9 Inch Steady Rest

[DaveAnderson]

Guys, I am looking for a steady rest for my 9 inch that will not break the bank. I have been looking on eBay, but auction prices jump up pretty high, and I do not want a Palmgren version. Any suggestions or members who have one to sell?
Thanks
Dave A.

 

[tobnpr]

Well, they are, what they are...
I have both types, micrometer with brass fingers and the sliding type with the cast iron flat fingers.
You're gonna spend around $200-$250 for the flat-finger ones, and $300 plus for the micrometer ones.

Ted has one for sale (surprised it hasn't been bought yet) on the PM forum:

FS: 9” Steady Rest

For Sale: 9” South Bend Lathe Steady Rest - telescopic brass jaws - built from almost all N.O.S parts (the lock screws are SHCS, the snap rings are tru-arc rings) $300 plus $15 shipping Ted Latheman2@aol.com

www.practicalmachinist.com

He used to work at SB and still has some NOS parts for these machines.

 

[matthewsx]

They're not making this stuff anymore, if having a proper matching unit for your machine is important and you have the extra scratch grab it up while you can. Original parts that match your machine add not only utility but value to your investment.

New lathes are available and probably work just fine, when we choose to steward an antique it is wise to realize we will only have it for a short while and another enthusiast will eventually own it. You might own the tool for another month or 50 years but the next owner will be happy that you chose to make it complete. Of course the alternative to purchasing stuff individually is to wait until an original with all the accessories comes up and if you wait long enough it surely will. Question is, do you need the rest for an upcoming project?

If anyone knows of a fairly priced rest for either a 9" Seneca Falls Star or a 6" second generation Craftsman please let me know.


Cheers,

John

 

[FOMOGO]

If your up for it, and don't are about it being a factory part, you can just make one. Many examples on you-tube. Mike

 

[DaveAnderson]

Well, they are, what they are...
I have both types, micrometer with brass fingers and the sliding type with the cast iron flat fingers.
You're gonna spend around $200-$250 for the flat-finger ones, and $300 plus for the micrometer ones.

Ted has one for sale (surprised it hasn't been bought yet) on the PM forum:

FS: 9” Steady Rest

For Sale: 9” South Bend Lathe Steady Rest - telescopic brass jaws - built from almost all N.O.S parts (the lock screws are SHCS, the snap rings are tru-arc rings) $300 plus $15 shipping Ted Latheman2@aol.com

www.practicalmachinist.com

He used to work at SB and still has some NOS parts for these machines.

Thanks for the tip. I will sign up on that site and buy it.

 

[Janderso]

Tom Lipton has an 11 part series on making a heavy duty steady rest. I enjoyed this series because of the unique fixturing required to make accurate milling and drilling operations. His videos are edited better now but you can skip along.