Thread: Long Tool Rest for Turning Spindles

That is a different approach looks like it worked out very well

Looks good Derek.
Strength should be no problem given its for spindle work.
How is the tube fixed to the jarrah?

Derek your "trade mark" is quite evident with your new tool rest. Its funny how people's minds work. I would never have thought to make up the banjos from timber, I would have gone straight to steel. What you have made is not only serviceable but also looks pretty good too. I am sure it will give you a long trouble free service life

Looks good Derek, but it could only be used for smallish work, the impact on the steel tube and glue (I assume fixing method to Jarrah) would not sustain heavy work IMO. Given the lathe though it is probably all it would be used for

Originally Posted by BobL

How is the tube fixed to the jarrah?

Hi Bob

The tube is set in a hollow to centre it. The hollow was planed. Then I simply used epoxy to glued the rod down.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Looks good Derek, but it could only be used for smallish work, the impact on the steel tube and glue (I assume fixing method to Jarrah) would not sustain heavy work IMO. Given the lathe though it is probably all it would be used for

Neil, the tool rest is 30" long. It is really strong. No flex whatsoever. I could stand on it (no, I did not try ). I'm about to turn several spindles 27" long.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Neil, the tool rest is 30" long. It is really strong. No flex whatsoever. I could stand on it (no, I did not try ). I'm about to turn several spindles 27" long.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I wasn't thinking flex, more high impact loads from roughing or catches, possibly dinting the tube or causing debonding of the glued surface. Even solid steel gets dints that need to be filed out regularly (dressing), so for the tube, it would weaken it progressively leading to failure. Like I said previously though, the odd job on that small lathe is probably going to be fine.

I wonder if filling the tube with fine very dry sand compacted very tightly, may help you in keeping denting possibilities to a minimum?

Just thinking out loud.

Mick.

Hi Mick

The tube is fairly hard, however should (or when) it develops nicks, I will sand them out. Sanding and waxing tool rests has always been a part of my routine. The worst case scenario is to use a little heat from a heat gun and remove and replace the tube. They are cheap at Bunnings. All the ones I have seen on the "net were make of wood and a flat strip of mild steel. My thoughts were that flat is limiting.

I did wonder whether a solid steel round bar would be "harder", but few where as straight as a tube.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I get my tame metal worker to weld up the steel which consists of bright bar for the tool posts and 50 by 10 mm for the rest.
I'm turning on an old teknatool TL1000 stretched to 1.8 metres. I bought 2 old ones to make 1 lathe.
Your set-up looks good and if it gets the job done safely that's great.

I draw file my toolrests at least once a year.

I shall bear this in mind when I come to making something like that for my lathe.

I also like the holder for gouges, chisels, scrapers, etc., Derek. Which glue did you use to stick them to the baseboard ?

Hi Jeremy

The tube holders for the lathe chisels have a 40mm diameter. The large ones are 250mm high.

The attachment is rather simple, but is strong. There is a 45mm x 25mm pine rail backed by another (scrap to hand). This created a stiff beam upon which the tubes sit. The beam is attached to the legs of the stand with an angle brace. Since the legs are splayed, the beam and tubes are canted forward ...



The tubes are attached with hot glue. This was easy to apply and is very strong (thick layer .... have you ever tried to remove a thick layer of hot glue from wood?!) ...



The lathe stand was built in 2008: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...MiniLathe.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

I think the strength will be fine for spindle work and even the tube will survive a fair bit of battering.
Most of the heavy nicks in my rests seem to come from catches on lumps used to make larger pieces like bowls and platters.

A couple of years back I bought a 6m length of bright mild steel that is 18 mm in diameter and I still have some of it left if you need some. It's straight but I wonder if 18 mm might be too large? When I made some solid steel tool rests a few years back I use 12mm diameter rod but I later notice the tool that came with the Woodfast had about a 12 mm radius of curvature so 18 mm might be OK.

One difference I have since noticed about standard tool rest and tool rests I have made is how the front is under cut so that it permits a holding the tool just that bit closer to the cutting end.
toolrests.gif

To do with a wood and metal rest would require some like this which might leave it a bit weak?
ToolrestD.jpg

Anyway, this is all second order stuff and I think it will work fine.