tool rests

[Bruce Wilson]

I got a Delta midi and the tool rests that came with work, but are not the smoothest. They are not very slick and at times fine shaving dust gets clogged in the surface and the tool has to hop over this. I am looking at getting a new rest or modular system. has anyone tried the T-Bar Modular Tool Rest System? Any others i my want to look at?

http://bestwoodtools.stores.yahoo.net/tmotoresy.html

[Marvin Hasenak]

I don't know about the ones from Best Woods. I bought a set from RHerrel on the penturners forum. They do all I expect of them, he doesn't have the full variety of the Best Woods set, but he has everything I need. http://www.penturners.org/forum/f172/custom-made-penturning-tools-accessories-92501/

[William Bachtel]

Whats wrong with Robust? Same money much better, hardened steel rod on top and all of mine work great. Will not wear out.

[John K Jordan]

I got a Delta midi and the tool rests that came with work, but are not the smoothest. They are not very slick and at times fine shaving dust gets clogged in the surface and the tool has to hop over this. I am looking at getting a new rest or modular system. has anyone tried the T-Bar Modular Tool Rest System? Any others i my want to look at? I'm not familiar with the Delta midi tool rest. Is it cast iron? Many tool rests need to be dressed occasionally with a file to make smooth, remove nicks. I file my large tool rests, sand slick with fine sandpaper, then wax.

I have some of the Best Wood Tools rests and they are very good quality. There are several things about them to consider: one, the modular design is nice in theory but I found I didn't like to take the time to change the bars - I just wanted to grab and go so I just bought some extra posts. Second, the tool supports are a 3/4" round rod which puts the tool contact point further away from the work. For small things I sometimes like the rest closer to the work. Also, if what you want is not in stock I hope you're not in a hurry. I had to wait months for my last order. I understand everything is made by the owner and while the workmanship is outstanding too bad if he gets behind. A friend told me he always buys from them at shows for no waiting. (BTW, I love the Best Wood Tools box rest. I have the Baxter threading jig too and it is extremely well made.)

Have you looked at the Robust tool rests? These are considered by many to be some of the best available. They also use a hardened steel rod for the tool support (it is always slick) but it is a small diameter rod and the design of the rest lets you put it very close to the work. I've used them and have a homemade clone, but I intend on buying some.

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=lathes-acc-toolrst-robu
(http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=lathes-acc-toolrst-robu)
Another thing: if you have metal working capability or have a friend who does, you might consider making one. I've made several. To make one like the t-bar all you need is a couple of pieces of steel rod and a way to weld them together.

JKJ

[Brian Brown]

My Delta tool rests came with black paint on them. It was very sticky against the tools. I sanded the paint off, and it worked much better. Now, I occasionally dress the edge with a file. Some day I'll get tool rests with the hardened rod, but there is not much selection in a 5/8 post diameter.

[Roger Chandler]

I have a Delta midi 46-460 and I got this toolrest from Rockler that has hardened drill rod. It also has a coating on the post, which in time will get scarred up with the screw on the banjo, but I do like it a lot, and the tools ride smooth over it. I replaced all the rests on my large lathe with Robust rests with drill rod.

http://assets.rockler.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/80x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/4/5/45263-01-1000.jpghttp://www.rockler.com/rockler-lathe-tool-rests

[Doug Ladendorf]

Brent will make custom tool rests if you don't see what you need on Robust's web site. I think they are a pretty good investment.

[Bruce Wilson]

thanks for all the info guys. I will look at Robust, but I need the 5/8 size post. I have the Delta 46-460. The tool rest that came with it appear to be cast iron, black, bumpy, pitted metal...look like cast iron grates on a grill. so the pits get clogged and headaches and hassle ensue.
Thanks for the tips about getting paint off, filing, sanding, etc. I may try all this before upgrading. What I really want/need is a bowl rest to help with inside of bowls. I've only made two, but was getting a lot of catches when doing the inside and was thinking it was because I couldn't get the rest close to inside walls. I had a about an inch+ of tool overhang.

[John K Jordan]

thanks for all the info guys. I will look at Robust, but I need the 5/8 size post. I have the Delta 46-460. The tool rest that came with it appear to be cast iron, black, bumpy, pitted metal...look like cast iron grates on a grill. so the pits get clogged and headaches and hassle ensue.
Thanks for the tips about getting paint off, filing, sanding, etc. I may try all this before upgrading. What I really want/need is a bowl rest to help with inside of bowls. I've only made two, but was getting a lot of catches when doing the inside and was thinking it was because I couldn't get the rest close to inside walls. I had a about an inch+ of tool overhang.

I had one cast iron Jet tool rest that had some annoying pits right where the tool slides. I filed some small ones away but I filled a couple of larger pits with JB Weld then filed smooth and waxed. This has worked well for about 15 years.

Robust does sell tool rests with 5/8" posts. Here's one:
https://www.amazon.com/Robust-Mini-Rest-Post/dp/B004DIHN0U
The comments at the bottom tell how long the post is so you can see if it will work with your lathe.

I don't think a 1" overhang is excessive. Mine are usually at least that in places. I'm pretty sure it will get a lot easier for you with experience. The shape of the tool grind is important but tool control is way more important. At the TAW Symposium this year expert bowl-maker Glenn Lucas demonstrated turning a bowl with at least 4" tool overhang at one point, might have been longer. He used a straight rest and made beautiful continuous cuts on the inside from the rim to the center. Of course he'd practiced on thousands of bowls. He also showed why a curved tool rest for the inside of a bowl didn't help much, at least for the tool grind he uses.

Do you do any spindle turning? A number of experts say that spindle turning teaches you the tool control that will make bowl turning easy. It evidently doesn't work the opposite way.

JKJ

[Doug Ladendorf]

What I really want/need is a bowl rest to help with inside of bowls. I've only made two, but was getting a lot of catches when doing the inside and was thinking it was because I couldn't get the rest close to inside walls. I had a about an inch+ of tool overhang.

It can be frustrating when your tool snags on a ding in the tool rest. Also keep in mind that on the outside of the bowl you want to be cutting on the centerline or above for a supported cut. On the inside of a bowl it's the opposite, centerline or below. Check this next time you are having trouble.

[Doug W Swanson]

I don't know about the ones from Best Woods. I bought a set from RHerrel on the penturners forum. They do all I expect of them, he doesn't have the full variety of the Best Woods set, but he has everything I need. http://www.penturners.org/forum/f172/custom-made-penturning-tools-accessories-92501/

I second the tool rests from Rick Herrel. He will make them to your specs at a very reasonable price. Rick is a great guy to deal with and does awesome work!

[Brice Rogers]

It can be frustrating when your tool snags on a ding in the tool rest. Also keep in mind that on the outside of the bowl you want to be cutting on the centerline or above for a supported cut. On the inside of a bowl it's the opposite, centerline or below. Check this next time you are having trouble.

Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't this backwards? I thought that you want to be positioned so that if you get a catch that it will tend to push the tool into air rather than deeper into the wood. Also, attempting to scrape the outside of a bowl, you don't want to be above the centerline as the burr may not be in contact with the wood.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

I use tool rest from Advanced Lathe tools. Steve uses hardened Thompson linear rod tops. He makes a 3"
6" & 9" with 5/8" post. Great rest.

[Lee Watermann]

I'm done with soft rests. Starting to replace them with a hardened top rod rest.

[Bruce Wilson]

Thanks for the tip Doug.
John, I have done some spindle turning. Few pens, bottle opener handles, honey dipper. I'm new to all of it though so practice of any kind is needed.
Thanks for the info on rests. Will look at the robust and others mentioned.

[Michael Schneider]

This is not anything about a specific tool rest. A nice luxury is a long rest for your lathe (after you get the small ones you need). I have the longest rest my lathe safely supports for practice.

Practice is not the most fun thing in the world, so I try to make it as pleasant/simple as possible. I cut popular 2" inch stock into blanks 2x2 (or width of wood square) x the length of the tool rest. The longer the tool rest, the less blank changes. The less blank changes, the easier it is to get into the rhythm of practice. Many people use 2x4 lumber for their practice wood. Popular is cheap around here, and like it better than pine (personal preference, again, make practice cost effective and as fun as possible).

[John K Jordan]

...I cut popular 2" inch stock into blanks 2x2 (or width of wood square) x the length of the tool rest. The longer the tool rest, the less blank changes. The less blank changes, the easier it is to get into the rhythm of practice.

This is a great point! I found this out when teaching first-time turners. If the tool rest is longer than the practice piece I don't have to remind so much about running off the end, especially for kids. I really need to weld up some 12" tool rests for the mini lathes.

I wish I had poplar for practice pieces. (I'm assuming you mean Yellow/Tulip Poplar here.) I've been mostly using cedar since I have so much, and pine. The next time I fire up the sawmill I will make a point of cutting some poplar.

JKJ

[Michael Schneider]

John,

Thanks for catching the typo, spell check is not always your friend :-)

Yellow/Tulip Poplar is exactly what I was trying to type.

Happy Turning,
Michael

[John K Jordan]

Thanks for catching the typo, spell check is not always your friend :-)


Ha! I really didn't even notice how you spelled it, but just typed the word. Somehow, I spelled it right this time.

JKJ, in contention for World's Worst Speller

[Rick Gibson]

I have the same system but I got it from Lee Valley. Wanted the 4"rest for turning pens and liked it well enough I got the 6" and 9" later. When I got my larger lathe I just had to order the 25 mm post and everything works on it. My only complaint is with the larger lathe the banjo will not let me get the rest as close as I would like for pens. Since the post is a standard M12 thread I'll drill and tap a short piece of angle iron that will get me that extra 1/2" closer that I would like.
Would I buy it again Yes. for $160 I have 3 different length tool rests that fit on my Delta midi and my larger lathe.

[Sonny Kemp]

Bruce I had a Jet mini that used a 5/8 post and PSI has a curved rest ,that is pretty cheap, and worked well.It is round rod and is not a Robust, but works plenty good til you want something bigger and better.

[robert baccus]

It,s not difficult to glue on a hardened rod to any tool rest. I use JB weld after grinding the back side of the rest square. Robust is glued on also--I broke one off. D. Ford gave me some air hardened rod that made it easy.

[John Sanford]

I have both the Robust rests and a RHerrel rest for my Jet Mini, which uses 5/8" posts. What is said above about the modular rests moving the contact point back is true, and it's noticeable on close work. Also, the post on the modular gets "in the way" when sliding back and forth, compared to the Robust. I personally prefer the Robust.

[Reed Gray]

Once you use the hardened drill rod, you will never go back to cast or round bar stock rests. Less friction, no denting, and they just feel better. You can buy your own drill rod, which comes in different diameters, but it needs to be hardened, which is a bit of a science, though those who know how say it is fairly simple. I used a thicker Lock Tite metal epoxy or the 2 part JB Weld to fasten some on to a rest. It does work, but if you drop it and the rod hits first, like when you drop your turning tool it always lands on the sharp part, it will bread off. The first ones from Robust were just epoxied on, but now they are tack welded in place. You can run into problems with the rod losing its temper with the welding so that, again is 'science'. Not positive, but the air hardened drill rod does harden over time and is harder than the oil or water type drill rod, but I don't know all the specs. Only real thing I know about metal is how to grind it....

robo hippy

[Brice Rogers]

Hello Reed,

Thanks for your comments.

I am both a wood turner and a metal worker and have made a bunch of specialty tool rests, cutting tools, etc. I have also done a bunch of metal treatment. I have not yet added a section of drill rod. I was concerned about softening the rod during the welding process. But I like your comments about the air-hardening drill rod.

I think that I'll get some air hardening rod and do the tack welding technique and see how it works.

Thanks

[Reed Gray]

Before you weld, you should harden and then temper the drill rod. The air tempered is considerably harder than the others, but not up to the grade of the Robust. This is where a black smith could come in handy. You could tack weld it on and then harden and temper it, but that is more difficult.

robo hippy

[Brice Rogers]

Reed,

Good point.

I actually have a few kilns in my shop. My favorite for heat treating is a little one with a 6" H x 12" wide x 10" deep opening. It goes up to around 1850 F. I'm familiar with hardening and tempering. I've made a hand full of cutting tools that I have hardened using that kiln. If I have something very small, like my home made version of the "termite hollower", I will heat it with a propane torch and usually oil quench. I've also done some Case hardening of low carbon steel. It works okay and I can get a hardened surface (perhaps up to 1 mm). The things that I heat treat get hard enough for my purposes, but I consider myself to be an amateur.

One of my limiting issues of my set up is scale production during a prolonged heat treatment (like what is typically used for air hardening). Pros will either use a slight vacuum or will put their work piece into a pouch of stainless steel foil along with some paper or sawdust to scavenge out the remaining oxygen.

You have given me some ideas and new projects.

[Reed Gray]

Keep us posted Brice....

robo hippy

[Jamie Straw]

Bruce, the rest that came with my new Nova Comet lathe was pretty awful, so I took a chance on the Rockler rest mentioned earlier (hardened rod top). It's a respectable rest if one doesn't have the $$ to drop on a Robust -- I use a Robust rest when turning at a mentor's shop, and they are exquisite. Two comments on the Rockler: "Hard" is relative. The rod definitely is harder than cast iron, it totally out-performs the rest on my Jet lathe. But when I use a largish D-Way bowl gouge, which is much harder than most tools you'll find, the rod can get marked up a bit. Also, the paint on the post is a royal pain -- I've sanded most of it off, as it makes the post sticky after the paints been banged and scratched by the locking mechanism.

[John K Jordan]

I actually have a few kilns in my shop. My favorite for heat treating is a little one with a 6" H x 12" wide x 10" deep opening. It goes up to around 1850 F. I'm familiar with hardening and tempering. I've made a hand full of cutting tools that I have hardened using that kiln. ...
... Pros will either use a slight vacuum or will put their work piece into a pouch of stainless steel foil along with some paper or sawdust to scavenge out the remaining oxygen.


Interesting. The paper/sawdust sounds much like the raku pottery firing, except the combustibles are added after the ceramic is removed from the kiln.

I wonder, can you bleed nitrogen, argon, or CO2 into the kiln to displace the oxygen? I use gas every time I close up a container of finish to preserve it.

Another thing I wondered which perhaps you can answer concerning loosing the hardness when welding hardened rod. Would it be practical to weld the rod onto a support made of mild steel then put the combination into the kiln/quench hardening sequence? Perhaps this would cause significant warping. The post could be welded on later, perhaps annealed with a torch. I wonder how Robust does this since the small (1/4"?) hardened rod has a healthy bead down both sides.

I would love to find a little kiln like that for the shop. Did you make it? Gas, electric? A friend of mine has three kilns for pottery but they are huge and the gas bill is horrific (fed with a 2" gas line!) He makes the largest raku-fired pottery in the world. He said just build a small one from fire brick and fire it with a tank of gas.

JKJ

[Brice Rogers]

Interesting. The paper/sawdust sounds much like the raku pottery firing, except the combustibles are added after the ceramic is removed from the kiln.

I wonder, can you bleed nitrogen, argon, or CO2 into the kiln to displace the oxygen? I use gas every time I close up a container of finish to preserve it.

Another thing I wondered which perhaps you can answer concerning loosing the hardness when welding hardened rod. Would it be practical to weld the rod onto a support made of mild steel then put the combination into the kiln/quench hardening sequence? Perhaps this would cause significant warping. The post could be welded on later, perhaps annealed with a torch. I wonder how Robust does this since the small (1/4"?) hardened rod has a healthy bead down both sides.

I would love to find a little kiln like that for the shop. Did you make it? Gas, electric? A friend of mine has three kilns for pottery but they are huge and the gas bill is horrific (fed with a 2" gas line!) He makes the largest raku-fired pottery in the world. He said just build a small one from fire brick and fire it with a tank of gas.

JKJ

First, I'm just an amateur who enjoys learning new things. Well - - new to me anyway. The technology is actually pretty old. My techniques are usually "good enough" but aren't super precise.

Yes, I think that a person could bleed an inert gas into the kiln. My kiln is electric and about 1.5 KW (15 amps @ 120 vac). Blacksmiths that do blade forging with a gas kiln or forge will adjust their oxygen intake to the point that the flame is slightly "reducing" or carburizing. That has the effect of removing the extra oxygen from the blade surface.

When I read the directions for air hardening steel, I recall that there are three temperature soaks, with the last one at 1800 degrees (bright orange-hot). So the temp is high and the soak time is pretty long. That can lead to a lot of scale production. I have hesitated outfitting myself with inert gases or with the stainless steel foil as they are a bit more expensive and hard for me to justify budget-wise.

It would certainly be possible to weld the rod onto a support and then heat treat the assembly. With any welding there is usually some degree of warping or twisting. I don't know if it would be an issue though as the whole assembly would be stress relieved during the heat treating.

Robust with their healthy bead. Hmm... perhaps they heat treated the whole thing. I think that annealed (soft) drill rod is still (relatively) hard stuff. I thought that it is around Rockwell C 30, which is still a lot harder than low carbon steel. I'm planning on buying some drill rod and see if it is hard enough in its annealed state. If not, then I can harden it and either tack weld the ends and add a filet of JB Weld along the sides - - or I could weld it and heat treat the assembly. But I would probably use drill rod that is made to be water quenched or oil quenched as the temperatures and soak times are a little lower.

My kiln is a commercial one that was previously used by an artist for doing enamel firing. An electric kiln is slower than a propane-fired kiln/forge but the temperature is much easier to control. If you are serious about making a kiln, they are not that hard to make. David Gingery has some paperback books that his family publishes on how to do that. New fire bricks are not cheap (about $4 each) but if you look on Craigslist long enough, you'll find someone with an old kiln for little or no cost where you can repurpose the firebricks. PM me if interested in pursuing off line.

[John K Jordan]

First, I'm just an amateur who enjoys learning new things....

My kiln is a commercial one that was previously used by an artist for doing enamel firing. An electric kiln is slower than a propane-fired kiln/forge but the temperature is much easier to control. ... New fire bricks are not cheap (about $4 each) but if you look on Craigslist long enough. ...

Thanks, this sounds great. I may have enough fire brick from a yard-sale welding/cutting table. It is a heavy brick as opposed to a lighter-weight brick my potter friend uses for his big kilns. But I'll check Craigslist - maybe I can find a small electric kiln.

Learning new things? You sound like me, and your bucket list is probably just as long! I've set up for welding and machining and still want to add blacksmithing to my metal-mangling hobbies. So much out there, so little time...

Hey, if you are anyone is interested in metal casting for jewelry work I have a little wind-up centrifuge from an estate sale I'll probably never use. I used one in college and made sliver jewelry from lost-wax technique. But so little time...

JKJ

[Fred Belknap]

I wonder how Robust does this since the small (1/4"?) hardened rod has a healthy bead down both sides.


I have a couple of their toolrest. It looks like they are spot welded on then filled with something like JBweld but can't be sure. My guess is that it is some kind of commercial epoxy. The 9" tool has 4 spot welds. The metal that the hardened rod is attached to fairly soft. I can mark it with a utility knife. Knife won't touch the rod though, it is apparently harder than the utility knife blades.

[John K Jordan]

I have a couple of their toolrest. It looks like they are spot welded on then filled with something like JBweld but can't be sure. My guess is that it is some kind of commercial epoxy. The 9" tool has 4 spot welds. The metal that the hardened rod is attached to fairly soft. I can mark it with a utility knife. Knife won't touch the rod though, it is apparently harder than the utility knife blades.

Fred,

Today I got the Robust 15", 9", and 6" rests and you are correct, they do look like they are spot welded in several places then filled with goop between.

I was looking at the 4" rest when I wrote that about the continuous weld.The 4" still looks like a continuous weld but I can now imagine it spot welded in three places on one side and filled between with mig-weld-looking epoxy on both sided. Even my intensely curious nature didn't let me scrape off that nice black paint to analyze further. Where's my x-ray machine. A heat sink for the spot welding and epoxy fill would certainly do the trick.

The Robust rests are my new favorites - very sturdy and can get very close to the work when needed. I've been using 14" tool rests for a long time and it has always been just a wee bit short for some things I turn so I was glad to find the 15" rest.

JKJ

[Larry Copas]

I cloned a Robust rest. Started with a flat piece of 3/16” steel and bent it in an appropriate curve shape on the 30 ton shop press with a jury rigged die. It was a tough process. Next step was to weld a piece of O-1 drill rod to the rest. I learned high carbon steel does not like to be welded. My weld was ugly and I had to really burn it in to get any strength. Cleaned up my weld by grinding and it looks presentable.

Next step was to harden the drill rod. I put it in my heat treating oven and clenched in canola oil. Came out quite hard. I went ahead and tempered just a touch to make sure it was not brittle.

The end result was fine. I might make a few more but will change my process. I may cut the rest out of a piece of pipe to save on press work. I've also thought about bending the rest hot with a better die.

Buying straight from Robust is a bargain, but what's the fun it that?

[John K Jordan]

...I learned high carbon steel does not like to be welded. My weld was ugly and I had to really burn it in to get any strength. ...

Hey, no fair. A great story but no picture??

Did you use heliarc? That's what I thought I'd try first. Did you angle the curved 3/16? steel or is it vertical? I thought about trying one like you described and angling the curve. I think I can bend it into a curve on my hydraulic press then trim it for a horizontal upper edge with the plasma cutter. As you said, good fun!

I also wondered if brazing/sliver soldering would work for a pre-hardened rod. ??? I've brazed a bunch of steel and things like cast iron that I didn't know how to weld, using the oxy-acetylene torch.

JKJ

[Larry Copas]

340281

I was using a mig with 25/75 gas. My first weld was so brittle I could give it a sharp rap on the floor and it would break. The big globs hold well but sure are ugly. I thought about brazing it but thought it would come apart in the heat treating oven.

[Brice Rogers]

Larry, here is my home made comfort rest. I didn't have the capability to bend such heavy metal. So, I cut a 1/4 section out of a 6" thick wall pipe and welded it onto a 1" dia post. I think that it is around 8" long. No heat treating or drill rod though. So far I haven't had any knicks in it. If I do, I'll need to file down.

340284

[Jay Mullins]

To follow up on John's post; many local community colleges offer shop classes such as welding. I took one several years ago and as a class project I welded a utility trailer and a outboard engine stand. One could just as easily fabricate a few tool rests. It could be a great class project for the student. Bring a cup of coffee in for the instructor and he'll probably weld it for you.

Jay

[John K Jordan]

To follow up on John's post; many local community colleges offer shop classes such as welding. I took one several years ago and as a class project I welded a utility trailer and a outboard engine stand. One could just as easily fabricate a few tool rests. It could be a great class project for the student. Bring a cup of coffee in for the instructor and he'll probably weld it for you.

Jay

For anyone who hasn't, I HIGHLY recommend learning a bit of welding. I was even a welding inspector for some years and never learned how to weld myself.

When I got my first cheap flux-core wire welder it opened up a new dimension on how to fix and make things. For example, I had a guard on a radial arm saw that for years had a piece held in place with some wire. Literally 10 seconds with the welder made a permanent fix. I used to spend a great deal of time figuring how to design things to be fastened together with screws and bolts - with the welder I might just make just whip up a steel bracket. Now I have four welding machines including MIG and TIG plus a plasma cutter - it is SO easy now to make things and to fix things I would otherwise have just thrown away.

Welding with a MIG or cheap wire welder is about as easy as using a pencil. I've had younger teens and older alike try their hand at welding. The difference between MIG and flux core wire welding is mostly a matter of pretty welds - the flux core wire gets the job done but spatters a lot and needs a lot of cleanup if you want it to look nice. Both are easier than stick welding (I save the stick welding for heavier things around the farm.) The TIG is nice for some applications (and very clean) but if I had just one, I'd get a MIG welder and a couple of tanks of gas.

Welded with TIG in the shop:
340287

Welded with stick, building the shop!
340288

JKJ

[Dan Case LR]

I'll just add my vote for Robust tool rests. When I had my Jet Midi, I picked up a Robust J rest and it was day and night compared to the original factory rests. Brent makes great rests for Midis, and if you've got a lathe with an oddball size he'll make one custom to fit. When I ordered my Powermatic, my next action was to order a couple of Robust rests. I've never used the rest that came with the PM. And I doubt I ever will.

Come to think of it, I have another Robust rest coming today. Highly recommended for whatever lathe you have!

D.

[John K Jordan]

I was using a mig with 25/75 gas. My first weld was so brittle I could give it a sharp rap on the floor and it would break. The big globs hold well but sure are ugly. I thought about brazing it but thought it would come apart in the heat treating oven.

I think it looks great! Nothing a little grinding and paint wouldn't pretty up. Also, I notice all the Robust rest I bought have linear scratches on the rod as if it was dressed up on a belt sander or something. I wonder if their own process sometimes results in some warping that must be corrected.

I was wondering whether the brazing or sliver soldering could be done on an already hardened rod without destroying the hardness so it wouldn't require re-hardening. I certainly don't know about the temperatures and properties of the various options to do more than wonder at this.

I did some quick google "research" on welding tool steel and found some reasons for the brittle weld and some options. This discussion looked interesting:
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/communities/mboard/forum/welding-discussions/29478-how-to-weld-tool-steel

JKJ