Stuart Ablett

Member
Messages
15,917
Location
Tokyo Japan
I'm making a bowl steady, something like this...........

oneway_bowl_steady.jpg

I've got most of the parts already made, but the wheels I don't have. They show what looks like inline skate wheels, which are not rock hard, but have some "give" to them, I guess that would be best, but would hard nylon wheels be a no-no?

Cheers!
 
From everything I read, inline skate wheels work very well. I'm still trying to figure out how to use the old bicycle wheels for my bowl steady.
 
I figure something with a bit of give would be good.

Well I'm off the the Dungeon for some cutting and drilling, do some welding tomorrow, heck, I might even get some sleep tonight! :D

Cheers!
 
Stu, I think you would be happier with something that is going to give a little. It is no fun trying to remove the lines made by compressed wood. Let us know how it works out for you. I have a conventional steady for the Poolewood, but it will not fit the Vega, so if this works out well for you, I may have to look into one myself.
 
I have that oneway steady.

I had a small issue with one of the wheels, which they promptly replaced.

Wonder if you could just buy the wheels from oneway?

I could also check to see if I could get them. I bought the steady through Packard Woodworks.
 
I have that oneway steady.

I had a small issue with one of the wheels, which they promptly replaced.

Wonder if you could just buy the wheels from oneway?

I could also check to see if I could get them. I bought the steady through Packard Woodworks.
I suspect he can get roller blade wheels for less money than the Oneway wheels, and from everything I've seen, the rollerblade wheels work like a champ.

A steady is also one of the items on my to-do (or to-get) list.
 
I've already got a email sent to Packards on the wheels.
 
I'm looking for a good used pair of skates cheap, but now I have to go out and get them girls, so we are going to a store that has this kind of thing, I hope I can find some "Replacement" type wheels...?

Any way, what happened in the Dungeon so far......

tapping_holes_in_plate.jpg
Here I am tapping holes to be used to hold stuff on the thick plate that will hold the wheels and adjusters

basic_set_up.jpg
This is the basic set up, the thick plate at the top on the bar slides up and down

basic_set_up_backside.jpg
The angle iron at the base will get a slot in it, and that will allow the steady to slide in and out away from the headstock.

big_holes.jpg
Next I drilled a bunch of holes on my toy drill press.
It is really important to lay the holes out in a straight line and to space them right. Here I was using a 12 mm bolt, so a 12.5 mm hole was called for, I drilled small holes first, at a 13 mm interval and then the big holes.

big_holes_to_groove.jpg
Once all the holes were drilled, I needed to connect the dots ;) and this was done with my jigsaw, and a steel cutting blade, you HAVE to go slow, the slowest speed the saw can be set at, and be VERY careful about the blade moving up and down, no side to side movement, or you WILL break blades DAMHIKT!!:eek:

starting_cut.jpg
To start the cut, you have to hit it at an angle, then turn the saw to cut straight.

cutting_straight.jpg
Slow and steady is the key

feeling_groovy.jpg
I cut the whole slot without breaking one blade, and the blade still has lots of life left in it. Lots of guys overlook their jigsaw for metal working, I don't, it works well.

bastard_file.jpg
Now the fun part... Bastard file, chalk, wire brush and sweat makes a smooth groove.
When you are doing this, the size of the large drill bit comes into play. I could see the sides of the holes, and they gave me a gauge to go by, once the side of the hole just disappeared, the slot was the right size. If you use a lot of small holes around the edge of the grove, this is much harder to do, that is keep a straight slot.

grooved.jpg
All nice and smooth now, as good as a CNC, nope, but good enough!

Cont.....
 
OK, I cut out some mock up adjusters and wheels......

mock_up1.jpg
I think you can see how this will work.

mock_up2.jpg
The visegrips are holding everything in place while I figure out how this will work

mock_up3.jpg
I think it will work fine, I see the adjusters will have to be a bit longer for the piece that holds the wheels, and will be very dependent on the size of the wheels...........

That's it for now, hope you enjoyed the adventure so far, now I got to go find me some wheels! :D

Cheers!
 
Caution LOADS of pics!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I had an OK day in the Dungeon, I ended up with a very successful failure :D

Yep, in the end the bowl steady is going to still need some work, but I'm actually VERY pleased with it, even though, as it sits, it does not work worth a hoot :eek:

Let me explain....

First, I had a bear of a time getting them in-line skate wheels. I ended up buying a cheap pair of the in-line skates, lucked out, found a store with one adult set left, usually about $50 for the skates, but the box had been opened, and was not in good shape, the skates were a size 10 (fairly big in Japan) and the were the last set, so they were marked down to 1880 yen (about $15.75 US). I needed two wheels, now I have eight!

bowl_steady_extra_bits.jpg

I also kept the adjustable strap things, and there were two bolts that held on the brake stopper things, they are the same as the axles in the wheels, so keep them too.

drill_out_pattern.jpg
I next drilled out the patterns of the wheel holders and then cut them out with the jigsaw and filed ground them smooth.


bowl_steady_mockp_wheels1.jpg
The results, here it is all mocked up ready to go

bowl_steady_mockp_wheels2.jpg
More pics at a different angle

bowl_steady_mockp_wheels3.jpg

bowl_steady_mockp_wheels4.jpg
OK, the welding is done

bowl_steady_welded1.jpg
More pics
bowl_steady_welded2.jpg

Now when I put it to use, the problem was soon apparent, the angle iron on the base, that goes from the ways to the bowl steady is way too flexible, it wobbles and bucks like all get out.

Tried adjusting it up, down in out etc, but there is just too much flex.

I'm going to try a thick piece of wood under the angle iron, see if that helps, but I need t nice thick plate of steel, about 1/22 or more, like the Oneway bowl steady is.

Steve, you said you had one, how thick is the steel on it?

............cont

bowl_steady_welded3.jpg
 
1/2" steel plate, 3x11

All the pics show now.:confused:

Must be internet gremlins sticking their :p out at me today:eek:
 
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