bowl tool rest suggestions

[Ron Bontz]

Just a quick question. I was looking at picking up the oneway curved tool rests. Does anyone have a better suggestion than spending 120.00 plus shipping on these two rest? Thanks:)

[Don Carter]

Ron:
You could have some made locally, if you have access to a friendly welder. Or, you could try these: http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CLTSET1.html

The PSI have the curve attached with a cap on the post and some do not like that. They are well made and I use them for the same reason that you are questioning. I guess you get what you pay for but I just wasn't willing to pay that. YMMV

All the best.

don

[Leo Van Der Loo]

If you turn wet/green Oak-Cherry-Walnut etc, than the Stainless Steel of the Oneway toolrests is a good thing to have, just IMO, though yes you can always go cheaper and have a rusting tool-rest on your lathe.

[Ron Bontz]

good point Leo. I have been considering the modular rest as well. Of course there goes the cost again.

[Don Carter]

Hey Ron, it's only money...what else you gonna do with it?

All the best.

Don

[George Guadiane]

I have two curved tool rests for my Mustard Monster (both directions)... I only use them to hold dust.
I HAD to have them and TRIED to use them for a while, but eventually, I ended up using my 14 inch rest for almost everything. I use the 6 inch one for tight places and my box end rest for small boxes and deep hollowing.
It's all a matter of what you get used to, I think. Maybe I should dust them off and go at it again with them?

[Ken Glass]

Ron,
Here is a post of inside and outside curved rests I made last year. I think I had $8-9 in the pair. My post is 1" so I just bought some 1" round stock. I used 3/16" 1x2" flat stock for the curved portion. I have used them both for some time now with great results.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=80781

[Reed Gray]

For bowl turning, which I do a lot of, the curved tool rests are a necessity for me. I was talking to Mike Mahoney about this, and he uses a straight rest, and hangs the tool out there. Mostly it is a matter of having the tool leverage point closer to the wood, and not having to move the tool rest as many times. I have 2 gripes about the Oneway rests: one is that they need to be like the Comfort rest from Robust with a hardened steel surface so the tools will slide with little friction. I guess it is almost impossible to bend the drill rod to shape. The other gripe is that the inside tool rest tends to bounce when you are out at the very end, and a light tool touch is necessary. I think this could be cured if they would weld a support finger under it like on their coring system (it would have to be angled back a bit, not straight up and down so that it wouldn't interfere with getting close to the wood. Minor things, but useful anyway.

I was looking through the storage yard of the place that makes my grinding wheels, and there were a number of cylinders that are about 1/2 inch wall thickness, and thinking that they would make great arcs for a tool rest. I can see having curves with radiusus (spell?) from about 8 to 20 inches. The smaller ones could be made with a center weld, and the larger ones you would need an inside and outside one (end weld and support finger). If I had metal skills, I would make my own.

Modular ones? Well, not for me, I don't want to take the time to change things out.

robo hippy

[Steve Schlumpf]

I use the super bowl rest from Monster tools and love it! Reed, I don't go through bowls anything like you do but I have never noticed vibration with this rest. Randy did a great job of building the support for it. Something you may want to check out.

http://www.monster-wood-tool.com/wst_page5.html

[Reed Gray]

Steve,
They look nice, but I don't like the round bar stock for tool rests. Just doesn't feel right. They didn't list the size. The Oneway will reach 12 inches. Brent English make one as well out of round bar stock. I talked to him about it, and he said it vibrates when you are out at the end of it as well. That is probably the mechaincal limit when reaching out 12 inches. The vibration isn't severe, but a light touch is needed.
robo hippy

[Paul Rains]

why is that Leo?

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Paul wet Cherry, Oak and Walnut and quite a few more types of wood shavings wil rust your tool rest, taking a hold of a rusty toolrest while moving it around and than taking a hold of your turning will give you stained wood, and yes I found that out the hard way :-((