Tool Rest For Midi ?

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Spinzwood

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Jul 25, 2017
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Santa Rosa, CA
I have a Comet II midi lathe and would like to upgrade the tool rest. I don't think I can afford a Robust, especially if I want more than one length..

Currently, my options seem to be the rests made from SS bar stock or a Rockler that has a hardened steel bar atop a "Robust" lookalike.

Considering I would like to have a few different lengths, what would you suggest?

The Rockler's are about $20 each looking at 4", 6" etc.

Then, looking at the ones made from SS bar stock, some are dedicated lengths and others are "modular", sharing one tool post with different length cross bars.

Not sure of the pros and cons of each.. so, looking for some input
 
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Charlie_W

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Nov 16, 2011
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Sterling, VA USA
If you click on Vendor Fourm at the top of the page, scroll down to Rick's Custom Tools. Excellent quality, reasonable prices, and Rick is great to work with.
9" is about as long as you want to go on a Midi tool rest.
 

monophoto

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Mar 13, 2010
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Saratoga Springs, NY
Very good question. Two weeks ago I had an original-equipment tool rest break, and faced a similar dilemma. There are a number of options to consider.

In my case, the tool rest that broke was 6" - that's the one that I use probably 90% of the time. I chose to go with the Rockler with the hardened steel bar on the top - less than $20 on Amazon. Two observations about this rest:
- the post is painted which means that until you use it enough to wear off all of the paint, you will have a problem locking it down without having it twist as bits of paint fleck off. I suppose I could use a wire brush to remove all of the paint, but that's more work than I care to take on. Another purchaser of this rest complained that he had to remove that paint to even get the post into the hole in his banjo.
- I found that the shape of the Rockler tool rest was just enough different from the original equipment rest (the one that broke) that there was interference between the lever that locks it into the banjo and the bottom of the rest. Not a big deal - just a nuisance that slows down the process of adjusting the rest.

Several years ago, with a different lathe, I had a similar experience of breaking a tool rest. In that instance, I opted to purchase a rest made by Rick Herrell who regularly posts on this board. He does a two-piece design - the post has a threaded stud that screws into a hole in a round bar. It was beautifully made, and I chose to get both a 6" bar, and also a 3" bar that would attach to the same post. The combination was more expensive than the Rockler. A subtle point, however, is that if you are accustomed to a tool rest that has a solid steel shroud below the bar, using a rest that is only a round bar does feel 'different'. It's something that you can become accustomed to, but it will initially be strange.

Another option is a DIY tool rest. Rick Morris has a series of YouTube videos on making your own tool rest (this is the first in the series). Rick brazes the components together - I'm not equipped for brazing or welding, but I did follow his videos to make a 3" tool rest from a short length of angle and a bit of rod stock with screw holding the top to the post. I'm fairly comfortable with that approach for a short tool rest, but I would be hesitant to apply it to a longer tool rest because the longer arm would amplify the force of a catch applying more stress to the screw.
 

Spinzwood

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Jul 25, 2017
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Santa Rosa, CA
Thanks Charlie.. I'll check that out.
Louie.. what lathe are you using.. I have the Comet II. I don't care for any of the locking levers.. but, I live with them :)

One if the things I don't like about the std version rest that came with the nova is the "softness" of the cast iron. The locking screw digs into the post and I continually have to file of the raised material to let it side smoothly in the banjo... otherwise, I'd not be considering a replacement until it either wears out or breaks.. Also, the cast iron top gets nicks which is a problem, mostly using the skew... doesn't slide easily w/o cleaning up the nicks with a file.

So, that, in a nutshell, is why I'm looking for a replacement.
 

KenV

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Oct 28, 2005
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Juneau, Alaska.
Thanks Charlie.. I'll check that out.
Louie.. what lathe are you using.. I have the Comet II. I don't care for any of the locking levers.. but, I live with them :)

One if the things I don't like about the std version rest that came with the nova is the "softness" of the cast iron. The locking screw digs into the post and I continually have to file of the raised material to let it side smoothly in the banjo... otherwise, I'd not be considering a replacement until it either wears out or breaks.. Also, the cast iron top gets nicks which is a problem, mostly using the skew... doesn't slide easily w/o cleaning up the nicks with a file.

So, that, in a nutshell, is why I'm looking for a replacement.

Round the edges on the skew so it does not mar the cast iron rest. The amount of rounding is optional, but I do a bit more than minimum as it makes the skew movements (rolling it over) more smooth.

A couple minutes once and it is good for the life of the skew. Some of the higher priced skews come prerounded.
 

monophoto

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Mar 13, 2010
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My lathe is a Turncrafter 12". Generally very pleased with it.

My experience is that tool rests tend to accumulate dings, and it is necessary to periodically file down the top edge to smooth them out. And based on what I have read and seen on the interweb, that seems to be a problem that everyone encounters. It was even necessary to occasionally file down the top edge of that really nice tool rest that Rick Herrell made for me.

In the two cases where I have had a broken tool rest, the post fractured just below the point where it was welded to the crossbar. I'm not a metallurgist, but the fracture looks crystallized, and I suspect that means that the metal was not high quality.

I've also had a problem with the post getting distorted. I don't think the post is cast iron, but it's not a high-grade steel either.
 

mrgator

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Apr 28, 2015
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Central New York
I have the Comet II as well. Definitely second checking out Rick's . I have several and couldn't be happier with them.
 
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