This shop is currently empty. Please check back when we've restocked.

steady rests made for you

i started around 8 years ago in a very small and very cold shed ,i was always interested in making something,so i bought a few tools and a lathe and decided i will make snooker cues,(exotic wood was quite cheap) so i bought a load of ash and ebony and after numerous failed attempts made my first cue,took me a good 2 months to finish,it wasnt perfect but it was straight and unique ,i sold it for a whopping £25,it cost me twice that in materials ,but the next one went for £80,but soon after,wood prices soared and there was no way i could carry on and compete.
meanwhile,i had built a steady rest to help with my cuemaking,it worked very well,but wasnt too pleasing to look at,so i googled steady rests and found hardly anyone sold them,especially specifically for your lathe,and the very few i did find were overseas and very expensive,i did find one or two that were around the prices i charge for mine,but they were generic and didnt fit specific lathes so they were not that sturdy,so after making a veriety of jigs and tools to help me ,i started making them,for example,a 12" one generally will take around 2 to 4 days to fully complete,mostly due to waiting for glues to cure but also making sure all measurements are spot on,so its central when on your lathe and it fits snuggly into the bed gap,i make the arms on a jig i made to cut the slots out individually,also ,the wheels i buy dont have bearings so i insert bearings into them,which helps keep the costs down for me and you
if you want an affordable,sturdy handmade steady rest that is made for you then i can do it just give me a few details
the height from your lathe bed to the centre of the chuck
the bed gap width
and the bed thickness
it also helps if you can provide a photo of your lathe or the model number but not essential