Has anyone found an aftermarket "s" type tool rest for the G0766 that is more reasonably priced? I want to try a "J" or an "S" shape tool rest but it would be nice not to spend a bunch of money in case I don't like it. I'd buy a robust but by the time you add on the custom length cost it gets expensive especially for two. My banjo is already modified to accept a one inch shaft so that helps. Mostly bowls some platters medium to a few large. Sam
I have an “S” type rest…didn’t care for it. I got a Robust “J” rest, which I use a lot, especially on deep walled vessels like vases. They will make you one with a 25mm post if you need it instead of a 1” post. You should get at least a length that gives you at least 8.75” top og the rail to bottom of the post. A 9” length will be even better. Good luck!
I ended up ordering an "s" , I don't do a lot of vase shapes but I have some medium to large somewhat shallow rough bowls to finish so hopefully it will come in sometime soon. When I ordered it I was told it would be a week but I don't think one hand knows what the other is doing in that place. I called to check after a week and a helpful guy said I should have been told at least two weeks and people were away at SWAT I think. So I'm hoping for maybe next week, fingers crossed. That will be the third week. Unless I get it tomorrow but you know the saying "Wish in one hand and etc.." I didn't need a 25mm post because one of the first things I did to my lathe was have a machine shop ream out the banjo to an inch.
Miracles do happen..... It's tomorrow and I did receive my new tool rest this morning. Took it for a spin and it should work great. Need to get used to it and get it broke in. The top bar isn't too polished and might have to do some polishing on the post because it's a little grabby trying to adjust height.
I have 8-12 tool rests - - all except 1 is home made. Some are curved for use inside/outside of a bowl, a couple are box rests that work well inside of hollow forms. One is a rest that is only about 2" wide (specialty purpose). One is a captured rest, One is a "snake" hollower (along the lines of Eddie Castilen's plans (open source), and two look a lot like Robust comfort rests. The one that I use the least is the cast iron one that came with my G0766. I modified the base to that it could be adjusted to sit lower in the banjo. Occasionally my welds look "fairly" good. Ha ha. But they are plenty strong and if the welds are too ugly or embarrassing, then that is what a hand grinder is good at fixing. I do my welding on a red Lincoln AC "tomb stone" welder that I bought used for $75. I find that the skill required to do good wood turning is probably more than the skill level to do hobby welding.
I went to use the end of the tool rest some more today and before I had just tried it out but today I was using the whole length and on the long side where it makes the bend I think someone got in a hurry making it because the curve raises up. With a scraper I would come up to the curve and then it would feel like you were going down hill. Stood it upside down on a flat surface and you can see where the curve is taller than the long length I made sure the post was 90 degrees to the surface. So it goes back tomorrow. Maybe next week I'll get a good one.
