Jim, first of all the reason you broke the tool rest is because it's casted not solid like the high end lathe parts and then you are using the wrong tool for the wrong reason like using a spindle gouge for rough turning on a bowl for example. This happened to me around last September or august 2011 to my Grizzly tool rest then I took it to a friend and he welded it for me. Then I bought it home and used it again and same thing happened until I went to another friend who is a professional welder and showed it to him and he told me that you have to use a different welding technique to weld those cheap Chinese casted metals. Anyways it would cost you cheaper to go to a steel supply shop and ask them to sell you the round stock the size you need and then have someone to weld it back together for you. Or, you can buy it form the guy mentioned above. I would also look up JohnnyCNC here for those tool rest I bought a smaller one form him for penturning and he makes a very good tool rests for a very reasonable price. Good luck.
P.S. make sure you use a very sharp tools too that is another reason for getting a catch, hence tool rest break.
