Building a steady rest to aid in a DP resto

I found myself needing to chuck up a drill press column in my old monotube lathe to clean it up for a restoration...... http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146523

This requires a steady rest. I don't have one, but I've got some extra angle lying around and some casters......here goes:

The lathe with the tail stock removed to begin the fitting:


I cut the piece to 8" and drilled two holes to bolt it to the rest:


Balancing the column to figure out some rough dimensions:


Two uprights squared against the base, ready to be tacked:




More fitting up:




This is the top rail:


Top and bottom rails fitted into the frame....a very simple plan. The bottom rail will be welded in place, with vertical adjustment accomplished by moving the two wheels closer or further apart. The top rail is going to be hinged on one side, with the wheel adjustable along the length of the rail to result in proper placement of the upper wheel against the turning piece:




I figured I'd make it adjustable so I can keep it as a tool for future projects......we'll have to see how it does. I'm gonna weld it up tomorrow.....yes, stand by for rookie welding entertainment.

I have seen this done to convert a bench top DP into a floor model.
Th only difference is the length of the post pipe.

This worked out pretty well. I ended up using vice grips to hold the top rail on so I could get on with my DP resto. I'll probably modify this jig with some skate wheels, the cheap HF wheels I used got the job done, but won't hold up long term as they have no bearings.

Looks like the bearing less wheels held up rotating way faster than ever intended. Nice finish on the pipe.