Dang it, can't turn for a bit now.

[Russianwolf]

Nothing too serious, but I broke my tool rest when I got a bad catch on a piece of maple. Now I'll be out of action for at least a couple days.

Can anypne recommend a replacement? preferable non-castiron.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Mike,
I had same problem doing a zebrawood bowl.. I run a Jet 1014 mini and sheared the tool rest off the post.. I went to PSI and got their set of 3 .. various sized steel round bar tool rests. Didn't think I would like, they work great for me.

If you look in the old posts, someone on here was doing stainless steel, custom tool rests.. don't remember who or how far back, but a search might turn something up.

 

[Rmartin]

I made one just this week. Needed a shorter one to do non-mandrel turnings. My Jet mini uses a 5/8 rod; got that at Home Depot. Also picked up some one inch angle rod. We have a welder at work, so it was no problem to do a quick weld, but if you don't have a welder, you can buy a metal putty. It comes in plastic tubes. I've used it, and it works very well. Slice off a bit, nead it, set the post to whatever top rest you want and add the metal putty. It sets up in less than an hour. I think it would work for a quick fix.

Rmartin

 

[Fred]

Woodcraft has several sizes to match various lathes. The round tool rest makes life a bit easier if one is prone to "dig-in" with the edges of the tool (assuming the tool has sharp edges).

I doubt that the epoxy suggested above would survive a serious catch. If you broke one that was made correctly just imagine what a tool post will do if it is epoxied. I 'might' go that route if I was really, really pressed for time. However I would not expect it to last long.

Go get the proper tool post and tool bar and be done with this problem. Turning time is a-wasting. Oh, expect to pay around $13.00 for the post and another $10 - 20 for the rest. Woodcraft does offer a set with several lengths for the tool rest. Call for availability in your store first. []

 

[Randy_]

You can stop into most any muffler shop and they will do little welding jobs for you for a nominal fee.

 

[Kalai]

Hi Mike, I just bought a bar of steel the same diameter as the hole in your tool rest holder and have a machine shop bend it to a 90 degree angle, you can see a picture of mine in use on my website at www.koawoodhawaii.com , it is under the tab wood and turnings and it is the first picture on the 5th row, you will see me turning a very large bowl and you will see the tool rest made from a bent bar, very cheap and easy and if it can handle a big bowl like the one I was turning it should handle anything, aloha.

Chris
Kalai[]

 

[Russianwolf]

1)Chris, that ain't no bowl. It's a freakin' wheel. Heck I run smaller tires on my Jeep.

2)thanks for all the advice. PSI is out of stock until the 8th. I'm going to check amazon to see if they have any in stock. If not I'll go Chris' route.

Like Oz, it just snapped right at the joint between post and rest. Cast metal at it's brittle best. I've got some spindles to do right now, but if it has to wait a week, I can catch up on some flat work.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Similar questions come up pretty often. A new, or custom, tool rest can be made by your local welder at very nominal cost. I get mine for $10.00 each. That's the shop minimum. If I got several at one time the per rest cost would be less. Below is my pen and small projects rest.

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