Do you recommend Steady Rest/Follower Rest

[SteveG]

I have recently purchased a MicroMark mini 7X16, and have only gotten to the point of all set up and cut a few steel items and some threads to teach myself and learn about the tool. I am in the process of gathering additional "stuff" that will be useful specifically to pen making. For those of you with experience in this area, have you found it useful to have one or both of the Steady Rest and/or Follower Rest...and why? I am trying to get what is useful and necessary, but avoid getting things that will literally just collect dust. Thanks in advance.
Steve Guzy

 

[JF36]

The purpose of steady/follow rest is to keep a long or thin workpiece from moving off center during turning. Long or thin pieces will flex off center during the turning process due to the stresses place upon them as they are being turned. The steady rest is used to support long pieces during turning or large diameter pieces during boring or internal turning. Steady rests limit the deflection of the whole workpiece. Follow rests are mounted on the saddle and support the work right in front of the tool. They are designed to limit the deflection right in front of the tool not over the whole piece. These are mainly used when turning long pieces of small diameter material. Often times you will see them used in conjunction on long workpieces with a steady rest in the middle and the follow rest being used to cancel out any deflection that may still be occurring. If none are used you will end up with a out of round part with a bad finish. What kind of work you plan on doing determine which, if any you will need. As for their use in pen making, I have both and have not had to use them for making a pen.

 

[frank123]

I don't see any need for them to make pens (If you do something that needs one you'll know you need one when you need it, no sense in buying them before that).

 

[skiprat]

Most suppliers will often include the fixed and travelling steadys to make the deal look more attractive, but if you have to pay extra then I'd leave them out. Buy cutters or chucks instead.
Mine came as a deal, but I have since cut them up to be supports for other tools. The fixed steady forms a great base to make a 'wood chisel' tool rest and also functions as a rigid dead stop for the carriage when needed. ( great for fancy indexing cuts ) The travelling steady is great to attach a shop vac nozzle to. :wink:

 

[mredburn]

They are both tools that if you need them they are invaluable. But you will probably rarely if ever need them.

 

[SteveG]

I see there is a consensus in these replies...somewhat rare on this site (which is generally a good thing!). Thank you all, I will invest limited resources some other way.
Steve