You need the work running true at the point where the steady is going to be positioned first, then set the steady. The surface of the work needs to be reasonably smooth and round for a steady to work. A disc of card fitted on the work next to the steady will help to keep turnings from getting trapped in the fingers.

If the end of the work is cut square, you should not need a steady to use a centre drill, unless the work is really small diameter, and then you could probably just slide the work down the spindle bore and drill it next to the chuck jaws.

You might try your original plan with the steady next to the chuck, back off one of the fingers and slacken the chuck jaws, and then reposition the steady, do up the finger gently and tighten the chuck jaws last, it might work.

Edited By old mart on 03/09/2019 13:50:33

Edited By old mart on 03/09/2019 13:56:59

Put a short piece of the same diameter in the 3 jaw chuck (better still a 4 jaw ) and set the steady fingers with that. Change for the long bit keeping the chuck jaws slightly loose and place the steady at the far end of the bar. You can lift the top finger of the steady to allow the bar in then refit the top finger. Fully tighten the chuck and all should be well. I also like the idea of the cardboard to prevent chips getting trapped in the steady fingers.

Doug

I try to set it in the chuck as level as possible using a marked out ctr point on the end then when you set the steady at the chuck end it will be as true as the chuck allows, then slide to the tailstock end. A large cone ctr works well if you have one.

Not sure if Michael's loose jaws would work as the weight of the 24" long 2" bar would tend to drop at the tailstock end as soon as the jaws were loosened so you may get it rotating true but it could be low.

generally works for me.

Edited By JasonB on 03/09/2019 15:21:25

First thing is what is the finished diameter? Close to 50mm means a lot more care. Next is how round is it?

A few mm less for the finished piece, and the end of the round could be drilled in the centre to allow a modicum of support with a tailstock centre, and a concentric cut put on the work followed by mounting in the steady.

I expect there are several ways to find the centre of a round bar to a reasonable precision. A precise centre can be added later.

Cutting the area for the steady could be carried out near the chuck, then reverse the piece in the lathe to achieve a centre drilling with that end set to run true in the steady.

What you need to be careful of is to have chuck tightening evenly and straight – or the work could ‘walk’ its way out of the chuck while machining, so I tend to turn the piece a couple of times to make sure both ends are concentric. I think a 4 jaw independent chuck is a necessity for a job like this.

.

I think it depends upon interpretation, Jason

[something which I was trying to avoid]

My not tight may not be the same as your loose

.. That said, I can't recall ever working on 24" x 2" diiameter bar stock.

A compromise between our two approaches should do nicely.

MichaelG.

Larry,

Simple way I think is make an adjustable holder for a clock that fits over a good running centre in the tailstock. Tailstock is on spindle centre, so set your bar up with the chuck nipped up and bar running true at the chuck. Adjust your steady lightly at t'other end of the bar and run the clock on the centre round the periphery. Adjust the steady fingers until the clock shows the bar running true (remember you are rotating the clock around the bar, not the bar against the clock). Go back and fully tighten the chuck jaws against a clock in the normal way so the bar stays true in the chuck. Job jobbed.

Paul.

That may not work for you Larry as you craftsman probably only has 600mm detween ctrs so by the time you have got a chuck and the 600mm stock you won't be able to get much in the tailstock or may even need to remove it. When it comes to drilling a ctr drill in a bush in an MT collet may gain a few inches.