toolrests for lathes

[Mike Minto]

i'd like to hear about which toolrests you guys are using - for full size and mini lathes. i'm in the market to replace the stock rests on my Nova 1624 and Jet mini, nad i'm leaning to some sort of 'round' profile rests. photos if you have them, stories of why you like them - sound like fun? mike

[Jeff Nicol]

i'd like to hear about which toolrests you guys are using - for full size and mini lathes. i'm in the market to replace the stock rests on my Nova 1624 and Jet mini, nad i'm leaning to some sort of 'round' profile rests. photos if you have them, stories of why you like them - sound like fun? mike
Mike, I use homemade ones that suit my needs of what I am turning at the time. I have some that are 3" wide and some that are 16" wide. I am one of those guys that like to make my own stuff and that way I can tweak it to my specifications. I like the style of the Robust rests with the hardened rod on top. That way you should get no dents in it that will impead the movement across the rest. Some rests are to short from the post to the edge so there is no place to rest you hand/fingers while turning. The nice gentle curve is nice and the round stock ones are great for some things. I guess you would have to try some out and and see what works best for you, or get a welder like me and have fun playing around until you get it just right!

Jeff

[Bernie Weishapl]

Mike I have several homemade ones but when I got the Robust tool rests they are now sitting on the shelf. They do get used but not often. The Robust with the steel rod on the top are really nice. All my tools slide nicely across them and they are comfy to use.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mike - I use the Monster Super Bar 12" offset tool rest as my everyday rest. I also have the Super Bowl tool rest and find both rests to be rock-solid.

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

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I bought my first Sorby Modular rest from The Cutting Edge while visiting in Houston. When I upgraded from a Jet Mini to my PM3520B, it was just a matter of a new post and I was able to use it on the bigger lathe too.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

I use tool rest from Advanced Lathe Tools. On both my Powermatic 3520b & my Rikon Mimi. There made by Steve Sinner & his partner. Steve is a internationally known Professional Wood Turning Artist. They a a HUGE IMPROVEMENT over a stock rest. A real pleasure to use.
These rest are all hand made one at a time. They have a Hardened Steel rod top like the Robust ones. However they were making these before Robust started making them. I feel they are a stronger heavier made rest than the Robust are. However they are a little more industrial looking,maybe not as pretty as the Robust,but like I said they are hand made & heavier made. They are available in many standard sizes or they will custom make them to the size you need.
They are used by many higher end & professional turners. Bonnie Kline uses them & highly reccomends them in many of her classes.
They are priced some what like the Robust rest.
They are only available direct from the owners. you could contact them at:
ssinner@mchis.com

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Mike, for my mini, I have the set from PSI. They're NOT high quality, they get dinged up during use, but I think they're worth buying. Better than the stock tool rest. Don't even know where my stock rest is. And the set is round too. Comes with an S bar, good for turning bowls. I'm a cheap guy, so for my "big" lathe, I also got thier 3/4" set. Comes with a bowl rest. The bigger set is of slightly better quality. We're not talking big dollar comparisons here.

The mini set, I think the post is too short. At times, I feel I'm on the edge of teh rest popping out of the banjo when I use scrapers in the bowl.

Just my .02.

[Cyril Griesbach]

Nothing I've used from the stock tool rests from PM and Jet nor the home made ones or those from other manufactures can beat those I've got from Robust.

[Scott Hackler]

I bought a 6" round tool rest from WoodCraft to do my pen works and it works OK, but I dont like that fact that I cant have the edge of the rest right up on the blank. Hard to explain. Imagine that from the point the tool sits on the rest there is another 1/2 the diameter of the rest sticking out towards the wood. I have been thinking about having the rest machined down on the wood side.

[RL Johnson]

I agree with Bernie, the Robust is a great tool rest. Has a smooth rod welded to the top and the edge can get right up to the work piece. Very stiff with no vibration and also has a place to rest your hand.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Yeah, that's one of the problems with using the round tool rests. Cat get that edge right up to the blank. You get used to that, or you'll dump the round rests. :)

[Chris Barnett]

Could not find what I wanted mail order so made these for small stuff. Used 1 inch round hot rolled round stock for post, and cold rolled which is harder for the tool rest. Still have enough to make several more from the $28 for the steel, $430 for the welder, and the enjoyment of making what I wanted.....almost for sale :D.

[Reed Gray]

I have the straight tool rest from Robust (the lathe as well), and love it, almost frictionless. Far better than any cast iron one. I have the inside and outside deep bowl rests from Oneway. I love the shapes, but the inside one does vibrate when you are doing serious work on the tip of it. I don't know wht they don't weld the large support finger for their coring system onto the bottom of it. I do have the blue french curve cast iron one from Craft Supplies. I do like the curve, but don't like the cast iron. If you like to drop your handle on the gouge for a finish cut, the wide surface gets in the way. I tried some of the 1 inch round bar stock tool rests and didn't like them. It wasn't because I couldn't get them up right up against the wood, they just didn't feel right. I wish there was a way to get a curved tool rest with the drill rod on top.

robo hippy

[ron hossack]

I use a 12" and a 6" that I got from JohnnyCNC

The 12" is for fly rod grips and being able to turn 8" of wood to make two reel seats at once.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v205/rhossack/Lathe002.jpg

http://penturnersproducts.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=153506b7eb486b775d4d62529e340f04&keyword=tool+rest

(http://penturnersproducts.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=153506b7eb486b775d4d62529e340f04&keyword=tool+rest)

[charlie knighton]

i agree with Scott and Reed, the closer you can get the tool rest to the wood the better, i will have to look at the Robust rest, i have not felt the need but ......

[David Walser]

Some people really love tool rests made out of round bar stock. Such tool rests have the advantages of being very smooth and strong. (If the steel is hardened, they should stay smooth, too.) The Robust rest (and others of similar design), with a hardened steel rod on it's leading edge, is also smooth and strong.

The disadvantages of round bar tool rests (which any particular turner might not mind) are that the round shape prevents the top of the rest from getting right up to the work. (With a 1" diameter bar, the top of the rest will be at least 1/2" from the work at center height.) For most cuts this extra reach over the tool rest won't make a difference. For some, it will.

The other difficulty is this design makes it more difficult for a turner to register his hand against the rest as he makes a cut from left to right or from right to left. That is, with most other tool rest designs, where the top of the tool rest is in front of the tool post, a turner can allow a finger or two of his hand to rub lightly against the tool rest (an inch or two below the top) as the roughing gouge planes the blank to diameter. This allows the hand and rest to act as a sort of depth gauge. A round bar tool rest can also be used in this manner, just not as easily or with as much flexibility. To use a round bar tool rest in this manner, the hand needs to be up high (or the tool post will get in the way). With a more traditional design, there's more room between tool post and the top of the tool rest, so it's easier to get a comfortable grip.

In the end, the best tool rest is the one a turner is comfortable with. Many love their round bar tool rests and do outstanding work. Others do good work with other designs. In the end, isn't that the proper standard? Whatever works for you?

[Ryan Baker]

The Robust rests are the best i've used. I have two and love them. I don't care for the round bar rests for the reasons already mentioned.