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Thread: Curved Bowl Rest

  1. #1

    Curved Bowl Rest

    I've heard mixed reviews on the use of a curved bowl rest. Some turners love them and I know others that have not found them to be of value. Looking for some input and recommendations. Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    1,950
    Following. Have been wondering about adding my first curved rest.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Gassaway, WV
    Posts
    1,221
    I have several tool rest and pretty much use them all. I have curved for outside of bowls and another for the inside of bowls. I have short and longer (original) tool rests. I use them all on different things. The one getting least use is the original straight. I still find there is times that none of them fit a particular cut.
    Fred

  4. #4
    I have several curved tool rests as well and use all of them. You can get by on the outside of a bowl with a straight rest but I think the curved ones are a necessity for the inside cuts.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
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    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Domina View Post
    I've heard mixed reviews on the use of a curved bowl rest. Some turners love them and I know others that have not found them to be of value. Looking for some input and recommendations. Thanks
    I'm in the low-value (to me) court. I bought two inside rests from Robust a few years back and I haven't found anything I can't do with a straight rest that they can do better. But maybe I don't turn enough bowls.

    A demonstrator a few years back (Glenn Lucas) demonstrated that there was no advantage to the curved over the straight rest, at least for the inside of the bowl he was turning.

    JKJ

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Haubstadt (Evansville), Indiana
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    1,294
    I had both the inside and outside Robust rest. Let's just say I didn’t care for them. I sold them with a lathe. I use the low profile Robust rest for the outside and most of the inside. I have the Robust “J” rest that I use to finish up the inside. I had a 12” rest similar to the Robust “comfort” rest and that doesn’t work very well for the inside of a bowl. I guess it is turner preference and I don’t prefer the curved rest.
    When working I had more money than time. In retirement I have more time than money. Love the time, miss the money.

  7. #7
    Here's my curved rest. It came with my lathe so I guess it's about 25 years old. You can see that it doesn't get a lot of use. But it has come in handy to solve certain problems so I'm glad I have it. I think the thing I like least is the flatness of it. But then that flatness also comes in handy from time to time.
    20190902_101800.jpg
    ~john
    "There's nothing wrong with Quiet" ` Jeremiah Johnson

  8. #8
    I have a nice curved rest that has a resting place on the wall behind my lathe and never gets used anymore.
    Pete


    * It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep for life - Sister Elizabeth Kenny *
    I think this equates nicely to wood turning as well . . . . .

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Inver Grove Heights, MN
    Posts
    798
    I have a PennState curved rest that I used for the inside of bowls until I welded up a flat platform rest. I now use the flat rest when I get in a position where my normal rest will not get close enough to the inside of a bowl.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Williams View Post
    I have a PennState curved rest that I used for the inside of bowls until I welded up a flat platform rest. I now use the flat rest when I get in a position where my normal rest will not get close enough to the inside of a bowl.
    Do you use the flat platform rest with gouges too or primarily with scrapers?

    JKJ

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Tampa Bay area
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    1,090
    I have one Robust curved rest that gets used quite often. I like it.

  12. #12
    I tend to use a straight on the outside of bowls; you can get anywhere you need to on the outside with a straight rest. It is also easier to use up close to the tenon than a curved rest.

    On the inside, sometimes a curved rest is convenient on an inside - but mine is quite large (the Robust). It has a deep gusset that gets in the way for small bowls. But for large ones it allows me to get deeper than the straight rest.

    It really depends on the particular rest and the type of bowls you like to make. Which are you considering?

  13. #13
    Am looking at both, however probably leaning toward the smaller one as I seldom turn bowls over 10 - 12 inches in diameter.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Inver Grove Heights, MN
    Posts
    798
    "
    Do you use the flat platform rest with gouges too or primarily with scrapers?" Both, but by the time I get to that part of the bowl I am probably done with big cuts and most likely to be using a scraper.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Fredericksburg, TX
    Posts
    2,576
    I had a "J" toolrest built to use on large deep bowls where the reach over a straight rest would result in vibration. Most pieces are turned with the original Powermatic 3520B straight toolrest or a 6" rest for shorter or smaller pieces. The "J" style works better for me than a simple curve for deeper pieces or large diameter piece. The straight has to be kept back some for banjo clearance and gives you less than half length to use inside a bowl.

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