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Travelling Steady Fixture for Thinning Narrow Diameter Bar

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klank	05/04/2011 12:33:35
16 forum posts	I need to turn down a length of 5mm silver steel rod over quite a long length to 3mm and 3.5 mm at various points. The problem is "springing" if trying to cut the work unsupported. I can vaguely remember seeing plans/article for a tool post mounted fixture to act as a sort of travelling steady and cutting tool which supports the work as it is thinned in an old issue of the ME (?in the 1990's?). There was, I believe, a short follow up article, noting improvements to the original. Such a tool/fixture is marketed by Chronos (usual disclaimer) - but "out of stock"! Can anybody kindly tell me which issue(s) of the ME contains the article(s)? - it is difficult to find this item as there are so many "key words" to describe it. Thank you Peter
JimmieS	05/04/2011 12:41:57
310 forum posts 1 photos	Hi klank Issue 173 and 174 of Model Engineering Workshop have details on making and using fixed and traveling steadies by Harold Hall.
JasonB	05/04/2011 12:48:59
25215 forum posts 3105 photos 1 articles	Hemmingway do one that uses a small brass bush J Edited By JasonB on 05/04/2011 13:14:49
klank	05/04/2011 12:51:05
16 forum posts	Thanks for the info. Jimmie. Unfortunately a "standard" travelling steady with three "fingers" will not work for the very thin rod I need to reduce. The item shown in the rather old ME article I am trying to find had a circular "bush" with a hole in it to act as the rod support on the end of the tool fixture.
klank	05/04/2011 12:54:26
16 forum posts	Jason, Just saw your kind reply - thank you - I didn't realise such a "kit" was available - many thanks for the info. If I cannot find the old article - that might be the solution! Peter
Terryd	05/04/2011 12:54:47
1946 forum posts 179 photos	Hi Klank, I've seen a simple hardwood or even thick ply steady made by bolting a suitably shaped piece to the steady holes on the cross slide and the cut applied by the top slide. The wood should be impregnated with grease at the bearing point of course. It is an old fashioned, but effective and perfectly acceptable method (inexpensive and simple to make as well). Regards Terry Edited By Terryd on 05/04/2011 15:10:09
klank	05/04/2011 13:02:23
16 forum posts	Thanks Terry - that is a neat idea. I might try it if all else fails. I like the adjectives "inexpensive and simple"! Peter
JasonB	05/04/2011 13:14:04
25215 forum posts 3105 photos 1 articles	This post by Stew has a lot of pics of the chronos one, you should be able to work something out from them. Tel's one at the end looks the easier to build though J Edited By JasonB on 05/04/2011 13:25:44
klank	05/04/2011 14:19:06
16 forum posts	Thanks for the kind help Jason. Tell's fixture is exactly the type of thing I was looking for - something similar, I think, in the ME article. Enough in his photos to have a bash. Thank you Peter
Gray62	05/04/2011 14:59:04
1058 forum posts 16 photos	Hi Klank, Issue 85 of MEW has a very nicely designed small roller box regards Graeme
klank	05/04/2011 22:34:02
16 forum posts	Hi Graham Thanks for the link. I had seen this article a while back - a very nice piece of kit - but too complex a challenge for the small job I have to do at this stage and possibly betond my present skills. Maybe I will make it when I am more experienced. A "screw push feed" hss cutting tool and bush fixture in the tool post, like Tel's, is the sort of thing I would like to do and its the plan in ME I am looking for. Failing that - a piece of greased wood on the cross slide (Thanks Terry) seems a likely cheap and cheerful alternative. Anyway - I appreciate your reply. Regards peter
chris stephens	06/04/2011 00:46:36
1049 forum posts 1 photos	Hi Peter, What do you call a long length? chriStephens
JasonB	06/04/2011 07:40:10
25215 forum posts 3105 photos 1 articles	Peter, Tel posts on HMEM and Model Engineering Clearing House, you should be able to PM him and get the details, he's a helpful guy. J
klank	06/04/2011 11:27:07
16 forum posts	Hi Chris, I need to turn a stock length of 5mm silver steel rod down to 4mm dia. for 38mm length and then a further 28mm length at 3mm dia. This is for a valve rod on a stationary engine. Peter
JasonB	06/04/2011 14:09:01
25215 forum posts 3105 photos 1 articles	You should be able to get a ctr into that, turn teh 3mm bit first with about 30mm sticking out teh chuck then move the work out of teh chuck again to do the 4mm dia. Unusual choice of material, stainless would be the norm. Jason
klank	06/04/2011 14:59:31
16 forum posts	Jason - yup - my mind is in neutral - the material IS stainless - D'OH. I always assumed a ctr. would not be sufficient - I will try a test bit first - thank you. Peter
chris stephens	06/04/2011 15:37:57
1049 forum posts 1 photos	Hi Peter, I did try to post earlier but the 'puter froze up on me, again, and I could not post it. The only bit of that post that would now be of any use is; To reduce the tendency to bend under the cutting action, one trick is to support the work with a piece of oil soaked leather, held in the hand. If H&S are watching, "up yours!" it is perfectly safe, if done properly. Light cuts and very sharp tools are, of course, the order of the day on thin work. Jason has already said the important bits, although I would have said collet instead of chuck, unless it is a four jaw or a grip-true. chriStephens
GoCreate	06/04/2011 16:03:11
387 forum posts 119 photos	I machined some 3mm dia x 60 long valve stems in stst by first placing a piece of ali bronze in the drill chuck held in the tailstock, then drilled and reamed it 3mm. I turned the end of the stst bar down to 3mm for about 8mm long. Then I repositioned the bar so that the turned end ran in the ali bronze for about 4mm length. Just supporting the end was enough to prevent deflection with a sharp tool and light cuts. Nigel
klank	06/04/2011 16:13:50
16 forum posts	Hi Chris Thank you for the tips - yes, I would use a collet, but never thought of oily leather - neat idea - could be used, I suppose, in conjunction with Nigel's tip (posted below yours). Thanks very much. Hi Nigel What an excellent idea - that's the way I will go for this job - plus some oily leather just in case. Many thanks. Peter
Terryd	06/04/2011 22:26:00
1946 forum posts 179 photos	Hi Klank, Just a word of advice, ignore if unnecessary, I don't want to teach my granny to suck eggs, but do ensure that the tool is exactly on centre if you are going to machine thin sections without support. Even a slightly low tool can cause the work to climb it with bad results for the work. The simple wood device I suggested would essentially have the same effect as Tel's device. Regards Terry

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