Homemade tool rest?

[BearTricks]

My top rest has some substantial dents in it. It arrived with some of them and a couple were the result of an over eager bowl gouge.

I'm getting a bit tired of working around them and I was wondering if I could turn the right diameter rod out of a hardwood (or use some kind of scrap metal) and fit it in to a homemade wooden toolrest?

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[marcros]

it wouldnt last very long.

if you google "angle iron lathe toolrest" there is a good word doc that appears in the search- i cant give a link because it opens up the doc. That doesnt seem a difficult way of making one. The alternative is the sorby modular system, which I have a few of and find them pretty good.

 

[CHJ]

My top rest has some substantial dents in it. It arrived with some of them and a couple were the result of an over eager bowl gouge.

I'm getting a bit tired of working around them and I was wondering if I could turn the right diameter rod out of a hardwood (or use some kind of scrap metal) and fit it in to a homemade wooden toolrest?

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

Why can't you just dress them out with a file and abrasives, this is quite a normal practice for cast or low carbon steel rests.

Mine get polished up on a regular basis when the machine and general area has a 'muck-out'.

 

[woodpig]

I've made a couple of my own from Silver steel rod but have a look at the Sorby range. You could just buy one stem to suit your banjo and then buy whatever rest/s you want.

 

[NickWelford]

You could get a length of silver steel welded along the top of the existing tool rest.

 

[CHJ]

I'm getting a bit tired of working around them and I was wondering if I could turn the right diameter rod out of a hardwood (or use some kind of scrap metal) and fit it in to a homemade wooden toolrest?

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

Wooden tool rests have a use, especially for long spindle turning where shock loads and forces in general are low but I would not advise them for regular Bowl turning operations where the loads can be extensive.

If you don't have metal working capability then one of the modular systems mentioned would probably be your best option.

If you have some metal working facility then perhaps the following links may be of help visualizing what you could achieve with whatever you have to hand.

post419790.html#p419790

post918757.html#p918757

 

[WoodMangler]

I made a couple out of mild steel. I found that flat scrapers tended to mark the top with little indents, which then made it difficult to move tools along the rest smoothly. Really needs to be a good tough steel, or perhaps case-hardened. If you're making a rest out of hardwood, don't use any sharp-sided tools on it.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Rather than go overboard on fabricating uber-hard tool rests why not just knock the corners off of scrapers, skews and parting tools to prevent them catching?

Works for me - (I use a diamond sharpening plate to do it - the result is barely visible)

Regards Mick

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've just ordered stainless steel £14.89 iirc for a meter of 16mm. The posts are 30mm bright mild steel so they won't break the bank. I think I paid £2.59 for a 16mm blacksmith's drill which drilled beautifully cleanly. I want the post offset to the right, as the design of the banjo on mine means that the closest I can get a rest to the wood is 30mm - 35mm. I'm doing a wild piece and starting like that. It'll be interesting to see how it goes.