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WoodRiver

Spindle Steady Rest

$97.99

Used to prevent whip and vibration in long or thin spindles while turning, this heavy cast iron Steady Rest features three adjustable ball bearing guides with a maximum capacity of 3". The Steady comes with two spacer blocks which allow it to be used on lathes with 12", 14", or 16"...

Details

Used to prevent whip and vibration in long or thin spindles while turning, this heavy cast iron Steady Rest features three adjustable ball bearing guides with a maximum capacity of 3". The Steady comes with two spacer blocks which allow it to be used on lathes with 12", 14", or 16" swings.

NOTE: Not suitable on lathes with a bed gap less than 1-1/2".
  • Designed for use on lathes with 12", 14", or 16" swings
  • Heavy cast iron construction
  • Features three adjustable ball bearing guides
  • Maximum capacity of 3" diameter

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Reviews

3.24 out of 5 stars
17 Reviews
  1. 2.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Still no fit for Jet 1221

    After seeing reviews covering a decade and still not having a fit for a Jet 1221 one would think they would make an adapter plate. Mine is going back to Woodcraft, time to make my own I guess. It feels as solid as all get out but I would hate to ruin it grinding off each plate.

  2. 1.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Doesn't fit a Powermatic 3250

    I took this steady rest to the counter and asked what they knew about it. I was asked what model lathe it would be used on and I said Powermatic, and the response was that it would work. They also pointed out that it doesn't fit a Nova, even though the picture on the box shows it on a Nova. Well, this definitely doesn't fit the Powermatic, and even with the spacers it is way far away from center of the head stock. The spacers are also so short in length that they fall right through the ways. Sure I could take the time to make modifications and add parts, but then why do it? Maybe I'll make one as there are plenty of plans on the internet - but I just didn't want to take the time. I will see if I can use it on my Delta Middi even though others say modifications are needed.

  3. 5.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Spindle bearing support installation

    Recognized that modifications needed to fit up to Delta Midi 460 lathe. I filed slots and cut bolt length to fit in about 1hour. The tool is rugged and performs well

  4. 4.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    works well

    worked well on my mini lathe even though it is not supposed to but it did what i needed it to do and it was the right price.

  5. 3.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Change bearings to wheels

    The metal bearings marked the wood and should have been polyurethane like skate wheels material. But I replaced them with small one inch wheels I bought from WoodWerks that were for Pinewood Derby cars, and it works great. This is built to last, so it is heavy. It seems like someone should have devised a quick way to install it on the lathe.

  6. 3.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Doesn't fit the Delta Midi

    Thanks WoodRiver & Woodcraft. I had nothing better to do last Sunday morning then spending a few hours filing down the bases of this steady rest so that it would fit my Delta 46-460 midi-lathe. There was nothing in any of your promotional material to let us know it wouldn't fit. It was too heavy to bother to send it back so the only option was to adapt. It's sturdy, very heavy and now it works well even though we still have to deal with the scarring that the wheels do to the wood. Warning; finish sand last. Give us all of the facts upfront so that we can make an educated decision.

  7. 1.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Last Choice

    This unit would not fit my Delta Midi- although I was told it would at the store and I had to get it to a machinist friend to narrow the blocks from 1.40 to 1.25. When he went to do this, he noticed the base itself was not square to the upright. Bearings should be rubber coated as they leave marks that have to be sanded out. You will also need to de-grease the entire assembly and then wash your hands thoroughly before handling wood or getting this support anywhere near your project. Wood River brand SHOULD mean solid, well made, low feature for the entry level. Entry level should not mean a low quality product.

  8. 4.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Great for the price

    It fits perfectly on my 12" 46-700 Delta lathe. The bolt is long enough to work on 14" and 16" lathes with the supplied spacers. This makes it too long on my 12" lathe, but it was easy enough to cut off. I needed to drill a 1" hole in a long rod and wanted to steady the end. I expected the steel wheels to leave marks, so I left the piece long so I could cut the ends off. It worked great.

  9. 4.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Spindle Rest

    It is a little tedious to install and it comes with no instructions.(a Wood River trait)It does the job. It does leave a mark on the wood but a light sanding removes it. For the money it works fine.

  10. 1.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Not compatible

    The tenon that is supposed to fit between the bed ways is too large to fit a Delta 46-460(and I suspect many other lathes with a 12" swing). I was able to use it by mounting it at an angle and adjusting the steady wheels accordingly. Setup and movement on lathe is clumsy. Bolt is too long and hits ways supports.The wheels are simply wheel bearings and leave marks on the surface of the wood. (They should be made of a non-marring material). In use, it is noisy. It will be more usable after I modify it by shortening the bolt and machining the tenon to a width the fits the space in the bed ways. I may replace the wheels with plastic wheels as well. The heavy duty cast iron of this product is solid. For the amount of modification I'll have to do, I would have been better off to have made my own or spent more for a better one. Check your lathe dimensions before you buy, especially the bed way space width.

  11. 3.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    It works

    I used it on long spindles. Limited placement on Jet 16/42. The bearings left marks on the wood- should have plastic wheels.

  12. 4.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Used on my Shopsmith

    I don't do a lot of turning but I needed to make a long (28") spindle to repair my daughter's crib. I didn't want to spend a lot of money. After modifying the mounting to work on my Shopsmith it worked perfectly and took the 'flex' out of the spindle so I could finish the project. Not hard to mount on a Shopsmith.

  13. 4.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Heavy Duty

    Very heavy and solid for a steady rest that can only handle about 3". Setup and movement on jet 1642 is cumbersome. bolt is too long and hits ways supports. Standard bearnigs that are easily replaced.

  14. 4.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Great for the money

    Works very well and was easy to set up I would buy again.

  15. 5.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Surprisingly great product for the money

    I was skeptical of such a low cost item working properly or effectively. I was very surprised how well this product works. I needed a rest to turn very long and thin spindles for a set of windsor chairs. I only needed it for very occasional use so I didnt want to spend over a hundred dollars which is the price of most steady rests. I decided to take a chance that it might work OK due to the fact is was such a good price. Surprisingly it works excellent. Completely stops all the vibration and wobbling of the spindle. It is very solid and well made with the exception that it uses standard skateboard wheel bearing that fit sloppy over the mounting screws. There is no sleeve to take up the slack and relies only on screw pressure. It does work however. Also it is not easy to take off or put on or move its location in that you must unbolt it with a wrench every time. I am not complaining however. A little inconvienience is well worth the price of this great product. I give it a 5 of 5 for cost and performance. It does what it is supposed to flawlessly. Also I had no problem with it marring the worksurface. Nothing a touch of 150 grit sandpaper didnt erase in about 1 second. I highly recommend this product if you are not going to use it all the time on a professional basis.

  16. 2.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Not so hot

    I assumed the rollers would be neopreen or something similar. They're standard bearings and mar the surface of the stock.

  17. 5.0 out of 5 stars
    by on

    Spindle Steady Rest, Great product!

    I got this rest for use on a Jet lathe, it is on ceneter to the stocks and works very well, the only problem is that it is a bit noisy but that is minor as any bearings will make some noise. All in all a great spindle rest at a great price!

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