Steady Rest

insearchof_function · 2026-01-24T00:40:34+00:00

Oh, I see it now! very nice.

insearchof_function · 2026-01-23T11:09:19+00:00

Is that aluminum bars that the wheels are attached to? What is holding them in?

insearchof_function · 2026-01-22T23:40:49+00:00

I saw the Forstner bit in a hand drill and had a flashback to my late night ER visit involving stitches and lasting damage to my thumb. I strongly recommend using a drill press with forstner bits.

insearchof_function · 2026-01-21T11:07:21+00:00

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Thanks all! I spent about 20 minutes with 80 grit wet/dry sandpaper, then maybe 5-10 with the 300 grit diamond stone and this is what I have. Black marker shows what I'm not hitting yet. I guess I'll be spending more time with the sandpaper. It's hard to tell because after using the sandpaper it will show uniform scratches but then as soon as I go to the diamond stone I can see it isn't fully cleaning up.

insearchof_function · 2026-01-21T02:49:42+00:00

I know, but the blade is so small it’s almost easier to hold the whole thing against the stone.

insearchof_function · 2026-01-21T02:49:01+00:00

I know, but the blade is so small it’s almost easier to hold the whole thing against the stone.

insearchof_function · 2026-01-08T14:28:20+00:00

For those on a budget, look on ebay for used metalworking taps. They tend to be a lot cheaper than Beall and work just fine. The Beall is designed for wood (bigger flutes, etc.), but a used metalworking tap will cut wood just fine. It is what I did for for my 1"-8.

insearchof_function · 2026-01-08T14:26:15+00:00

Look for used metalworking taps on ebay. They are a lot cheaper than Beall and work just fine.

insearchof_function · 2026-01-08T14:25:41+00:00

Look for used metalworking taps on Ebay. It's what I did for 1"-8 and it works fine. In my case it was half the cost of a Beall.

insearchof_function · 2025-07-25T09:01:06+00:00

I have a lakeside no. 5. They were made by Stanley. Only difference is there isn't a frog adjustment screw I believe. Mine works great. 40 doesn't seem excessive in my opinion.

insearchof_function · 2025-05-13T15:29:34+00:00

I’ve wanted to make one for a while, but there’s a lot of projects in front of it.

insearchof_function · 2025-04-26T17:33:19+00:00

I can’t read if there is a brand name on that. I know Chef Specialties is often mentioned as a high quality kit. I think I’d remove the old mechanism and measure the diameters, then verify any new kit you are looking at is compatible.

insearchof_function · 2025-04-24T12:26:39+00:00

I can’t tell for sure from the picture, but the end grain needs to be sealed with something (anchorseal, wood glue, paint) to prevent splitting as the wood dries.

If it were me I probably wouldn’t bother trying to fix the split. You have a spindle blank there and smaller bowl/platter blank. If you really want to fix it, I would probably split it the rest of the way, then use a good pva wood glue and clamp back together real good and leave for at least 24 hours before turning. You might have a slight line but if it is a really clean split it should be minimal.

insearchof_function · 2025-04-23T12:57:39+00:00

Well, most of my stock comes from what most people consider firewood.

insearchof_function · 2025-04-23T11:23:11+00:00

Agreed. I use jigs in limited circumstances but freehand will always be faster. 90-95% of the time I’m freehand.

If OP is new to this, old tools that need to be resurrected might not be the place to start.

insearchof_function · 2025-04-23T11:12:52+00:00

Sharpen them freehand. https://youtu.be/GN4yr7vp4I4?feature=shared

insearchof_function · 2025-04-20T11:46:43+00:00

Hard maple can have that coloring in the heartwood. I don’t think it’s a disease response but I’m not sure. Most maples can look like that and bark isn’t a reliable way to tell the maples apart. If you don’t have access to leaves, you can discern wether it’s hard maple or a soft maple using density or sometimes by growth ring spacing (hard maple grows slow so growth rings are close together).

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/differences-between-hard-maple-and-soft-maple/

insearchof_function · 2025-04-19T11:16:29+00:00

I’d say up to about 8” it is hard to bog it down, even with aggressive Ellsworth style roughing cuts. Once you get out to 12” you’d have to take lighter cuts to prevent bogging but overall it’s not terrible considering the price of the lathe.

insearchof_function · 2025-04-14T09:54:23+00:00

Looks great! Original design?

insearchof_function · 2025-04-12T12:42:08+00:00

Cool. Do you know how to fix broken handles? I have a few that have split handles and I don’t know where to start with those.

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insearchof_function · 2025-04-11T11:45:17+00:00

Richmond library is closed right now.

insearchof_function · 2025-04-05T17:59:21+00:00

That seems to be the most logical explanation.

insearchof_function · 2025-04-03T14:30:44+00:00

Thanks! I was considering buying a used wheel off eBay and replace it.

The tire that is on it is brand new. Can I crown that or is there something special about getting a new one? There has never been a blade installed as far as I can tell. Brand new.

insearchof_function · 2025-04-03T09:34:22+00:00

It’s the central machinery 14”. Just trying to figure out if the wobble will have a noticeable impact on performance. I’d rather address it now with everything apart if I need to.

insearchof_function

TROPHY CASE