I recently purchased a new to me lathe, it came well equipped except for one item. It lacked a steady rest. The prospects for finding one for this lathe were bleak so fabricating one was the best option. A google search for ideas resulted in this idea which I shamelessly copied.
The appeal of the spider which will allow unblemished barrels and work pieces was a major attraction. A brief search of the scrap bin allowed me to build this at zero cost in real money. initial test cuts have proven to be more than satisfactory.