I got a lathe about 6 weeks ago for turning apricot blanks ( 1 1/8 x 1 1/8 x 15") into a Duduk, an Armenian woodwind instrument. Drilling out the center bore I use a stationary drill chuck on a #2 MT that fits in the tailstock. To keep the Duduk steady while drilling I use a Steady Rest I got from Penn State Industries. Now, when I got it I had been using it and finding that the bottom 2 rollers moved up against the bottom of the spindle (Duduk) and as I tightened, they did not loose position, but rather became firm support. However, the top roller than came down to be on top of the spindle (Duduk) when you tightened it, the action caused it to loosen it's position just a bit. Kind of aggravating and I thought about finding a left hand carriage bolt that would tighten down when I was tightening the cap nut and the arm. Finding left hand carriage bolts is not an easy task. However, it dawned on me that the simplest idea I come up with would be the cheapest, (free) and the easiest to implement. Since the bar holding the top roller is slotted to accommodate various sizes of turning stock, I merely took it out and put it on the other side. This acts like a Left Hand thread bolt would, and when tightening I am bringing the wrench "DOWN" and as such making the top roller as snug or just a bit snugger on the spindle (Duduk). I am a beginner at woodworking with a lathe, maybe 2 moths at most and have made 10 Duduks now, 9 in the key of A and one in the key of Bb. Their dimensions are copied as close as I could follow from an expensive concert quality Duduk made by an Armenian Master, Karen Mukayelyan. The Apricot wood Duduks I have made have a resonance and sound like the "master" copy,but in some regards, have a sometimes deeper timber and brighter tone to them. I also oil the inside of my Duduks with Almond Oil where in Armenia they rarely oil the inside.
Anyway, I thought I would share this "tip" with anyone that happens to use a Steady Rest like this, as it works very well and should have been assembled and shipped this way from the start. Pictures below show the Steady Rest like it was before, so imagine the cap nut that you tighten on the OTHER side. Works like a charm!
What an American Duduk looks like after treating with Lime and then Almond Oil finish:
You can hear more what they sound like on YouTube video and some links on the search engines.
Anyway, I thought I would share this "tip" with anyone that happens to use a Steady Rest like this, as it works very well and should have been assembled and shipped this way from the start. Pictures below show the Steady Rest like it was before, so imagine the cap nut that you tighten on the OTHER side. Works like a charm!
What an American Duduk looks like after treating with Lime and then Almond Oil finish:
You can hear more what they sound like on YouTube video and some links on the search engines.
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