I’m about to build a steady rest and am looking at wheel options. Question for experienced users: do black wheels mar the work? Are clear wheels preferred, or does it not matter? Thanks loads!
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Building a steady rest - wheel question
- Thread starter Lou Jacobs
- Start date
I have not found the wheel color to transfer to the wood. I can usually see where the wheels contacted the surface but its more smoothing of the fibers than anything. Final sanding/surface prep removes any trace the wheels were ever there.
The wheels dont need to have a lot of force on them.
The wheels dont need to have a lot of force on them.
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Thanks Doug! Just what I wanted to know.
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I leave a small band to turn away for the wheel track.
If I hollow softer woods sanding away the wheel marks will ruin the curve.
If I hollow softer woods sanding away the wheel marks will ruin the curve.
Ditto on the raised band of wood for the wheels to run on. When I first started doing HFs, I had one or two pieces that had a line where the wheels had been, presumably of compressed wood fibers. Even after the second turning, the line was still visible.
Great advice. Thank you!
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I just go to good will and buy online skates. You get 8 wheels and I think I paid $5 for the skates. The wheels have worked great.
I did read some where that there are different hardnesses of the wheels, and the softer ones were preferred. No clue as to how to tell, but that may be a consideration. I like the idea of leaving a little band for a wheel track, to turn off after.
robo hippy
robo hippy
Double layer of masking tape will prevent the wheel line, and the wheels do need to just touch without pressure on the wood, that is the way I do it, and I do have the clear wheels, brand new, for a good price as the unopened pack had only 7 wheels in it ;-))
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Memory Is slowly returning, no paperwork to support. Wheels for Indoor Hockey use gets you the softer variety w/o trying to specify by Shore Durometer and associated higher cost. The last ones I purchased are labeled Extreme Sticky - Indoor Hockey, 72A and a logo that i have no clue.
72A is undoubtably Shore Durometer (hardness) 72, A scale.
Some comparisons:
They work great. When new, the flash line where the mold closes leaves a ridge that will mar soft woods. It soon wears off.
72A is undoubtably Shore Durometer (hardness) 72, A scale.
Some comparisons:
| Rubber band | 25 | A |
| Door seal | 55 | A |
| Automotive tire tread | 70 | A |
| Soft wheels of roller skates and skateboard | 78 | A |
| Hydraulic O-ring | 70–90 | A |
| Pneumatic O-ring | 65–75 | A |
| Hard wheels of roller skates and skateboard | 98 | A |
They work great. When new, the flash line where the mold closes leaves a ridge that will mar soft woods. It soon wears off.
Years ago, I bought an all-steel commercial steady(Serious Tools) whose red wheels had the mold line remaining. I sanded them down. Like the others, as a precaution, I also keep a little extra material where the wheels make contact with the wood. If I am using the steady when hollowing out a long vase, I may cut a shallow cove in the extra material so that the wheel may live there. As I hollow and the walls thin, the piece sometimes may go out of round. I may true it up or I may cut another small cove further down towards the headstock and move the steady forward.
Steadys are generally used to prevent vibration in spindle turning with tailstock support.
In the photo below, the steady rest is being used as a tailstock replacement in a deep boring operation for a 24" peppermill. The wheels are not only just touching, they are supporting the piece. Note the grooves that the wheels ride on. In some instances, the wheels may mark up the stock. Usually, when I'm supporting a 20-25" log with the steady as a tailstock replacement, it will happen.
Good Luck with your build!
Show us pictures.
Leo, thanks for the offer of wheels, unfortunately I ordered a set from Amazon this morning.
Dennis, I will post pics as I move ahead. Again, thanks all for the great advice.
Dennis, I will post pics as I move ahead. Again, thanks all for the great advice.
The 3" razor-scooter wheels work well if you can allow for that large a wheel. I like the firmest I can find due to supporting heavy loads.
The little flat that, I think, all wheels acquire when left overnight tends to go away in a minute of so.
The little flat that, I think, all wheels acquire when left overnight tends to go away in a minute of so.
When building mine about 10 years back, the information I found suggested that the harder wheels were better in this application. I'm going purely by memory here, so bear with me, but it had to do with induced vibration being more prevalent with the softer wheels. Makes some sense when you factor in that you don't want them under pressure - just touching and supporting the piece.I went with the harder wheels and they've performed nicely for a decade now.
When they were new, the first thing I did was put a small piece on the lathe setup in the steady with the live center in place and let it drive the wheels while I used a scraper with a fresh burr to make them nice and round with a smooth surface.
When they were new, the first thing I did was put a small piece on the lathe setup in the steady with the live center in place and let it drive the wheels while I used a scraper with a fresh burr to make them nice and round with a smooth surface.
In the mid 1990's I made my first 3 wheel steady using skate wheels that I found at a salvage store, they were about 3" diameter made of a material that got gummy on the contact surface. I replaced those wheels with some 4" diameter clear wheels that do not get gummy but they do have a mold line that messed up the turning so I made a mandrel to hold the wheel without the bearings and turned the contact surface smooth. The extra wood on the contact area is still a good idea but may not be necessary for the harder woods.
Dennis, I see your fixture has a fourth wheel on it. When is this one used? Is it for support if you need to remove the one coming from the front side?
Just finished a few minutes ago. Now I need to get back to the project I needed it for. I pretty closely followed the plan in Doc Green’s book Fixtures and Chucks for Woodturning. I’ve found him to be a great resource for ideas.
Wondering if anyone considered room for a laser or camera hookup for a steady rest. I understand that some now use the open C type rest? Maybe install 4 wheels instead?
I used three wheels, but rotated all by three 7 degrees off center (top wheel winds up shifted to the right) so I had room for a laser - latter switched to a video camera. Works fine with no interference.
Here is the steady rest I build for my Delta midi, my wheels don't mark if I adjusted them right, running on a Elm box here, and a close-up of the wheels.
That looks like a substantial piece of work Leo. Thanks for sharing it!
Actually, I rarely use the 4th Wheel. I did use it on a big vase to reduce vibration. The Steady was turned around and 3 wheels were supporting the left side of the piece.
IMO, my steady would have been better designed if the 4 wheels were directly opposite each other. The 3 wheel system, 120 degrees apart, supports the work well. I see your project is progressing well!
For my segmented pieces I use large rubber inner tubes and cut large diameter rubber bands to compress the segmented rounds while gluing.
I also use these large rubber bands to protect the surface of the work piece on the lathe when using a steady rest with 3 or 4 wheels. Several
layers of tape will also work, but then you have adhesive that needs to come off of the wood.
I also use these large rubber bands to protect the surface of the work piece on the lathe when using a steady rest with 3 or 4 wheels. Several
layers of tape will also work, but then you have adhesive that needs to come off of the wood.
Great idea Mike! I’m in the midst of a segmented project right now, but the only inner tubes I’ve got are from narrow bike tires. I’ll have to go into a tire shop and see if I can get one. So far four of 11 rings turned on this vase. It will narrow way down and then flare back out at the top. I’m adding and turning two or three rings at a time. In a couple of days I’ll be ready to use the steady rest. 
Almost finished. The steady rest worked out wonderfully. I’m now putting finish on the piece, and should have it off the lathe in a day or two.
Late to the party on this thread but thought I'd chime in ....
Just finished a 3 wheel steady rest and also realized late in the game that the center arm would get in the way of the laser on the "Jamieson style" hollower that I also just finished making. Ended up cutting another offset slot for the center arm to use when hollowing with the laser. Wheels - I started with some old used rollerblade wheels that were laying around but the bearings were crap (with the wheels not far behind). I've also read that a "harder" wheel may be better for this application. Ended up buying a set of 89a Durometer wheels and ABEC 9 bearings along with bearing spacers on Amazon. Huge difference, non marking (on mesquite and maple anyway) ... I've only turned a couple HF pieces to date so can't comment on longevity ... but so far really like these wheels.
Links to wheels, bearings and spacers on Amazon -
Wheels & Bearings Link
Spacers Link
Couple pics ....
Just finished a 3 wheel steady rest and also realized late in the game that the center arm would get in the way of the laser on the "Jamieson style" hollower that I also just finished making. Ended up cutting another offset slot for the center arm to use when hollowing with the laser. Wheels - I started with some old used rollerblade wheels that were laying around but the bearings were crap (with the wheels not far behind). I've also read that a "harder" wheel may be better for this application. Ended up buying a set of 89a Durometer wheels and ABEC 9 bearings along with bearing spacers on Amazon. Huge difference, non marking (on mesquite and maple anyway) ... I've only turned a couple HF pieces to date so can't comment on longevity ... but so far really like these wheels.
Links to wheels, bearings and spacers on Amazon -
Wheels & Bearings Link
Spacers Link
Couple pics ....
The above 2 pictures illustrate a method to true up the skate wheels.
Any polyurethane wheel will be fine. I use inline skate wheels the colour doesn't really matter, I have clear, white and black all are good. I buy second hand on ebay $2 or 3 for 8, and you can trim them to what ever you want on the grinder, narrower or remove any wear, flatter or whatever. They come with bearings axles etc just drill and tap for the axles, and you're up and running in no time.
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Wow ... VERY nice steady rest Paul. Love the adjustability, no laser arm issues, etc. If mine ever breaks that'd be the way to go. On my way to the shop to break mine now 
Wow ... VERY nice steady rest Paul. Love the adjustability, no laser arm issues, etc. If mine ever breaks that'd be the way to go. On my way to the shop to break mine now
I love the concept here. I’m pretty sure you can order all those pieces cut to size from 8020.net so no machining required.
That is a fantastic idea....thanks for sharing.
What a great work around....thank you!!
Im using clear roller blade wheels