Rudder stocks part 2, mostly centering steady rest.

Setting up 3 inch rudder stock in lathe steady rest for turning and drilling.
Has bad math in there at some point. I know it’s wrong, sorry. Hope you spot it too. It was a long day that day.

[@TangentJim]

Benno - Obviously your math works . It confused the shit out of me . Allow me to add more confusion to the mix - this is my approach . Back off the steady rest probes to clear the shaft . Indicate at the chuck by revolving the Shaft . Go to the Tail Stock end. Indicate by revolving the shaft . Use a Rubber hammer . Go back to Head Stock . Re - Indicate the Head Stock . Back and forth a few times. Now close the Steady Rest probes gently against the shaft . You will be good at both ends . The lenght could be anywhere . That's my story and I'm sticking to it . -- Jim

[@OgiveBC]

Hi Jim, if the lathe is pretty straight and level your way will work like a hot darn, also it requires that the workpiece is less than a couple hundred pounds I believe. If the lathe in question is as out of true as my big one, the axis of the headstock spindle and the bed are two rather different realities. I’ve tried all sorts of ways with heavy parts, indicating off the chuck face to the part, mount an indicator on the tailstock end of the workpiece and indicating off the tailstock etc. any way that gives you a not tapering part (unless that’s what you want) is a great way.

[@TangentJim]

Benno - If the lathe is pretty straight and level your way will work like a hot darn. I reject that statement . How does your method make the Lathe Bed True ??? --- Jim

[@OgiveBC]

It does nothing for the bed of the lathe, and I apologize if I said that it did. It allows you to get a segment length of the workpiece parallel enough with a section of the bed that when you turn the diameter of a part, in that same area of the bed that was used to indicate, the inherent taper will be as minimal as possible without resorting to adjusting the cross slide setting during the length of cut. Very long cuts will still be a big problem. One that is proportional to the twist in the bed………..of the lathe.

[@TangentJim]

Benno - Again -- Indicating both ends would accomplish the same thing without the complicated math . I suggest you try it on one shaft -- Jim

[@OgiveBC]

⁠thanks Jim, I’m very familiar with the method you describe. I’ll be making another video about this subject soon. Thanks for the input and stay tuned………