DIY Banjo for use with Long Tool Rest

[El Barto]

Finally got around to making up a lil banjo and longer tool rest for my lathe so I can turn longer pieces without having to readjust.

Not a particularly exciting build but I love solutions like this where you just make what you need, especially when it costs nothing. It also gave me a chance to try out Bernard Billsberry's wonderful cam-lock marking gauge bought from Instagram (@berncarpenter). They were snapped up pretty quickly so I'm mighty glad I got one.

 

[Robbo3]

Love the banjo but the toolrest seems too thick. Unless you are using a scraper flat on the rest the fulcrum would be too far away. I would also reverse it to have the rounded side outboard ... much kinder on the fingers.
Of course you could have a specialised use for this that I'm not aware of.

 

[El Barto]

Love the banjo but the toolrest seems too thick. Unless you are using a scraper flat on the rest the fulcrum would be too far away. I would also reverse it to have the rounded side outboard ... much kinder on the fingers.
Of course you could have a specialised use for this that I'm not aware of.

Thanks Robbo. The tool rest is currently a work in progress, I'm making changes and such as I use it to see what works for me and what is comfortable etc. It's working well at the moment though!

 

[CHJ]

You might find it advantageous to use a length of steel angle or a rod located in the wood tool posts, give you better stiffness with less bulk if turning loads are high.

Last time I had to resort to longer rest I took the simple way out and clamped the far end to the tailstock

 

[El Barto]

Just seen this has been made into a topic. Ha ha. Thanks to whoever did it!

I did consider using a piece of angle iron for the rest but for the moment this one is working really well. I think for my modest purposes it'll be fine.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

El, I came across this thread of yours, having just completed a new tool rest for my Jet mini lathe. I have been using this lathe for tool handles and spindles for tables and chairs for about 10 years. A good friend of mine, Chris Vesper (toolmaker extraordinaire) made a longer tool rest (than the original) for me, but it is still too short, and too inconvenient, for long spindles ...

As you can see, I have the extension bed, and the Jet has been all I have needed for all these years. However, now I am more serious about turning spindles for legs ... and at this point those who get to this point all seem to build a longer tool rest.

I tried to find another banjo to pair with the Jet one, but there is simply nothing available used, and a new one is nearly as much as the lathe cost me! So I decided to build it all.

The fence is made of Jarrah, which is very hard and heavy, and is capped with a 5/8" mild steel tube.

The Jarrah rail is tapered, and the tube is set into a hollow ...

The banjos are also Jarrah, and adjustable for height and able to slide back-and-forth. The curve under the rail is not just for aesthetics, but also enables a hand to reach inside for adjustments ...

While I was at it, I took the time to reorganise my chisels for easier access ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[El Barto]

Hi Derek,

Thanks for the reply, that's awesome! The pipe set into the Jarrah is very smart. My block/offcut tool rest was actually inspired by another Aussie, Bern Chandley. He posted up something similar on Instagram. And considering how thick and basic it is it works surprisingly well.

Glad to see that your banjos and the one I made aren't dissimilar - I'm in good company.

Cheers,

Tom

Ps. Cool that you're friends with Chris Vesper... one day I will buy some of his tools :twisted: