Steady Rest Reviews

Jan 8, 2025 - George A.

Works as described. Highly recommend doing business with Sheffield Woodturning.

 Dec 14, 2024 - Joanne F.

I can install and remove this steady without removing my work. It's like having two different tools. VERY well made!

 Oct 29, 2024 - Jeff M.

Very well made, almost like a piece of furniture. Works well and easy to use.

 Oct 22, 2024 - Jimmy B.

The steady rest is well engineered. The custom foot clamp and no tool adjustments set it apart from the pack. Thank you Rob for your help and a very nice steady rest.

Oct 2, 2024 - Bill T.

Some of the steady rests I found for a 24" swing lathe were very expensive. I bought this one from Sheffield Woodturning and I'm very pleased with the quality and price.

Sept 28, 2024 - George M.

I have an articulating arm hollowing system with a laser used to indicate cutting depth. This steady rest is the perfect solution to keep the laser unobstructed while turning. The fifth wheel arm option is good to have when the yoke segment is removed. What a great tool at an amazing price!

Sept 18, 2024 - George M.

I checked out so many steady rests online before I purchased the SR18-SY from Sheffield Woodturning. It was sold out at the time and I was a little hesitant to order, but I talked to Rob and he jumped on it and made one to fit my Laguna Revo 18|36. It shipped quickly and was very well packaged! 

Sept 12, 2024 - Gary V.

The custom foot clamp system is what sold me on this steady rest. When checking out I selected the beg gap measurement for my Rikon 70-300 lathe. When it arrived it fit perfectly and dropped right down on my lathe.

This is a great tool which I highly recommend.

 Aug 23, 2024 - Carolyn H.

My Powermatic 3520b is a large lathe and the SR20-SY provides the support I need when turning my bowls and hollow forms. What a dream to use when adjusting the wheel arms using the threaded knobs; no need to keep a wench laying around. So glad I bought the two extra wheel arms.

Aug 9, 2024 - Jose Q.    

I encountered trouble when turning a large bowl and trying to achieve a 3/16” wall thickness. Out of frustration I set the bowl aside. I found a 24” steady rest at sheffield woodturning and decided to give it a try. Last night I remounted my bowl and finished it with the help of the steady rest. Wow, what a difference, as it eliminated the flex and allowed me to get smooth cuts. Highly recommend!

July 21, 2024 - Fred B.    

I love this steady rest as I can hold the body of the tool while adjusting the wheel arms without having to find a wrench.

Jun 29, 2024 - Teresa Z.  

This steady rest is sturdy and runs straight and smooth. The fit and finish is outstanding as all parts are sanded, making it comfortable to grasp and use.

Jan 5, 2024 - Judy P.

Rob was very responsive and answered all my questions. Very happy with this steady rest. 

Dec 10, 2023 - Rick B.

 Item arrived on time and is working great 

Dec 6, 2023 - Jennifer H.

I'm so impressed with the quality of this steady rest. The finish is tops and the design features are the best! Great price, fast shipping, and works well.

Dec 2, 2023 - Richard B.

    When looking to purchase a steady rest I spent a good deal of time reviewing many of the available brands on the market, A friend of mine has a Robust, very expensive and heavy. While the Robust is a nice tool, I found the design features on the Sheffield Wooturning steady rest to be what I was looking for.

 Nov 17, 2023 - Kenneth A.

    I checked out so many steady rests online before I purchased the SR16/14-SY from Sheffield Woodturning. It was sold out at the time and I was a little hesitant to order, but I talked to Rob and he jumped it and made one to fit my Jet 1642EVS. It shipped quickly and was very well packaged! 

Oct 29, 2023 - Alex K.

 Turning hollow forms can can really produce an abundance of vibration. The steady rest transitions hollow form turning from frustration to pleasure. Rob answered all my questions and I recommend doing business with him. 

 Sept 28, 2023 - Charles J.

Not having to use tools to mount and adjust the wheel arms on a large steady rest like this is just the ticket. Happy with this tool and Sheffield Woodturning.

Aug 24, 2023 - Chris N.

The flex I encountered when turning the interior of a 19" bowl really had an impact on the quality of my work.  So pleased with this steady rest as it has resolved the flex issue. Superb quality and fast shipping. 

Aug 4, 2023 - Steven J.

When searching for a 24" steady, I was taken back by how expensive some are.  The attention to detail and unique design features make this tool worth every nickel. I really like that I can install it on my lathe without removing the tailstock.

 July 29, 2023 - Danny E.

Shipping was fast and the steady rest was well packaged. The included instructions were simple and easy to follow, and the custom foot clamp fit my lathe like a glove. Very glad I bought 3 extra wheel arms as using all 7 arms virtually eliminates vibration when turning the interior of a large bowl. Great steady rest, Sheffield Woodturning is the place to buy a steady rest.

 July 22, 2023 - Danny E.

Great steady rest, couldn't be made any better. Love the 7 wheel arm mounting positions. Rob is very professional as he spent the time to answer all my questions. This tool opens the door to expand my turning options.

July 14, 2023 - Jose H.

 This steady rest surprised me, very strong and sturdy.  It was packaged well and arrived quickly. Above my expectations 

Aug 12, 2022 - Josh L.

So pleased with this steady rest and finally I have the control of my large hollow forms. 

 Aug 2, 2022 - Lee D.

Hello Rob,  I just received my Steady Rest, as promised. Very nice work in manufacturing! I particularly like the versatility in your design. I look forward to many hours of use. Keep me in the loop on the next design you’re working on.  Keep up the good work!  Regards,  Lee

July 29, 2022 - Jim D.

Being new to wood turning and not knowing what I needed, I ordered the wrong size steady rest. I spoke with Rob, who was very informative and easy to work with, and he explained to me just what I needed. I returned the wrong one and Rob sent the correct steady rest very quickly. I would highly recommend doing business with Sheffield Woodturning.

Thanks Rob

July 20, 2022 - Jay L.

    Rob did a phenomenal job on this steady rest. I can say without reservation that you will not find a better built rest on the market for anywhere near the cost. Rob was a pleasure to deal with and his communication was very good. I can honestly say that there was no part of the transaction that I had any issue with. Thank you Rob for making such a fantastic product and offering it for such a fair price. People like you are what makes the maker community great.

My 24 inch rest you made for me Rob is fantastic.

Thank you again.

June 14, 2022 - Bill K.

A long, thin spindle can vibrate while it’s being turned, making it nearly impossible to get a smooth surface. I thought about making my own steady rest and looked at many Google posts stating how easy it is to do. I wanted a quality tool that was well engineered and easy to use. I found a steady rest on Sheffield Woodturning that appeared to be just what I was looking for.

I purchased the SR16/14 and found it to be a sturdy and well made tool. The wheel arms are very simple to adjust and don’t require any tools to do so. The custom foot is made to fit the bed gap of my lathe by simply using a drop menu at the time of purchase. I can  install and remove the steady rest without having to remove the tailstock, very nice! Best of all it performs great by capturing the turned spindle and eliminating  vibration.

The SR16/14 was out of stock at the time of my purchase, but Rob made and filled my order in a couple of weeks and then shipped for free. I would highly recommend checking out Sheffield Woodturning for a well-engineered and made steady rest. 

Mar 11, 2022 - Gary B.

The clamping system is what sold me on this steady rest. It is custom made so when it arrived it dropped right down on my  Rikon 70-105 lathe. When turning spindles it's so easy with the threaded knobs to reverse one of the wheel arms. I choose the upper arm and position the wheel inside the yoke to support small diameter spindles.

This is a great tool which I highly recommend.

Jan 4, 2022 - John C.

 I was looking for a well-made steady rest for my Powermatic 4224B Lathe. Steady rests made for 24” swing lathes are few and the SR24-SY had just what I was looking for.

It uses a low profile clamping mechanism that doesn’t limit the turning capacity. The wheel arms can be adjusted without having the need for tools. The custom made foot clamp design allows it to be installed on the lathe without removing the tailstock.

The shipping was fast and very well packaged. When it comes to tools it’s my experience you almost always get what you pay for.

I highly recommend the steady rests offered from Sheffield Wood Turning. 

 May 19, 2021 - Mike S.

Hi Rob, I want to let you know the 24” Steady Rest you made that I purchased is performing superbly!  It’s strong, steady and I’m completely happy! 

Each of my blossom sculptures include a fairly tall (deep) hollow form and using your steady rest gives each tall sculpture the wisely safe support to tackle the hollowing with confident efficiency.

When looking to purchase a Steady Rest I reviewed most of them available on the market including the Carter Steady Rest which a friend of mine has.  I chose your SR24 not because it was less expensive than the Carter and some others, but because I had faith it would perform well, and it has seven excellent locations for setting up to an equal number of wheel supports.  I'm primarily using 4 wheel supports with ease, yet I like the option of using more or less if I chose to in any of the seven locations.

You offer foot clamps for various manufacture’s lathe rail configurations (widths) and I found the SR24 very easy to set up on my OneWay 2436.

Thank you for making excellent steady rests!

 May 10, 2020 - Jimmy K.

 This lathe steady rest exceeded my expectations. It is very well made and the custom foot clamp fits my Grizzly G0842 erfectly. It functions really well and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who appreciates quality and sturdiness. It is worth the extra cost as you usually get what you pay for You won't be disappointed. 

 Apr 28, 2020 - Jeffery B.

I checked out so many steady rests online before I purchased the SR18-SY from Sheffield Woodturning. It was sold out at the time and I was a little hesitant to order, but I talked to Rob and he jumped it and made one to fit my Laguna Revo 18|36. It shipped quickly and was very well packaged! 

 Feb 12, 2020 - Jeffery B.

The steady rest shipped immediately.  I have used this already and it is just what I wanted. Very nice that the clamping mechanism is custom made to fit my lathe. Easy to set up and very well constructed.

Nov 1, 2019 - Jeffery B.

The steady rest shipped immediately. It is very well constructed and does exactly what I need it to do.