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View Full Version : Lathe tool rests - buy or make? Where get?



Evanism
29th August 2013, 02:25 AM
Howdy pard'ners,

I have a new second hand Cougar EVS350 to supplement my loved Woodfast M305.

Whereas all the bits from the woodfast transfer exactly to the Cougar (MT2, 30x3.5) the tool rests do not.

I have a good rest for the Cougar, but it's too big. I'd like to get a smaller 4 or 5" one... Or a rod-like one that curves like a sine-wave for bowls. It has a 1" bolt for the tightening socket (sorry if terminology is bad)

I'm having trouble finding any anywhere. Is this because people make up their own or have a fabricator make them?

BTW, I'm also after some largish faceplates so I can make some sanding disks.

dr4g0nfly
29th August 2013, 06:07 AM
When I bout my new lathe 16 months ago it came with a 14" rest, too big for some of the things I do.

So I went looking for a 7" & 4" rest. I found the 4" in the internet for £12 (supposedly discounted), but I also found a local engineering works who made both for £10.

And you have Men's sheds where you can help each other, we don't here in the UK.

Well, not quite, our first opened a month ago and another is opening soon, roll-on them spreading nationwide - Hooray and thank you for starting this movement.

chuck1
29th August 2013, 06:54 AM
I get mine all made , I have about 15 plus tool rests. the local steel merchant carries a steel called bright round bar it's polished and is great last time I spent 30 dollars and got 3or 4 toolrest made, my mate welds them up but most fabrication places can do it some charge more than others!

Evanism
29th August 2013, 07:43 AM
Found some at Vermek and Woodfast. By Jove are they costly though.....

Mobyturns
29th August 2013, 09:00 AM
Found some at Vermek and Woodfast. By Jove are they costly though.....


Might pay a bit but you won't be disapointed with the quality.

tea lady
29th August 2013, 09:36 AM
makes some good ones. On various sized posts. Lots of different sizes. Sold through Jim Carrol. If they aren't on the web site give him a call. (Not curvy ones though. I don't like them anyway. )

Tim the Timber Turner
29th August 2013, 08:21 PM
(Not curvy ones though. I don't like them anyway. )

I just love them curvy ones.:roll:

cheers

Tim

Colin62
29th August 2013, 11:47 PM
I just love them curvy ones.:roll:

cheers

Tim

Must be one of those "bloke" things :D

hughie
30th August 2013, 09:23 AM
Found some at Vermek and Woodfast. By Jove are they costly though.....


Make what you can or call in a few favours off your mates. That way you will get what you want at a fraction of the cost.

Old Croc
30th August 2013, 01:58 PM
Make what you can or call in a few favours off your mates. That way you will get what you want at a fraction of the cost.

Evanism, I will try to get the girls to post some pictures on the weekend of some I have made borrowing 's patent, :2tsup: and I think they are superior to any of the "Factory" ones.
rgds,
Crocy

P.S. If anyone tells you you only need a Tablet, not a PC, drown them, cause its only good for surfin the net, nothing else.

Evanism
30th August 2013, 07:17 PM
I'm a lucky forumite, I have coming over tonight!

I think he's going to sort out my #### technique, fix my chisels and con me into buying a decent grinder.

:)

delbs
30th August 2013, 07:37 PM
What time are you guys meeting up tonight?

Old Croc
30th August 2013, 09:23 PM
I'm a lucky forumite, I have coming over tonight!

I think he's going to sort out my #### technique, fix my chisels and con me into buying a decent grinder.

:)
Well you certainly wont regret that. I was a real croc with the skew till he spent an hour with me at the Prossie Turnout convinced me to buy a new flat one and now its my best friend.
Crocy.

Beedeejay
30th August 2013, 11:50 PM
BTW, I'm also after some largish faceplates so I can make some sanding disks.


Have you thought about face plate rings and bits of ply/ mdf and make them up that way. Might work out chealer than face plates? Just a thought.
Cheers Ben

Evanism
31st August 2013, 10:22 AM
Beedeejay, yes, it's attached to a 23cm piece of 19mm ply I turned and sanded dead flat. This is naturally dead easy on the lathe. himself commented on the disk being super flat :)

I bought two 30cm Velcro backing disks and a small pile of 80 and 120 disks to attach to that. If I get time this morning I'll make up a fresh ply disk and mount that. I'll grab another 150mm backing plate at Jim Carrols stand today. They looked nice and were inexpensive. Saves swapping

-- I WAS talked into another buy.... did come over. A one hour sesh turned into a 4 hour tutorial/gabfest/shoptalk that was so densely packed with learning I felt an aneurism forming.

He's coming again TONIGHT. Man o man do I feel privileged. Hopefully a few mates from the forum are joining me.

did talk me into buying a CBN wheel. And a jig....but I'm a bit skint, so Carrolls Wood Supply gets only the one purchase of the CBN today. I'll need to save to get the jig.

Sturdee
31st August 2013, 11:24 AM
did talk me into buying a CBN wheel. And a jig....but I'm a bit skint, so Carrolls Wood Supply gets only the one purchase of the CBN today. I'll need to save to get the jig.

If the wheel on your grinder is still reasonable I would do it the other way around. Buy the jig and you will get immediate benefits of consistent sharpening and later change the wheel over.

Peter.

RETIRED
2nd September 2013, 11:49 AM
If the wheel on your grinder is still reasonable I would do it the other way around. Buy the jig and you will get immediate benefits of consistent sharpening and later change the wheel over.

Peter.Peter. To clarify. Evan has no grinder so is staring from scratch, so no wheel to wear out first.:D

Colin62
2nd September 2013, 06:00 PM
Peter. To clarify. Evan has no grinder so is staring from scratch, so no wheel to wear out first.:D

Now I'm confused - what is he going to do with a CBN wheel and no grinder? Given that the CBN wheel will cost a similar amount to a grinder, and that different grinders have different shafts, buying the grinder first makes sense, getting the CBN wheel with the correct insert for that grinder later.

RETIRED
2nd September 2013, 06:24 PM
He has no grinder but is buying one.

In Australia (most of the world, I think) most grinders come with a standard shaft size depending on wheel size. 6" grinder has a 1/2" shaft. A 8" grinder has a 5/8" shaft. There are some variations but that is the norm.

The CBN wheels come with hole sizes that correspond with the relevant size.

Clear now or more confused?:D

Colin62
2nd September 2013, 06:55 PM
Thanks for the explanation. :)

My experience of grinders is a little different to yours though, with nearly each grinder I have looked at having a different shaft - 1/2", 15mm, 16mm, 5/8", 21mm. Some even had stepped shafts to accommodate smaller nuts.

Evanism
3rd September 2013, 02:24 AM
Thanks for the explanation. :)

My experience of grinders is a little different to yours though, with nearly each grinder I have looked at having a different shaft - 1/2", 15mm, 16mm, 5/8", 21mm. Some even had stepped shafts to accommodate smaller nuts.

Both are right. Casting around and looking at 215 different grinders, there appears to be a 1/2" and 5/8" majority, with some bastard manufacturers trying to create a spares market for themselves with custom sizes.

I have a "Detroit" branded slow speed wet grinder from TotalTools. It attempts to be a low cost schappech or Tormek. I was excited by the find (it was $140 from memory) but this soon turned to severe buyers remorse when I realised it was woefully hopeless. The stone is soft and oblate, the tool rest is not 90 degrees and worse...the shaft is 14.23mm varying to 14.78mm. No.....it's not a clever press fit or taper, it's a shaft that is Fabrique En Chine "round"... Depending on where it's measured on the shaft or where it's rotated. It's aweful. I feel sad even thinking about it.

I went to Bunnings and checked the cheap grinders (all 6") and they were so cheap it made me shiver with fear at turning them on. Checked TotalTools (Sunday) and was advised by the "sales staff" they "might" get 4 more by next Friday if I wanted to check back. Stellar sales effort there.

This country is going to hell. Places like Bunnings are a crime. The crap they foist off is miserable. I will never learn.

has saved my chunk, again. He might have an Old Trusty he can lend to a charitable cause (me!) :U

Paul39
3rd September 2013, 06:14 AM
One of these is for sale in a store I frequent. Wet and dry, low and high speed, in one unit.

To paraphrase Crocodile Dundee "this is a grinder":

Grinders: Oliver Oilstone Tool Grinder (http://www.industrialsurplus.com/grdrs/049-483.htm)

Rod Gilbert
3rd September 2013, 08:41 AM
Hi all,
I always keep some 20mm round bright bar and usually a few bits of 40mm x10mm flat bar the round bar fits my banjo and some times I use this also for the post and rest and sometimes depending on the job the flat bar and weld up what tool rests I need for a particular job. As for sanding disks I use a 200mm face plate with three layers of cross laminated 12mm ply as the disk and as stated before turned and trued up,300mm velcro and away you go I have made a couple of these disks over the years and they always serve me well.
Regards Rod.