it fit around the work and kept chips away from the steady rest.

[@ErwinSerle]

Put a piece of carton at the back of the stand with tape and use a inky point from the talestock to mark the center ....

[@mikemcdonough1793]

That's the exact SR I have for My LMS Lathe. Watching closely. Did I miss the Link for the bearings? Cant seen to locate them.

[@gabrielheil7535]

great Video, thats some helpful tips when i build a Steady Rest for my mini Lathe

[@okiwatashi2349]

I know I’m late, I’m not a metalworker, ( I’m a violin maker, sorry), but I was interested to know if you considered re machining the inside diameter of the casting and using your indicator on the mill? Really enjoy all your work, thank you!

[@Gronicle1]

I think I really like the way you cover your mistakes and "not so good the first time..." events. We all have those and that is part of the fun in overcoming a hard spot and getting the job done. For more rigidity on your project have you considered something like adding backstops on back side of the thin web of the slots? You could do a circular strap thingee to go on the back of the casting and attach it with some of the killer epoxy from the auto parts store...senior moment...I forget the name. I will wake up at 0200 and remember, but don't worry, I won't call you.

[@1ton4god]

Hey Quinn I don't know proper KZbin etiquette. But I bought a piece of Steel and was wondering is says 4340 on 1 3/4 4340 round bar it also lists a bunch of other numbers. Do you have any idea what it is? I put it in the end of my John Deere video I just posted. I didn't know if you go look at it and tell me if you have any clue what the stuff was, or if anybody else knows what it might be, and also if it would be machinable, I could not find anything on the internet about it. Let me know if I'm not supposed to post questions like this? I will delete it. I'm just curious as to what it is. I also bought a bunch of motor shafts for like air handlers. Large air handlers. They're like They're are 4 and 5 ft long pieces from 1 inch to 3 inch in diameter with keyways cut into them. Would those be machinable? I know they have a key way cut into them. But I didn't know if they would be machine on a hobby lathe.

[@Blondihacks]

4340 is a chromoly alloy, very tough stuff. Great for shafts in machinery, anything that needs to be very strong. It is machinable, but can be challenging and you need a rigid machine.

[@1ton4god]

@@Blondihacks thankb you so much. I will use it for yards roller shafts. Thanks a bunch.

[@georgecurtis6463]

I got a cheap one from someone a few months ago. It fit fine but as you said things didnt work smoothly. Well, I figured out how it's supposed to work and why it wasnt. Part of the issue was the junk finishing and some parts installed incorrectly. So I went at it with files and such. Took a bit but I got things working smoothly and correctly. And yes, one of the slots was finished badly. Anyway, mine now works very smoothly and for the amount I use it, it will outlast me. Unless I break it.

[@griplove]

“Imperial fist shake” 😂

[@atheistsfightclub6684]

Need a Darth Vader emoji. =)

[@Just1GuyMetalworks]

Cool project 😎! Steady rests are quite a bit of work... friggin threesies man 🤣. I made one a few months back and yeah, finding that center is pretty tricky 😊. Thanks for the share, Quinn. 👍😊👍

[@psychoid7464]

Quick question, seeing as you are modifying(struggling) the steady rest, how difficult is it going to be to re-profile the live centre?

[@wojciechomiljanowski]

I'm wondering if you could have clamped the steady rest casting to your lathe and machined a bore using a boring head in the lathe chuck and then use that bore to centre the casting on the rotary table...

[@bkoholliston]

Nice video! To center the steady on the rotary table, I might have turned a plug for the center of the steady and then set it up on the lathe with a center drill in a headstock chuck and drilled and reamed a hole. To measure the slots, gage blocks would be great, but I would have reached for my adjustable parallel set. You expand one in the slot with part of the parallel hanging out and then mike over the parallel hanging out--very sensitive.

[@danielabbey7726]

Very useful project, and some nice design work in Fusion 360!

[@bencesarosi7718]

Any day with lathe stuff is a good one.

[@garyc5483]

Looking good so far Quinn. Would love to see your stock shelves if that round bar came out of the scrap pile. :-) regards from the UK

[@Blondihacks]

It’s all one big junk pile. 😬

[@umahunter]

I got a 36 piece starter block set on eBay for 55 buck goes from .05-4inch there worked great for me all measure on the number and ring together pretty sure they have the same set from a couple different makers on Amazon as well I just found the best price on ebay

[@iamtheomega]

3:01 bingo, i found that out when micro lathe took a header off cabinet that tipped over, steady rest saved it, broke in half at weak point and bent top screw. Yours much beefier than mine..

[@BurkhardRomer]

I like the video very much, where did you get the three ball bearings?

[@jamiebuckley1769]

your becoming a darn good machinist there blondie thumbs up . in my trade as a boilermaker welder some of the best tig welders are woman. my hats off to perfesional women in the trades.

[@mxcollin95]

Great little project!

[@xenonram]

I hope you followed Robin's method for bearing grease packing/distributing. LOL. Love your videos. Even though you're not an expert, you act like one. In a good way. You made solid model 3D drawings, and you use the right parts, and you take the right steps.

[@Blondihacks]

Massaging the grease in those tiny things wasn’t easy. 😂

[@billbaggins]

That was some steady concentration getting everything dialed in 😁

[@Stefan_Van_pellicom]

Great video, learned a lot, again ! Thank you for that. I am not convinced about using bearings. Stray chips can get between them and your part. Not so with the bronze or brass ones. Your thoughts on that ?

[@MrSleepProductionsInc]

You can make a cardboard chip blocker like Abom does.

[@Blondihacks]

They’re also shielded bearings, so I feel good about it. Easy to replace if they fail, too.

[@CodyT362]

Have a chat with Jason at Fireball Tool, he does all sorts of precision blocks and squares etc.

[@mikewasowski1411]

Awesome! Great vid. Always entertaining and extremely informative!

[@cooperised]

This is great, I need to do something similar! Have you thought about making a set of bronze fingers you can swap in? Rollers are definitely better for soft materials in most ways but bronze fingers are good if you're machining close to the steady, because chips can't get caught between the finger and the work.

[@DavidLee-ki6cx]

20:41 Nice Special Effects !!!

[@randynovick7972]

I'm wearing my Sprocket shirt today! (Seemed appropriate IWD attire) Nice episode and project! Looking forward to more thrilling developments.

[@Blondihacks]

Woohoo! I'll let her know- she'll be pleased but also not surprised that someone would want her on a shirt.

[@craigtate5930]

Sub-awesome.. lol, nearly every machine tool I own is squarely in that category.. love the different approaches you used to center up the part on your R table, very creative. What are the thin bits you refer to?

[@andrewalters9272]

When I have to put a retaining ring on the end of a small shaft I rather go with E-clips. It is easier to install and remove them. Their groove is deeper than a circlip so they don't pop off as easily under an axial load. You also don't need special pliers. Also, it is not easy so easy to make accurate tine parts that look good because out lathes can not run at the RPM needed to machine that specific diameter of material. And frankly it is quite scary to de-burr the end of a pin with a file when the chuck is spinning past 3000 RPM. Can you please tel me the brand and where you got the small rotary table. Regards

[@howardosborne8647]

André I don't know where your located but I'm fairly sure that size and model of rotary can be seen in the Arc Eurotrade catalogue. Google Arc eurotrade and have a look at their online catalogue. I have no connection or personal interest in Arc. I just order stuff from them and am a happy customer

[@Blondihacks]

E-clips of this size won’t work. They have a larger OD that would stick out past the bearings. The rotary table is a Phase II 4”

[@TheDistur]

Slots, seems like you need a shaper now.

[@BiscuitWaite]

@@Ddabig40mac Tabletop? yes, if they even exist. Not difficult to source: 70 year old shapers and die filers. If you have the room. A lot of room.

[@Whitefirekith]

@@BiscuitWaite yes, they do exist. But they haven't been made in years. I am currently building one from complete scratch. Making the mold blocks and casting the parts

[@howardosborne8647]

@@Whitefirekith Is your shaper build based on downloaded plans and made from pieces of steel plate welded or bolted? I have seen a couple of those builds previously and they look a very usable machine. Maybe your building a Gingery shaper?

[@Whitefirekith]

@@howardosborne8647 I have been researching several bench shapers (made in England and Germany) and combining the best features from them. I'm about ready to draw up the plans here at the end of March. In May, I will build the molds and cast the main components and mill the rest in my hobby machine shop

[@mumblbeebee6546]

Whitefirekith Subscribed in anticipation ;)