Laying out a steady rest ring

ericc

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I am making a simple steady rest. It was forged from a 3/4" pipe nipple. There was something I learned about forging pipe. Of course, never quench it. If making a square cross section, do not go all the way to square until the scrolling is nearly complete, else the sides will collapse and cannot be fixed.

Here is a method of finding the centerline. Remember that the ring is not exactly a circle, and it is not symmetric. Use a cardboard disk with concentric circles on one side and a vertical centerline on the other. Use a flat table and line up with a combination square.

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That's a fascinating concept - using blacksmithing techniques to build an accessory for a precision tool! Gotta ask a question, though - is your anvil calibrated in thousandths or tenths? :) Can't wait to see the final result. I bet it'll be a real gem.
 
Ok im along for the ride. If you wouldn't mind please elaborate a bit on the "3/4 inch pipe nipple"for us? Not sure what aspect the 3/4" is referring to! And what is the overall OD size in the pictures you posted?
 
The pipe is 3/4" black iron pipe, suitable for gas. It can be safely forged. I have a lot of respect for structural steel smiths. These are blacksmiths whose media is structural steel: pipe, tube, channel, angle, etc. Some really creative organic forms can be extracted from this stock. In the old days, almost everything was made by a blacksmith. My quick change tool post was hand forged and the central hole hot punched. This is the only precise feature, and, of course, it was finished by boring. The steady rest only has two precision features, the base groves and the plane of the fingers, which must be normal to the spindle axis. The OD of the ring is 4-5/8". It is close to flat. The plane of the fingers will be established with reference to the base with a horizontal mill. Just a small cut should be necessary. Remember, in the old days, all tools were carbon steel, many of them forged on site.
 
Here are the contact fingers. They don't need a great amount of precision. The finger just needs to slide without too much slop. A finished one is shown. It's finished on slide sides and sides of finger. The other two and the finger are hot from the forge. First, butcher to set groove, then set hammer to square it, then run a fuller down the middle to accommodate the adjustment screw.

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Are those crocs steel toe?

Ha, ha. No steel toes. Also these crocs melt pretty easily, but they are great for just puttering around. I wear work boots when I'm forging. Interestingly enough, shoes like clogs and crocs are safer than boots if you don't make sure to pull your pants legs over the open tops of the boots, especially when working on small fiddly bits. Dropping a hot bit into your shoe can be a life changing experience, especially if you have diabetes.
 
Using a torch or arc welding and socks do not mix. Has happen one to many times franticly unlacing boots to get the slag burning through the socks. :mad:
 
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