Tool rests for lathes

**BobL** · 24th February 2008, 10:38 AM

I've avoided getting my own lathe for many years as I have access to several if I really need to use one and I guessed if I bought one all my projects would come to a standstill till I fiddled about with it for a while. Anyway I finally bit the bullet and bought a Woodfast mini and extension bed as my main use is for tool and utensil handles.

I note in the turners forum that a few folk have said their tool rests are too large. In my case I have a number of 300mm long spindles and bits and pieces that need turning but my tool rest is too short so I made a longer one. This one is 350 mm long made from 8mm thick scrap steel bar. I only intend using it for thin spindles so the load on the extreme end should not be unreasonable.

While I was at it I stumbled across an ideal 6 mm thick piece of angle iron to make a corner tool rest.

**Groggy** · 24th February 2008, 11:03 AM

Just great when guys manufacture good looking stuff like that, great work Bob!

**wheelinround** · 24th February 2008, 11:13 AM

Bob nice Lathe and fantastic how you colour coordinated those tool rests look just like bought ones.
The corner one did you use angle or bend to suit.

Ray

**BobL** · 24th February 2008, 03:30 PM

Cheers Guys,

Originally Posted by wheelinround

The corner one did you use angle or bend to suit.

Angle. I found that exact bit in the scrap box at work. Just had to round off the rim a bit.

The longer one looks like it was a lintel sometime ago. It was covered in rust and mortar and took a bit longer to clean up and shape.

I have just started working on a tool post with interchangeable C and S shaped rests. I have bent the C shape on the anvil at work.

Cheers

**artme** · 24th February 2008, 09:16 PM

Agree wholeheartedly with Groggy.

**BobL** · 24th February 2008, 10:30 PM

Here's the "C" rest

It can flip to become convex or concave.

Dang - Forgot to mask out the rim on this side.

**ss_11000** · 25th February 2008, 12:20 AM

good work

**wheelinround** · 25th February 2008, 07:46 AM

Brilliant

Bob that HT hex bolt looks a worry I'd be going for something shorter wouldn't want a dig in just as your finishing off.

**BobL** · 25th February 2008, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Brilliant

Bob that HT hex bolt looks a worry I'd be going for something shorter wouldn't want a dig in just as your finishing off.

Thanks Wheelin'. Yeah, I will cut that hex off a bit shorter. I also might put a small flat on the shaft so it won't turn - can still turn on the bottom half of the shaft of course.

**IanW** · 27th February 2008, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by BobL

I will cut that hex off a bit shorter. I also might put a small flat on the shaft so it won't turn - can still turn on the bottom half of the shaft of course.

Not quite sure why it needs to be moveable on the shaft - why not stick it permanently?
Or am I missing something?

Nice jobs, Bob - my home-made rests look a bit (lot!) more home-made than yours!
Cheers,

**BobL** · 28th February 2008, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by IanW

Not quite sure why it needs to be moveable on the shaft - why not stick it permanently?
Or am I missing something?

So it can flip from convex to concave? I'm far from an experienced turner but it struck me that both might come in handy sometime?

**IanW** · 29th February 2008, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by BobL

So it can flip from convex to concave? I'm far from an experienced turner but it struck me that both might come in handy sometime?

OK - gotcha. Of course. You see, I'm a trained observer - trained to overlook the obvious & only see the subtle.

Although I do a lot of turning, it's virtually all spindle work, so I rarely use rests in anything but the missionary position, but I've done a bit of faceplate work on a very sporadic basis, and have certainly wished for an agled or concave/convex rest on a couple of occasions.

My old Woodfast dates from the pre cam-operated era, and every time I have an intense turning session (like the half dozen chairs I recently belted out) I wish to heck I had that luxury. As well as the simple convenience, I could probably save 10% of the job time NOT scuffling round in the shavings looking for that damned spanner! A couple of friends have made their own cam-operated banjos from scratch, which work very well - there's a round tuit with that job written on it, somewhere.......

Keep up the good work, Bob, you're inspiring (& shaming) us all.

Cheers,

**BobL** · 29th February 2008, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by IanW

Keep up the good work, Bob, you're inspiring (& shaming) us all.

Thanks Ian.

Right now I'm in the middle of a small project making a special set of jaws to fit a Nova G3. Something in between the 75 mm long nose and the 25 mm pin jaws. The 1" pin jaws on contraction go up to 28 mm whereas the 75 mm long nose goes down to 29 mm. As many of my projects cross this range what I really need are a longish nose in the 20 - 40 mm range. Should be ready to show in a day or 2.

**wheelinround** · 29th February 2008, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by BobL

Thanks Ian.

Right now I'm in the middle of a small project making a special set of jaws to fit a Nova G3. Something in between the 75 mm long nose and the 25 mm pin jaws. The 1" pin jaws on contraction go up to 28 mm whereas the 75 mm long nose goes down to 29 mm. As many of my projects cross this range what I really need are a longish nose in the 20 - 40 mm range. Should be ready to show in a day or 2.

Looking forward to seeing the jaws Bob

**JDarvall** · 29th February 2008, 04:56 PM

Clever mate.

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