I'm an inexperienced turner so please bear with me. I recently bought a used G0733, everything seems to work as it should except the banjo has a screw type clamp to hold the tool rest in place instead of a cam clamp like my friend's 3520. The screw clamp is a pain to use in comparison to the cam type and the screw digs into the post of the tool rest. Can someone point me to the a cam type replacement banjo that properly fits this machime? I'm primarily a flat wood guy and have a Tormek for chisels, etc. I'm finding the bowl gouge sharpening fixture works well but roughing gouges and the like not to much. Does the Wolverine work on a tormek? Thanks, Gary
One of my 3 lathes is the big brother to your g0733...the G0766. Same type banjo only larger. I highly recommend using the Robust tool rests with a steel post and hardened drill rod on the top, which resists nicks/dings. You will probably want more than one style if you turn bowls, like the inside curve & outside curve. Many lathe makes use the screw in handle into the post design, most of the 3520b models used the same design, they may have changed to the cam for the 3520c model. Make sure to get the right post length for the 18" swing of that lathe.
Wolverine is its own sharpening system used on an 8" grinder. The gold standard in gouge sharpening. Tormeck is good, but many jigs required for different turning tools. The wolverine system and grinder is much faster, and is what 95% of turners use.
Thanks Roger, Maybe my friends 3520 has an aftermarket banjo?? I'll check with him. Compared to the Wolverine my friend has I'm finding the Tormek to be a struggle with anything other than a bowl gouge. Time to rob the piggy bank. Appreciate your expertise, Gary
I'll also recommend the Robust tool rests. However, I'm not a big fan on the inside bowl rest. I find that my bowl gouge handle hits the back of the rest as I sweep the bottom of the bowl. It's not the quality of the rest. It's the shape or maybe it's the way I'm using it. The inside bowl rest works great for doing the final scraping. I use the Robust confort 9" rest for most of my turning.
I talked to my buddy--sure enough Roger is correct. For whatever reason I remembered a cam on the post but my memory isn't so good. I'll look into Robust rests when the need arises. There were 2 straight and 2 curved rests included with the lathe. Thanks guys, g
I have a G0766, and I haven't seen an issue with the screw type fastener that hold the tool post in place. Perhaps I could stare at my half-dozen tool posts to see any damage. But I think that this is a non-issue. If a Powermatic or other high-end lathe uses a cam, I remind myself that I paid about half. If the tool post gets chewed up I doubt that it'll affect much. If it does, I'll spend perhaps an hour and make a new tool post that will last me another 10 or 20 years.
Not real hard to drill the end of the securing bolt/handle, set in a brass insert to protect the tool-rest post. That also holds a whole lot better with no damage to the rest. Pat
