Cat-head Steady Rest

[Hawkeye]

Ever used a cat-head steady? They have a couple of advantages.

You don't have to have a trued cylinder for the supports or bearings to run on. Rough or odd-shaped stock can be centered up for turning.

You don't get support or roller marks on your work piece. Check it out.


It all started out as a few pieces of scrap from the junkers. Heavy angle, 3"; pipe and an old, unused lifting ring.


The lifting ring is faced on the lathe to clean it up.


Holes are centered up for the mounting brackets and bearing axles using my first dividing head mounted on an angle table.


More to come.

 

[pjf134]

I love it, very good tool to have and cheap to make. I do like the bearing setup, it holds the ring in while it is turning. Please post some more pic if you would.
Thanks,
Paul

 

[Hawkeye]

Part 2

The frame is set up. Note the v-groove in the base.


Time for the cat-head sleeve. This time the dividing head is angled up 90*. The 36-tooth sprocket allows 5* intervals. The groove in the sleeve is a trued section for the bearings to follow.


Using the 3-jaw to set the bearings to hold the sleeve on lathe center. The bearing axles are set in grooves for adjustment


The steady rest finished and set up to drill a piece of square stock. Notice the adjusting screws added to hold the axles to a setting. The 8 work screws need to be adjusted carefully to allow the sleeve groove to run true.


It works very smoothly. I even had one project where the work piece was big enough to remove the sleeve and run the bearings on the work.

 

[Galileu]

Hi,

I like the steady rest and I like the dividing head also; could you share details of it's construction?

Best regards,
José

 

[Hawkeye]

Dave,

Initially, the sleeve is centered by holding it in the three-jaw and snugging the bearings up to it. Then a piece of stock can be mounted in the chuck and the steady rest moved out to the end of the stock. The 8 long screws are then brought up finger-tight, just to level the sleeve so that, when the chuck is turned by hand, the groove in the sleeve passes the bearings evenly all the way around. After that, a dial indicator can be set up on the groove to fine-tune the bearings.

Unless you take the sleeve out to run a large shaft directly on the bearings, like I did, this adjustment should last for a while. When using the steady, remaining adjustments will involve centering the work piece by adjusting the 8 long screws. A tailstock wobbler helps with this centering.

I can see I'll have to take the dividing head apart to take detailed photos. When I built that, I wasn't documenting projects as I went (just in case I ever joined a machining forum). Be patient and it shall be done.

 

[Hawkeye]

No rest for the weary. Okay. Maybe the tilt table tomorrow.