24" tool rest

[Mike Holbrook]

I am planing to buy a lathe, largely to turn chair spindles/legs. I think a larger tool rest might be a good idea but I do not find one on the Oneway and many other manufacturers pages. I know people here use them and I am wondering where they were purchased from? I guess another option is to mount a second banjo, which might be even more versatile?

[Quinn McCarthy]

Mike

Vega has one and you need to buy the extra banjo. I use it all of the time. Mostly on long spindles and 24" pepper grinderrs. It is nice not having to move the tool rest all of the time.

Hope that helps.

Quinn

[Thom Sturgill]

Robust will make one to order, including a second banjo. http://www.turnrobust.com/tool-rests/

[Robert Henrickson]

Some time ago, I found a 26" tool rest on clearance (<$20!). Two posts. Don't remember where online I bought it. I'm intending to do some stool/chair legs soon. Rather than buy a second banjo, I'm going to make a wooden substitute from scrap 8/4 oak. I thought I'd try using a collar on the tool rest post to set the height; if that fails, probably use a threaded insert and a bolt with a knob to fix the height. There also are a number of pages on making your own long rests from scratch, some all wood, some with something like angle iron for the actual tool contact surface -- Google is your friend there.

[Rick Bailey]

Here's one.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/24-Tool-Rest-with-Tool-Holder-for-G1495/G1523

[Frank Pearsall]

What size is the gap on a G1495?

[Rick Bailey]

What size is the gap on a G1495?

The swing? it's 17''.
Or ways?
I'll check tonight.

[Frank Pearsall]

I'm asking about the gap in between the ways. Perhaps I could Rig one of these up on a Robust Liberty lathe, Is the tool rest post, 1"?

Thanks - Frank

[Mike Holbrook]

I think I am wondering something similar. Do banjos/tool rests for these machines work on different manufacturers machines? I know there are sizes for posts.... I believe, like Frank mentions, 1" posts are (a) standard but my guess is the "banjos" which slide on the surface of the lathe body are sized to fit non standard manufacturers specs?

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I think I am wondering something similar. Do banjos/tool rests for these machines work on different manufacturers machines? I know there are sizes for posts.... I believe, like Frank mentions, 1" posts are (a) standard but my guess is the "banjos" which slide on the surface of the lathe body are sized to fit non standard manufacturers specs?

Mike I would get a second banjo from Oneway and make or have a long tool rest made, there is a long rest on Ebay but I don’t know it that fits your banjo or that it is long enough.
But one is quite easily made, just look at that one.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/18-Double-Tool-Rest-5-8-Post-Vintage-Sears-Craftsman-9-Wood-Lathe-1-3-4-Gap/281656809629?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1% 26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D863ef4f3c5ed4cbda0 9d9c52261f01e0%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%2 6sd%3D281656809629

[Rick Bailey]

I'm asking about the gap in between the ways. Perhaps I could Rig one of these up on a Robust Liberty lathe, Is the tool rest post, 1"?

Thanks - Frank
Dang!
I forgot to check, sorry Frank.
The post is 3/4"
I know you can get a bushing to go to 1'' but the banjo hight may be different.

[Rick Bailey]

I'm asking about the gap in between the ways. Perhaps I could Rig one of these up on a Robust Liberty lathe, Is the tool rest post, 1"?

Thanks - Frank
Ok,
The gap is 1 1/2
The banjo height is 3 1/4
Post is 3/4
Tool rest post is 2'' long.
Hope this helps,
Rick

[Robert Henrickson]

A long delay, but finally got the long tool rest set up, to turn a couple baseball bats for my grandson. I got a two-post 26" tool rest for almost nothing in a clearance sale some time ago. Rather than buy a second banjo, I used scrap wood (8/4 oak offcuts given to me by a friend) to make a workable second banjo. Cost was about $2 for the bolt to set the height.
316597
The worm holes in the bat were completely turned away well before final dimensions were reached. I used the 'Mickey Mantle model' Little League 30" bat I used ca 1962 as a source for dimensions. It turned up recently when we were sorting through my parents' house.

[Bob Bergstrom]

How about two banjos and two 12" tool rests. Seems more versitle and one could be move closer to a smaller diameter while the other one is left for the larger diameter. Just a thought?

[Robert Henrickson]

Reasonable thought, but I had the long rest already in hand and figured that perhaps I ought to use it. Having it the rest in one piece makes a long overall cut a bit easier and smoother. In any event, I posted this since the original post was about a 24" rest. The main point was that you can make a second banjo for almost no cost, one that will work well enough.

[Theresa Dawson]

I needed one much shorter so I welded angle iron to a piece if pipe. I think you could do the same for a longer one.

[James Conrad]

Mike you don't need anything elaborate for chair parts, a simple wooden rest is easy to make. Not sure if you've seen this video.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xXSiEX08gPw

[Mark Greenbaum]

That guy is incredible. And who would've thought a wooden tool rest could work so well.


Mike you don't need anything elaborate for chair parts, a simple wooden rest is easy to make. Not sure if you've seen this video.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xXSiEX08gPw

[Mike Holbrook]

Yes, Elia. I have a travashier he made. I have talked to him about taking a class or getting some help with chair building. Wish he was a little closer to Metro Atlanta.