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.
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.