Sir Edgar wrote: Cast iron can be brazed by a local welding shop and your
tool rest can be made as good as new if done properly. A reinforcing bar may
have to be added on the underside
^^^^^^^^^^^
Or it can be arc-welded, using nickel rod, very easily.
The shape of a tool rest is very forgiving--don't need to worry about
preheat and post-cooling. As far as reinforcement is concerned, I would
actually rather have my toolrest break than have the handle of my gouge come
up undere my chin and smite me.

However, I'm kind of a liar too, because the replacement toolrest I made is
solid steel.