Useful Tools
Supports for the Lathe
By T.Harrison-Smith GradBHI
One of the most useful tools that can be made in your workshop for your lathe is a set of supports for using in the tailstock. These supports are used when you need to file or burnish a pivot. The arbor is held in the headstock and the support is held in the tailstock to stop the arbor 'waving in the wind'.
The best material for these supports is Silver Steel rod (otherwise known as Drill Rod). This can be hardened and tempered. However, for quick jobs where you need a support now not later, Brass rod will work just as well. The only problem with brass rod is that it will wear quicker that hardened steel rod.
Making the supports is very easy. Select the diameter of rod (A) that fits into your tailstock without any noticeable play. Now cut the rod to a length that will give you enough metal to be supported in the tailstock and will give about 12mm each end for making into the supports. On my lathe this length is about 70mm.
Hold the material in the lathe chuck and face off the end. Turn down the end for about 12mm to a diameter (C) that is about 4 times the diameter of the pivot to be supported. This diameter is not critical, it should be large enough to give support to the pivot when you are pressing down with the burnisher.
Now drill a hole (B) into the rod with a drill of the same size or slightly larger that the pivot to be burnished. the depth of the hole should be LONGER than the pivot, I usually drill to about 8mm - 12mm depth.
If you are making a double ended support, repeat the above for the other end.
Put the support in the vice and file the diameter (C) down until the thickness is exactly half the diameter. The groove that supports the pivot will now be visible, but it probably need de-burring. When you look at the end of the support, the groove should be an exact semicircle.
If you are using Silver Steel Rod, harden and temper the support now.
If you are making a set of supports, the sizes that I have found most useful are 0.5mm to 1.75mm in 0.25mm steps, and 2.00mm to 4.0mm in 0.5mm steps.
When using the supports for filing and burnishing, it is very important that you clean the support between operations. Otherwise swarf left over from the filing will spoil the burnishing.
