16” SB Lathe Steady Rest

[ironwrx]

Hi. I have a 16” SB Lathe and am looking for a steady rest to buy that won’t put me in the poor house. There are some on Flea Bay, but the ones I see are in the $3-$600 range. Maybe that’s a fair price, but a bit out of the budget for this back-woods machinist. Also wondering if anyone has used a steady rest designed for a smaller lathe, and made it work with a riser block of sorts?


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[Tincamp67]

I don’t know if $300 to $600 is “fair” but it’s the going rate on eBay. I looked for a follower rest for my SB 9 for a while and they were in the $300 range as well.

 

[benmychree]

Not a big job to fabricate a follow rest from steel with cast iron jaws.

 

[Tincamp67]

Not a big job to fabricate a follow rest from steel with cast iron jaws.

The thought has crossed my mind. I even have a piece of steel plate as a starting point. My plan at this point involved welding, and that isn’t my strong suit.

 

[talvare]

Also wondering if anyone has used a steady rest designed for a smaller lathe, and made it work with a riser block of sorts?

I did something similar quite a few years ago after giving up my search for a steady rest for my lathe. I purchased a steady rest from eBay that I believe was actually for a SB 14" lathe (think I paid $100 for it). My lathe is also 14" but I had to machine the bottom of the steady rest and fabricate a block to adapt it to fit the ways on my lathe. Here's a few photos to show what I did.
Ted

 

[cgcwmec627]

I haven't done it myself but I suppose a heavy pipe flange could be a good beginning to making a steady rest.
They are around 50 bucks for a 8 inch ID.

 

[ironwrx]

I did something similar quite a few years ago after giving up my search for a steady rest for my lathe. I purchased a steady rest from eBay that I believe was actually for a SB 14" lathe (think I paid $100 for it). My lathe is also 14" but I had to machine the bottom of the steady rest and fabricate a block to adapt it to fit the ways on my lathe. Here's a few photos to show what I did.
Ted
View attachment 484642View attachment 484643View attachment 484644View attachment 484645

I did something similar quite a few years ago after giving up my search for a steady rest for my lathe. I purchased a steady rest from eBay that I believe was actually for a SB 14" lathe (think I paid $100 for it). My lathe is also 14" but I had to machine the bottom of the steady rest and fabricate a block to adapt it to fit the ways on my lathe. Here's a few photos to show what I did.
Ted
View attachment 484642View attachment 484643View attachment 484644View attachment 484645

Hi Ted. Kind of what I was thinking, although I was thinking the riser block would just have a vee in the bottom for the way of the lathe, and another vee in the top to accept a piece of Key stock and index into the rest. As illustrated in my sketch.
I have a steady rest from a smaller lathe (possibly Clausing), that I’m hoping to adapt.

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[MikeInOr]

It took me 5 years just to find a steady rest for my SB 13". I was thrilled to pay $350 for it!.. ebay and included shipping from England. I think that SB 16" steady rests are more readily available. I have seen some SB 13" steady rests listed for close to $1000.

 

[talvare]

Hi Ted. Kind of what I was thinking, although I was thinking the riser block would just have a vee in the bottom for the way of the lathe, and another vee in the top to accept a piece of Key stock and index into the rest. As illustrated in my sketch.
I have a steady rest from a smaller lathe (possibly Clausing), that I’m hoping to adapt.


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Looks like it should work.

Ted