5 PACK YJs all the way around works the best,thats what my brother did on his made a world of difference.
http://insanityfab.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1712
Just heat and shrink it, heat a quarter size spot on the bottom side and quench it with water may have to do it in more than one spot. We do this all the time to straighten housings if they are bent or warped .
I used a lot of different brands over the years some cheap some expensive any more I just buy the Milwaukee their with reason on price and seem to last longer .
Hes right after looking at it again it could be used as a steady rest or follower rest. The follower rest is used to follow along for support on a long small in dia work piece.
welders
I've used esab for years one of the best welders I have ever used. miller 210 is one of the best welders they ever built. I owed a miller 251 I hated it
http://www.ritchiesmachineshop.com