I made a steady rest because I suck at planning

A failure to plan, is a plan to fail, that is, unless you're like me and won't let anything stand between you and a bad idea. I designed a part that's too big for the machines I have access too; the sensible option would've been to scale back my hopes and dreams, but instead I cobbled together a brand-spankin' new steady rest. With a little help from the home-made milling machine.
If you want to facilitate more side quests, and hurry me up on the bigger stuff, consider supporting the channel on Patreon:
www.patreon.com/NotAnEngineer

[@NoEngineerHere]

If this video tickled your fancy, and you'd like to live in a world with more like it, have a think about supporting the channel on patreon: www.patreon.com/NotAnEngineer

[@southerndime333]

13:50 gave me the hibbiegibbies, dunno about tickled fancies

[@dontworrybout2664]

Glad that a person funnier than I made a thing made a channel without the hardcore political statements and activism he participated in

[@InheritanceMachining]

You're giving me a run for my money with all that broken tooling. Challenge accepted.

[@southerndime333]

this guy doesnt have a hungry failure box either. ;)

[@jumpingxships]

I think you two should make a collaborative project 👀

[@loiblanche5863]

Yeah, definitely you should do a collaboration

[@J.C...]

LMFAO 😂

[@lourias]

​@loiblanche5863 God help us, all! The title would be, "How high can YOU count!?!"

[@Narwaro]

When you step up from hobby CNC to industrial mills with infinite stiffness its becomes a lot scarier. You use bigger endmills/facemills that dont break as easy but nothing else also breaks easy, so when something goes wrong, your part just goes flying at almost supersonic speeds and almost gives you a heart attack

[@BreakingBarriers2DIY]

Often harder for me, as I’m not familiar with the machining tools, it takes me longer to get the dry humour…but when I do…it’s always worth it. Crying laughing usually. Thanks for this awesome delivery of a world that I enjoy vicariously.

[@justinbanks2380]

6:33 can confirm! How i pick my projects. 'am I going to learn something new making this?' and 'am I going to need a new tool, or learn to use an existing one in a new way?'

[@GooberLeague]

at 6:52 i was thinking "I don't think you need to use such a long endmill for this cut" and then it snapped haha

[@wesselscreations]

Can't really tell because the tool is spinning, which direction it is going, but at the 8:39 cut when you start sending it, it is generally better for tools to "climb" when milling. When the tool spins the action would make it want to "climb" out of the path it is cutting. While of course paying attention to the cutting edges of the tool and what direction it wants to actually work in.

[@NoEngineerHere]

I've been messing around with climb vs conventional milling; because the ballscrews are the budget kind, there's a fair bit of backlash in the axes, which was causing some pretty terrible chatter! It's much happier/quieter conventional milling at slower rpm and feed. Thinking about ballscrew upgrades though! Good eye there 🕵️‍♂️

[@wesselscreations]

@@NoEngineerHere In terms of using superglue and masking tape to do work holding, you need good cooling, as heat breaks CA bonds. stuffmadehere used it quite a bit on one of his projects a while back, and clickspring does it a ton, (without the masking tape, he just heats it up after to break the bond)

[@brickinbabs701]

great video's ! i just love the way you present them, and your music taste is super nice to ! great work keep it up. thank you for making me smile a lot and inspire my machining learning.

[@combustablelemon14]

hey meme man, i actually dusted off an old cad project i havent felt qualified enough to take a crack at bc of this. thanks for the kickstart

[@NoEngineerHere]

Go get em tiger

[@bobfugazy4916]

Nice work. People, not you, ha-ha, don't realize the heat developed in a piece of metal when you are snicking off shavings, or grinding and when I saw that masking tape and super glue, I knew what was coming. That's how you learn! Keep going.

[@lindenhoch8396]

I have to give a thumbs up for this video, in spite of it making hobby machining look dangerous.

[@NKrader]

you sir are my hero

[@temporaer]

keep it up mate

[@stevetaylor2445]

Were you just testing who was paying attention when you said square and triangle bearing inserts?

[@MASI_forging]

Great work as always 😋😋

[@martinoconnor4112]

Would have wheels on the ends of the rods work?

[@pholos77]

great vid dude, and great music selection, what is the song that begins at 2:10 please?

[@NoEngineerHere]

Glad someone else likes it! That's from Adobe Stock, it's called "Acoustic Drum Set Jazz Swing (Tug Of War)". Not the catchiest title if you ask me.

[@ShotgunAU]

legit

[@strengthsleuth]

5k likes 400 views how tf did this happen 😂 it is deserved tho great vid!

[@Supersonic_Sloth]

Perchance you mixed up some numbers? I currently see 2468 views and 465 likes (including mine).

[@strengthsleuth]

@@Supersonic_Sloth yea I found out it’s glitched on mobile so all videos I see have 5.3k likes 😂 dropped a like here regardless and I hope the comment boosts engagement!

[@Arkios64]

These videos just keep on getting better and better, with now casually strewn in life advice kept just vague enough that it can apply to anything but still feel like they apply to *me* specifically.

[@NoEngineerHere]

I was talking to you, go get started!

[@erikkayV]

@1:20 squares and triangles, it is the subtlety and ridiculousness of the humor that keeps me coming beck.

[@SubLowForty]

Took me a while to clock that one 😂

[@TheMegaross91]

Second watch, only just realized I'm actually an idiot.

[@211ratsbud]

Came here to say this 😂

[@edpopelas2844]

The comedy is brilliant!

[@cucumbersonfire]

"because I'm lazy and hate tool changes" - i think you mean "because i haven't built my auto tool changer yet"

[@andli461]

Brilliant as always! A good practice in designing inside radii is to dimension them 0,5 mm “to big”. R4,5 in your case. Then the cutter will never have to come to a full stop in 90 deg corners or snap when experience a rapid increase in tool load. Use the ability of the machine, then you’re not stuck to a specific size end mill. At least in some cases. Great content. Can’t wait for the next episode.

[@NoEngineerHere]

I think my brain was somewhere else while I was working on this thing. So many little oversights. Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed!

[@camkast8052]

Dude you deserve a lot more credit for what you've done. You made your own home-made milling machine, which is absolutely insane. I've never heard of anyone even thinking about doing something like that. Plus, the effort that goes into these vids in terms of the actual creation of things is super impressive. I really like engineering and creating things, so this hits super well! Keep up the good stuff dude, and have an amazing day!

[@natechucks]

0:44 what is that? Is that some sort of medical equipment? Why is there a DVI port on it?

[@christophersmith108]

I think I saw another comment here asking much the same thing, but then I couldn't find it again. A very entertaining video, but just what is the piece of apparatus shown at 0:44? My first instinct was that it is some sort of optical device-perhaps a telescope? Is that a DVI port at the end, and just what is the infamous port "A"? Thanks

[@itarry4]

Gotta get some algorithm on this stuff so here's the comment and the likes already done. Deserves the views.

[@streambonker]

I adore your content, I despise the fact that you played "White Christmas" 5 minutes in when we're still only in the start of November.

[@vincei4252]

Sadly Mariah Carey is defrosting a little too soon this year. Shudder

[@Rusty-Metal]

Perfect time for Xmass start

[@SullySadface]

I bet he started making this video before Halloween

[@seansysig]

That is a comment generator trick.

[@oem42]

It's Australia man.. To have a white Christmas we have to celebrate in September

[@gerikbensing]

The way you clamp stuff is still better than me. Some of the contraptions I come up with using C-clamps and bits of steel cutoffs I put into my scrap bin are horrifying.

[@NoEngineerHere]

Git 'er done

[@trustmeimdefinitelyqualified]

@@NoEngineerHere As a fellow Australian that says this in Larry the Cable Guy's voice multiple times a day whilst working in an engineering workshop. I wholeheartedly approve of this comment. Also awesome channel man. When you release a new video, I seize the opportunity to do the responsible thing and not go to bed until even later, despite knowing full well its nearly midnight and I have to start work in roughly 6 hours. Keep up the good work.

[@phoenix.8679]

I think you broke more endmills during this vid than I did in 4 years of manual hobby milling. But your parts seem to fit perfectly by design, while the parts I make sometimes fit perfectly by accident.

[@jumpingxships]

A small tip I learned a while ago for double-tape and superglue fixturing: the endmills depth of cut increases the cutting forces acting on the material. It will take more time, but you can get away with shallow, yet wider, depth of cuts. It may take some experimentation but hopefully my experience translates to yours as well. Keep it up! I'm a CNC Machinist and I enjoy your videosx it's great to see someone coming in at grass roots level and forging their own path. I've said it countless times to my colleagues, people without formal training find interesting and unorthodox methods because they don't know the "rules".

[@henryfleischer404]

"Get yourself a project just outside your comfort zone" That's a great idea. It's a big part of how I've been learning programming and game development. But, that's rapidly becoming more of a job than a hobby. And as my dad said, once your hobby becomes a job, you need a new hobby. I've been thinking about taking up sewing. I'm thinking of starting with fixing buttons, than pockets, then making doll clothes.

[@Vikingwerk]

I still want to see what happens when as per your ‘interchangeable jaws’ design; you fit a triangular part into corner jaws in the steady rest and turn the lathe on. I can’t decide if it would just trip the circuit breaker, or obliterate parts.

[@richdecibels]

dude your sense of humour tickles me more than any other youtuber. and your speech about starting a project just beyond your comfort zone is so right on. please keep going!

[@applepiesapricots3109]

The jazz is just killer. Really adds a unique spin to this channel that I love.

[@sambookbinder4201]

Ok you're gonna need to tell us more about that part at 0:46

[@willimnot]

Probably the first time I’ve ever heard tube stock referred to as hollow bar. Not hating, hollow bar definitely makes more sense.

[@ThrowingItAway]

FFS man it's only november and you're hitting us with the christmas music

[@NoEngineerHere]

I'm so detached from reality that I didn't even realise it was a Christmas song

[@NiksSofa]

Please make a video with the triangle inserts for your steady rest. I'm dying to see that.

[@streetfighter1966]

Me too i think it will be explosive content 🤣

[@Vikingwerk]

Right?!? Place your bets on if it trips the circuit breaker, strips the gears, or just detonates the steady rest!

[@nigelpearson2976]

@@Vikingwerk I'm hoping the ring of the steady rest breaks off the base, rotates, and then he has to make another steady rest to stady the steady!

[@RealAndySkibba]

Pushing limits is the only way to figure out where they are.

[@lukas.brinias]

Good lord. I am just watching this video now. You absolutely outdone yourself, mate. The puns, the breaking the third wall, the machinist's inside jokes - and the words of encouragement, to anyone, wanting to start something like this... IOU🍺🍺🍺

[@zhekson794]

Братан жги дальше! Развивайся и хороших каналов будет только больше...

[@LittleAussieRockets]

Nice job! I can relate to your Journey and totally agree, it's important just to start, you'll soon work out what you need and what you don't. Looking forward to seeing more from you.

[@NoEngineerHere]

The way I'm going, I'm working out I always "need" a lot more tools!

[@chakra6666]

great video! you have a really mature narrative style, and along with the satisfying (or not, as the case may be [those poor endmills]) it makes for a very pleasant experience.

[@NoEngineerHere]

Reading this comment was also a very pleasant experience. Thank you!

[@justinbanks2380]

"I got through it like I usually do By wasting a ridiculous amount of time. Instead of pausing for a second to solve the underlying issue." Oh, aaaall too familiar! 😭😂🤣

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Gotta love that steady rest for triangular stock. Pity I was drinking a mug of coffee while I was watching. Guess my keyboard will dry out some day.

[@justinbanks2380]

0:44 that's pretty fancy and nice looking. Guessing that is from your job? As while i love you're 'let's try something that is way outside my skill set' you clearly have experience and skills related. What is your main (or previous?) c career?

[@Waitin4_a_Mate]

@ 7:45 in the vid. It can still be exciting/engaging, set yourself tolerance goals and when you hit them be happy, spend time on precision, and remember. Lots of people can't even operate a manual lathe, and if you are using one to make something for a manual lathe, that's an achievement.

[@KingZeusCLE]

Quick tip.. when you are running a new program (or even a repeat old job that came back), always run on OP STOP (Optional Stop), watch every tool come down and check it to your distance to go (or current location), understand what the CAM program is doing so you know what to expect, and watch the first 30-60 seconds of a tool with one hand on the e-stop. This has saved me from countless scrap parts. It's take a little bit longer, but I've probably saved over $50k in scrap parts and scrap tools over the past 8 years simply because I missed something in the set up or program or one of the operators in setup training didn't know any better. It's so easy to miss a number or move a decimal plate or have the wrong button checked in CAM. Back plot / Graph along with OP Stop are crucial. My advice to the new guys are watch every tool come down every time for the first part (new or old). This will catch a tool offset that wasn't set, an incorrect coordinate system, and more. Well done on the video! So happy to see the $270 spindle is still rolling! You don't have any idea how tempted I am (or maybe you do and that's why you ended up with one). The next step up starts getting into the all in one powered units around $1k (Lusitun seems to actually be decent) or around $800 for the unpowered setups, but with everything except the spindle drive motor or servo. We need a follow up!

[@TheDistur]

You know how it is. He who dies with the most tools wins.

[@busaj383]

A quick rub does fix many things... extra hands are also good 👍

[@justinbanks2380]

"If you're not having to put on fresh undies, semi-regularly, you're not growing." Now THAT is a motivational mantra!

[@LanceThumping]

I appreciate the mention of how disheartening it can be sometimes to see makers tons of tools that you wish you had access to. Sometimes I feel like I can't watch at least one maker because they have like full on brand name CNC mills and a lot of other instane tools. (Like the $50k minimum type) Hard to focus on the content when you are distracted thinking about all the projects you wish you could use those machines for.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

14:14 Ah, those intrusive tool-shopping thoughts... I've just bought myself a new machine for breaking even BIGGER end mills. 19 mm is my personal best so far.

[@MonstertruckBadass]

So, for the pads, why use such a strange shape with radii as a precision fit?

[@resneptacle]

A pretty big ring with a DVI connector? Hmm 🤔

[@powerbuilder0510]

I at some point am gonna make a fixed steady rest as well, but from things i can get or find easily, was gonna use a truck brake drum for the ring part and cut off the crap i dont need, drill the 3 holes thru the ring for the legs, weld 3 pieces of short pipe on, 3 long pieces of high tensie fine all thread with ball bearing on the ends instead of bronze, the slightly technical part is going and getting the bed way V machined by someone

[@cradd00]

I'm not a machinist, but it looks to me as if you're trying to take too deep of a cut with your endmills. I do program and operate CNCs, and the rule of thumb I was taught is to limit the depth of pass to the diameter of your cutter. If you're using a 6mm cutter limit your depth of pass to 6mm. Again, its just a suggestion, but works well for me. Keep up the great work, it's very inspiring!

[@tomv8952]

Cracker video, man. Happy to be able to join the patreon and chip in for more

[@NoEngineerHere]

You've single-handedly replaced the endmills I broke making this video.

[@EngineerRaisedInKingston]

I'm actually really good at predicting new machining channels blowing up, and you heard it here first - you'll be swiming in subscribers(hopefuly not literally) by the end of the year. Aboslutely amazing content. Can't wait to see what you come up with next. Also, the music is absolutely on point.

[@dfgaJK]

I love this video and how hard you are just sending it! I find it funny that I spent a part of its duration fixated on the spindle rather than the amazing CNC work that was going on below🤣

[@jimsvideos7201]

It dawns on me that the used brake discs I just took of my car look a _lot_ like a steady rest... 🤔

[@NoEngineerHere]

This is brilliant

[@Lone-Wolf87]

Great content. Music is just too high.

[@scottcates]

I've been shaving with allthread-and-a-hot-glued-razor-blade since the Clinton administration and I haven't looked back. Bring on the hate. I don't care.

[@DominicClifton]

Loved it, especially 'start now. in a few years who knows where you'll end up'. same applies to software development. you have no idea how poignant your words are to me today of all days.

[@juanvelez5699]

Never been close to a machine shop but i feel like im learning something.

[@Callum-Long]

Big applause for showing everything that went wrong as well as the really cool finished product!! Love the approach and the channel

[@bluerider0988]

I've enjoyed watching your videos. Out of curiosity why not use some bearings instead of the bronze?

[@tomwood2847]

A basic rule of thumb I follow when not sure on feeds and speeds. Mild steel 60m/m and for a roughing end mill about 0.1mm/tooth and finishing 0.025mm/tooth. (These are just rough feeds and speeds)

[@NoEngineerHere]

In this case it's less to do with optimal feeds and speeds, and more about what my rickety homemade mill can handle without screaming in protest. Thanks for the tip though!

[@Artem4egg_]

"Secure. Contain. Protect." ahh preview bro has "We live in darkness so that you can prosper in light" as his motto beautiful btw*

[@kiblerjim]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@BIBTAP]

Just stumbled across this video, and your channel. New subscriber, right here. Thoroughly enjoyed your video. Thanks!

[@Sugar3Glider]

Those are some hefty mallet wacks

[@hydrocarbon82]

I made a steady rest but with ball bearings, it's terribly useful. Although I only ever use it for 1 recuring project, because some fool designed it in a way that it's hard to adjust.

[@Technocolor00]

9:15 Ive had the tool holder come put on before its horrible. First time the holder shot out luckely missing me while retracing the spindle, think it was caused by my z limit being set to high while rapiding. Second time the holder didnt come out completely but was loose, this was also my first time cutting tool steal with carbide and I was honestly thinking for about 5 mins maybe that was just what it was 'supposed' to sound like before coming to my senses.

[@jacob_90s]

Love the video. Please keep the background music volume lower whwn you're speaking

[@sheikyerbouti83]

Probably too late for you to see this, but Loctite 480 for jobs like the brass you stuck down. Don't bother with the tape, just glue the part right onto your fixture plate, you won't even need a clamp for soft materials like brass. Heat it up with map gas torch to release afterwards and clean up with acetone.

[@FredTheLard]

I'm sure there are several good reasons why this does not exist, but ... Do milling machines have some form of vacuum attachment, that links to an electro magnet that pulses on and off, to clear up the swarf ?

[@iancrozier8068]

I don't know how I missed this episode, I've watched all the others, but then, I'm a reliable f**kwit.

[@justinbanks2380]

2:05 "I made some adjustments" Proceeds to whack with hammer, lol While I know that it's a rubber daced one, and how you adjust these, it's still funny hearing those words followed by a hammer, lol. Going to use that line in future, next time i have to use brute force to get something to move, lol😂

[@jasonsutherland8154]

Very cool machine mate! Have you looked into climb milling vs conventional milling. Looks like you do both. But with a nice machine like yours climb will work better. Keep it up!

[@CL053DC45K37]

Yeah I wish I could get into machining. I have the knowledge and 4 years experience from my time in the Army. I just will never have the money to buy a lathe or mill. Being disabled sucks because working a normal job isn't in the cards for me.

[@ТестТестович-г2о]

8:40 That pipe is for lubrication. USE IT and your end mill bits won't break like this.

[@Rickster621]

You are still supposed to oil bronse bearings.

[@Chickenandfriends-dj4vt]

Yes mate, the bloopers are definitely worth chucking in.😂

[@TheBustyOnion]

Loving the videos keep them coming! Also some great words thrown in about getting started on projects, inspiring stuff

[@encryptedmaze]

as an engineering student... are you *sure* you're not an engineer?

[@NoEngineerHere]

Most certain, I will continue to provide proof

[@cnoxey6898]

Why did you use conventional milling instead of climb milling with your roughing mill? I thought your mill had ball screws?

[@brianwelch1579]

Your steady rest build inspired me to grab some scrap and do up a steady for my old girl too. Just banged it together but somehow the three bolts meet pretty damn near the centerline, I'm totally chuffed.

[@InformatrIIcks]

Modern hygiene makes us wear new underwear everyday. As an engineer, efficiency should be your priority. Make sure it's worth changing your undies every day !

[@auerswo]

@3:20 I may get "As in many things in live, the solution is a quick rub" printed as one of those inspirational posters to hang at my office 😂

[@iNerdier]

I would like to politely ask that you have any background music a tad quieter in the future, it was getting close to overwhelming your voiceover in parts of this video.

[@Theweldingmillennial]

"like square and tringles" you have me rolling 🤣1:20

[@bryceg5709]

ive had surprisingly good success with a trick i was shown building a steady rest with 3 urethane roller blade wheels. theyre high durometer but squish once you get some preload they run smooth enough on unfinished pipe even unround which is silly to do but i lack a large lathe and do things too large to use a tailstock and center to start some projects so urethane wheels is my jam.

[@gcl2783]

You should eventually build yourself an engineer to help you with these projects.

[@MattOckendon]

Comedy gold in here. TOT watch out, the Aussies are coming!

[@timwildauer5063]

Non-engineer here, when you’re cleaning up a spot to hold in the steady rest, can you turn a spot much closer to the chuck? I’d like to think there would be a lot less deflection there so it ends up a bit cleaner to hold. But hey, what do I know?

[@Kowen8714]

The tool may also start pulling out of the collet during heavy cuts. Look into getting a Weldon style holder or two for roughing.

[@vincei4252]

0:50 I believe the term is "Girth" Just saying.

[@waffleisyummy]

4:22 what’s the song that’s playing at this section I CANNOT figure it out