I haven't been around here in a while

[Fluxion]

Well it's been an interesting few months to say the least. I am back into working on all 12 of my ongoing projects!  I thought I would post up some info on a couple that might interest all you great guys here.  A while back you may remember my golf ball caliber carronade that I built for our wedding. Here's a really crappy pic of that event. Its a picture of a picture behind glass with a hand held camera. I'm too lazy to scan the picture right now. LOL!



I'm the one on the left that looks like Butterbean's little brother.

I posted some better pics in the calender thread up top.  I will be doing another photo shoot with my cannon's real soon, I need some new ones of this cannon since I added a few embellishments.

Here is one project I started a while back. It's a golf ball bore Cohorn mortar on a Jatoba bed to match my cannon above. I am waiting on some parts for a gun, then I will parkerize the whole lot to match the cannon.




It's coming along but I think I will be making new handles. I'm not happy with these.

Here is the other project I am working on. This one is a golf ball caliber Dictator. I have had to stop and make some tooling for my lathe to turn the barrel and waiting on the materials and various supplies slows the progress.
This is the steady rest I built.


It will support this 62lb chunk of 1018 ( I hope) The small piece welded on the end will go into my four jaw chuck to spin it up. This will take some time to machine and will certainly max out my little lathe.


I have added a counter shaft assembly to the lathe to slow it way down and am in the process of converting it to a DC motor with a speed control. All I have to do then is make a boring bar holder to attach directly too the lathe cross slide then I will be ready to start  on the barrel.


Here is where I am at on the steel bed.




I will post more pics as I progress if anybody is interested.

[Cat Whisperer]

GREAT pictures !

YES, post more as the project(s) continue !

Let us know how the rollers work in the steady-rest.  I've heard of them with rollers, but not heard first hand from someone who actually used one.

[lance]

Fluxion GREAT to have you Back!!! Keep the pics coming!!!

[GGaskill]

Let us know how the rollers work in the steady-rest.  I've heard of them with rollers, but not heard first hand from someone who actually used one.

I've used steady rests with ball bearings as rollers and, like most real things, they have advantages and disadvantages.  Other than preventing frictional heating of the work piece, I think most attributes are disadvantages.  They are not mark free; the marks they leave are just different than marks from bronze tipped fingers.  Furthermore, they tend to trap chips between themselves and the work piece which has a tendency to cause bearing failure since they are usually adjusted to contact the work piece.  They need a machined surface to run on which precludes their use on rough stock; bronze points aren't a lot better in this regard but you can let the work run a little more loosely in them without damage.

There are probably more points worth discussion but this is all I can remember at the moment.

[Cat Whisperer]

Thanks, George.

The chips I expected as an issue.  Non heating I hadn't thougt of as I've only used steady rests three or four times and not run into it as an issue.  (Perhaps a wiper to keep chips clear?)  Bearing wear is NOT an issue as I work at a company that makes motors - so in the design process when motors get torn down the bearings are NEVER reused although they're good, hence an unending supply from the big green box.

[Fluxion]

I hadn't thought too much about using the bearings for this steady rest, I just made it that way. They might come in handy since I do a lot of work with PVC and Acrylic. I have mounted the rest in the lathe with that big chunk of steel in the four jaw and all seems well. it runs true but I know it wouldn't work with pipe or something that's not quite round. I know chips may be a problem but I'm going to give it a try. My other steady rest made by Atlas does have the brass guides and it works flawlessly. I built this one with the ball bearings to try it out. I figure if it doesn't seem to be working, I will pull it apart and make some brass or bronze guides. Then, at least I will have the blocks with the bearings.

[GGaskill]

What I have done with mine is make a second set of fingers with bearing bronze tips so I can substitute those when appropriate.  For another steady with more complex fingers, I have made bronze inserts that fit in the ends when the bearings are removed.

There is another way of making a ball bearing steady rest although it is usually limited in the size of material that can be supported.  You take a large bore bearing and insert a cathead-like sleeve with centering screws.  The bearing is mounted on whatever it takes to properly position it at the lathe spindle center line.  This device does not rely on the shape of the outside of the work piece as a running surface.  Here is a thread on another board with a couple of examples.

[Cat Whisperer]

A bearing like that would be right much expensive NEW, but surplus would likely be cheap.

[Fluxion]

What I have done with mine is make a second set of fingers with bearing bronze tips so I can substitute those when appropriate.  For another steady with more complex fingers, I have made bronze inserts that fit in the ends when the bearings are removed.

There is another way of making a ball bearing steady rest although it is usually limited in the size of material that can be supported.  You take a large bore bearing and insert a cathead-like sleeve with centering screws.  The bearing is mounted on whatever it takes to properly position it at the lathe spindle center line.  This device does not rely on the shape of the outside of the work piece as a running surface.

That big bearing idea sounds intriguing but it won't work in this case. I only have about 3/8" clearance between the round stock and the lathe bed. I do  however have a large bearing around here somewhere that came in a box of crap from an auction that I could make one for future projects! This is why I have a hard time getting projects completed, I get side tracked while waiting on supplies and I start something else.

I will probably go ahead and make some new fingers for this one that would take some bronze inserts. Since they are 1" square, a small bit of CRS with a hole in it for the bronze tip should work. I even have the stuff here to get it done.