Anyone Here Making Round Steel Tool Rests?
 

Looking to buy a 1 inch diameter steel tool rest.... Anybody around here
fabricating them by welding round stock?

-thanx!

"buck" wrote: (clip)Anybody around here fabricating them by welding round
stock?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I use one on my Stubby, which I made by welding two pieces of 1" rod in an L
shape. I made the legs of the L unequal, so I can insert either leg in the
banjo, and use the other as the rest. It is very easy to swing the rest
either right or left, so I have a compact rest which doubles as a long rest
most of the time. In fact, I hardly ever use the stock rest any more.

I had a couple made for me by a friend for my Nova Mercury.

He had some 1" stock that was bent to curve I needed. I bought three steel
bolts that fit my lathe. We cut the screw thread off the bolts and he had a
flat head bolt to weld to.

I should have had a couple more made but did not know what I really needed
at the time. One straight and two curved have worked well, Cost was a
bottle of good wine.

Rex

"buck" wrote in message
ervers.com...
Looking to buy a 1 inch diameter steel tool rest.... Anybody around here
fabricating them by welding round stock?

-thanx!

Hi Buck
Do a google search, there was a post of someone making and selling tool
post, I don't remember the name, didn't pay attention since I can and
have made a couple bend tool rest myself for my outboard turning
platform, You should be able to find it I think.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

buck wrote:

Looking to buy a 1 inch diameter steel tool rest.... Anybody around here
fabricating them by welding round stock?

-thanx!

"Leo Van Der Loo" wrote in message
...
Hi Buck
Do a google search, there was a post of someone making and selling tool
post, I don't remember the name, didn't pay attention since I can and have
made a couple bend tool rest myself for my outboard turning platform, You
should be able to find it I think.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

buck wrote:

Looking to buy a 1 inch diameter steel tool rest.... Anybody around here
fabricating them by welding round stock?
==========================
I think the guy you're thinking about is Art Ransom, near Dallas.
Also, James Johnson used to sell some toolrests at a good price, but I don't
remember if it was round or not. Also don't know if he's still doing them.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX

John Lea makes round tool rest. I have bought from him, like them, and use
them. His site is below if you would like to take a look.
Glenn Hodges
Nashville, GA
http://www.woodturningtools.net/

Remember - a round rest automatically places your fulcrum farther from the
work than the traditional - wonder why it's the traditional - quarter-round
type. I hate to give leverage I don't have to give.

"Ghodges2" wrote in message
...
John Lea makes round tool rest. I have bought from him, like them, and
use
them. His site is below if you would like to take a look.
Glenn Hodges
Nashville, GA
http://www.woodturningtools.net/

Best Wood Tools, located in Kentucky sells round tool rests. They have a
website.

George....... I didn't put too much thought into the fulcrum point. Do you
really think that a one inch diameter round rest would be much more critical
than the standard rest? My thought on this is that the round rest would
allow for a much smoother glide along it with the chisel. But maybe I am
leaving myself open for more catches. I can see where the fulcrm point
could be back another 1/4 inch or so.... hmmmmmmmm...maybe I should rethink
this.... LOL I am turning mostly 2 inch spindle stock.
-thanks for input


"George" george@least wrote in message
...
Remember - a round rest automatically places your fulcrum farther from the
work than the traditional - wonder why it's the traditional -
quarter-round
type. I hate to give leverage I don't have to give.

"Ghodges2" wrote in message
...
John Lea makes round tool rest. I have bought from him, like them, and
use
them. His site is below if you would like to take a look.
Glenn Hodges
Nashville, GA
http://www.woodturningtools.net/

"buck" wrote: (clip) Do you
really think that a one inch diameter round rest would be much more
critical
than the standard rest? My thought on this is that the round rest would
allow for a much smoother glide along it with the chisel. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My experience is that the small extra distance from toolrest to cut does not
become important unless you are doing miniatures, using very small tools.
The broader, smoother contact of the tool on the toolrest does reduce the
tendency to get nicks--generally the motion of the tool is smoother, and I
like it.

I once attended a demo by Mike Darlow, in which he made a point of pulling
the tool rest back from the work, just to make the point that it does not
matter. I can't see any reason to do that, but his turning quality does not
seem to suffer from it.

Leo.... thanks for the info. I didn't mean to start a flame war here and
have people picking on people. I was just wonder is all. I thought that
maybe the "normal" toolrest being real close to the wood was to keep the
operator's finger from getting jammed down between the rest and the wood.
In the end, I suppose that we all use what works best for us.
-thanks again.




"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"buck" wrote: (clip) Do you
really think that a one inch diameter round rest would be much more
critical
than the standard rest? My thought on this is that the round rest would
allow for a much smoother glide along it with the chisel. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My experience is that the small extra distance from toolrest to cut does
not
become important unless you are doing miniatures, using very small tools.
The broader, smoother contact of the tool on the toolrest does reduce the
tendency to get nicks--generally the motion of the tool is smoother, and I
like it.

I once attended a demo by Mike Darlow, in which he made a point of pulling
the tool rest back from the work, just to make the point that it does not
matter. I can't see any reason to do that, but his turning quality does
not
seem to suffer from it.

"buck" wrote: (clip) Do you
really think that a one inch diameter round rest would be much more
critical
than the standard rest? My thought on this is that the round rest would
allow for a much smoother glide along it with the chisel. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you add that to a distance you already are away from the wood it does
not help, I have a couple of round bar rests but only use them to get
closer inside a bowl turning and then I'm not to keen on using them.
Just draw a circle on a piece of paper,( that will be your turning ) now
draw a 1" circle right close to the other one, (that's your rest )
draw below center a little, now draw a line that would be your turning
tool, now measure, unless you use a scraper you are going to be at least
an inch away for your optimum, if you would do the same again but use a
1/4" bar instead of the 1" round bar you'll notice the difference.
Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

George wrote:
Remember - a round rest automatically places your fulcrum farther from the
work than the traditional - wonder why it's the traditional - quarter-round
type. I hate to give leverage I don't have to give.

I've never worried about the slight additional distance, but what I do
mis w/a round rest is the ability for my hand to 'hide' behind it. The
nova rest is a couple inches of flat which I can use as a guide as I
cut, and more importantly as a fence for my hand to stay behind . I
especially like that security when turning natural edge bowls. I know
if I'm hehind the 'fence' my hand is safe. With a round bar it's less
obvious where the safety zone is since the wings on a natural edge bowl
sorta disappear when up to speed.

Maybe it's just a perception thing, but I've always figured if something
doesn't feel safe, it is inherently less safe than something that does...


....Kevin
--
Kevin Miller
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Juneau, Alaska

Kevin your right , with a 1/2' or bigger gauge we do have enough
leverage, and the little bit of extra distance in that case does not
make a lot of difference, but like the other Leo said , it makes a lot
of difference if you use real small tools, the problem I find with all
this is, steel's just to springy, but I can't have my cake and eat it,
so since I make my own tool rests, I make them either thick or wide,
just to minimize that, my 1" round bent tool rest still likes to start
vibrating under some conditions, I certainly would not go for anything
lighter, unless it is only to be used for small turnings, the cast steel
does have a real advantage over steel in that regard, down side is its
scores easier and might break on us, as far as keeping safe, just stay
on your side of the tool rest G.
Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Millers wrote:

George wrote:

Remember - a round rest automatically places your fulcrum farther from
the
work than the traditional - wonder why it's the traditional -
quarter-round
type. I hate to give leverage I don't have to give.

I've never worried about the slight additional distance, but what I do
mis w/a round rest is the ability for my hand to 'hide' behind it. The
nova rest is a couple inches of flat which I can use as a guide as I
cut, and more importantly as a fence for my hand to stay behind . I
especially like that security when turning natural edge bowls. I know
if I'm hehind the 'fence' my hand is safe. With a round bar it's less
obvious where the safety zone is since the wings on a natural edge bowl
sorta disappear when up to speed.

Maybe it's just a perception thing, but I've always figured if something
doesn't feel safe, it is inherently less safe than something that does...


...Kevin

"George" (clip) Oh yes, Leo, there is only one point of tangency (contact)
available on any circle, so a round toolrest has no "broader" contact.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The theoretical point contact between an arc and a tangent is a mathematical
concept, which ignores the elasticity of the materials. I'm not going to
look up the equations, but there is something called a "Hertz stress." The
less curvature the less stress and the smaller the deflection. Intuitively,
I think you will agree that your tool will be easier to move over a 1"
radius than over a knife edge.

Did you just change windmills in mid-tilt?

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"George" (clip) Oh yes, Leo, there is only one point of tangency (contact)
available on any circle, so a round toolrest has no "broader"
contact.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The theoretical point contact between an arc and a tangent is a
mathematical
concept, which ignores the elasticity of the materials. I'm not going to
look up the equations, but there is something called a "Hertz stress."
The
less curvature the less stress and the smaller the deflection.
Intuitively,
I think you will agree that your tool will be easier to move over a 1"
radius than over a knife edge.

"George": wrote: Did you just change windmills in mid-tilt?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
George, I thought I was making a valid response to your post. Let's drop
it--it doesn't have a lot to do with woodturning anyway.

Tough to tell.

I thought the Hertz you referred to were the result of digital interaction
with a knife edge, which can be very stressful.

As opposed to the interaction of a knife edge and tool, which is commonly
referred to as the Mohel effect.

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"George": wrote: Did you just change windmills in mid-tilt?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
George, I thought I was making a valid response to your post. Let's drop
it--it doesn't have a lot to do with woodturning anyway.

"George" wrote: I thought the Hertz you referred to were the result of
digital interaction with a knife edge, which can be very stressful.
As opposed to the interaction of a knife edge and tool, which is commonly
referred to as the Mohel effect.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I GIVE UP. You're a lot punnier than I am.