Tool Rests

[Richard Wilabee]

I've been looking at the Robust tools rests with the small round bar on them for my new lathe when it arrives. I'm trying to figure out if the curved would be good and then what length straight to start. I'm not sure what size rest the Lathe will come with. My shopsmith had a very different kind of Banjo so I've never used the type of Banjo for the tool rest that comes with the Jet 16" Lathe.

 

[hockenbery]

I've been looking at the Robust tools rests with the small round bar on them for my new lathe when it arrives. I'm trying to figure out if the curved would be good and then what length straight to start. I'm not sure what size rest the Lathe will come with. My shopsmith had a very different kind of Banjo so I've never used the type of Banjo for the tool rest that comes with the Jet 16" Lathe.

I don't care for curved tool rests because they get in the way more than they help. The curve of the rest will hit the tool handle on hollowing cuts.
I do have a 14" robust j rest. It is straight with a short angle at the end.
I use it for any bowl bigger than 14"

Robust tool rests are excellent.
If you use scrapers for hollowing a curved rest is almost a necessity as you can't work very far off the rest with a scraper removing wood.
If you use a side ground gouge a curved rest is not needed and it gets in the way.

I suggest you use the rest that comes with the lathe for a while then look for an after market.

The comfort rests are real nice for some work. They cannot be used for cuts where the handle drops.
A pull cut cannot be done well with the comfort rest.
The tool will hit the front of the rest which is sort of at an angle. I have used the front as a rest on occasion in demos where the comfort rest was the only one available.
Turning the rest backwards put the tool too far away.

I love the comfort rest for reverse turning the bottoms of bowls and hollow forms and for spindles and balls etc.
It would not work as my only rest.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

the jet 1642 has I believe a 12 tool rest, which works fine espically for roughing....if you want a curved tool rest for bowls that would be nice....the robust
3" straight tool rest comes in handy in a lot of situations

 

[hockenbery]

Don't forget to file the top of your new tool rest to bare metal.

New rest will have paint or some coating that is nowhere as smooth as the bare metal.

Parting tools and skew often leave little nicks in the tool R&R.
File to tool ret every once in awhile to get rid of them.

 

[Richard Wilabee]

I don't care for curved tool rests because they get in the way more than they help. The curve of the rest will hit the tool handle on hollowing cuts.
I do have a 14" robust j rest. It is straight with a short angle at the end.
I use it for any bowl bigger than 14"

Robust tool rests are excellent.
If you use scrapers for hollowing a curved rest is almost a necessity as you can't work very far off the rest with a scraper removing wood.
If you use a side ground gouge a curved rest is not needed and it gets in the way.

I suggest you use the rest that comes with the lathe for a while then look for an after market.

The comfort rests are real nice for some work. They cannot be used for cuts where the handle drops.
A pull cut cannot be done well with the comfort rest.
The tool will hit the front of the rest which is sort of at an angle. I have used the front as a rest on occasion in demos where the comfort rest was the only one available.
Turning the rest backwards put the tool too far away.

I love the comfort rest for reverse turning the bottoms of bowls and hollow forms and for spindles and balls etc.
It would not work as my only rest.

I think you are right use the one that came with it first then what would be a good curved one for inside and outside.

Rich

 

[Bill Boehme]

The Robust rest that I use the most is the 9 inch low profile one. I do a lot of shear cutting with the tool handle really low and most rests, Robust included, don't work well for that style of turning. I bought an Advanced Lathe Tools rest from Steve Sinner and it has become my favorite anytime that I want to turn with the handle really low, which is anytime that I am using a bowl gouge on the exterior of anything. I have several curved rests of all brands and configurations. They are all paperweights. I'm with Al ... I prefer straight rests.

 

[Richard Wilabee]

The Robust rest that I use the most is the 9 inch low profile one. I do a lot of shear cutting with the tool handle really low and most rests, Robust included, don't work well for that style of turning. I bought an Advanced Lathe Tools rest from Steve Sinner and it has become my favorite anytime that I want to turn with the handle really low, which is anytime that I am using a bowl gouge on the exterior of anything. I have several curved rests of all brands and configurations. They are all paperweights. I'm with Al ... I prefer straight rests.

Went to Steve Sinners web site. Tool rests look really good. What would you suggest for a good all around size to start with. He has 3, 6, 9, and 12.

Thanks

Rich

 

[Richard Wilabee]

Banjo

Someone mentioned that a nice addition is a longer 18" Banjo from One Way as the Banjo that comes with the Jet 16" lathe might be a little short for working on the back side of larger bowls. I checked with One Way and they have one that will fit. It costs about 275.00

 

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

Don't forget to file the top of your new tool rest to bare metal.

New rest will have paint or some coating that is nowhere as smooth as the bare metal.

Parting tools and skew often leave little nicks in the tool R&R.
File to tool ret every once in awhile to get rid of them.

are you referring to the stock tool rest?

Robust tool rests have a hardened steel rod on top - and I don't think they paint that rod.

 

[Odie]

I'd be tempted by those Steve Sinner rests. I have several straight rests that are in constant use, including a couple from Robust. The top hardened rod is great for finish cuts, and is my preference.

I also use several outside curved tool rests, including one from Robust and a couple from Oneway. The curved outside rest from Oneway is a bit too large for some work. I ended cutting down my first one, and then ordered a second one. From my point of view, a good curved rest is essential for perfect cuts, simply because it will be closer to the curvature of most bowls. Straight tool rests are not as good for following a curve, because it's better to maintain an equal distance (or as close as possible) between tool rest and the workpiece through the length of the cut.

For me, inside curved tool rests are not as important as outside curved tool rests. I've got the Robust, Oneway, and the J-hook rest Al mentioned. The J-hook is great when it's needed, but not very often. Sometimes I use mine as a straight tool rest when the conditions make it a good choice to do that.

Overall, I'd suggest anyone contemplating tool rests to get a curved one along with some straight ones, and do some experimenting with it. The outside tool rest is important for me to have, and to a lesser degree, the inside tool rest. Like all things woodturning, everything, and every technique, and every style, is subject to how an individual evolves in their work.

I use a 4" straight Robust tool rest more than any other straight one, so that's where I'd start if I were buying.....but, longer straight tool rests are very important to have, too.

ooc

 

[hockenbery]

Someone mentioned that a nice addition is a longer 18" Banjo from One Way as the Banjo that comes with the Jet 16" lathe might be a little short for working on the back side of larger bowls. I checked with One Way and they have one that will fit. It costs about 275.00

The ONEWAY banjo is the best you can buy. Once you use a ONEWAY banjo nothing else will suit you.

I do not recommend you upgrade at this time.
Turn for a few years and then decide what direction you want to go.

Buy a ONEWAY or Robust.
Spending lot of dollars ONEWAY banjo is something you do for a lathe you plan to keep,for a long long time.

 

[hockenbery]

are you referring to the stock tool rest? Robust tool rests have a hardened steel rod on top - and I don't think they paint that rod.

Any painted tool rest.
The hardened steel rods just need an an occasional sanding to remove gunk

 

[hockenbery]

The curved tool rest has a some fans. I know one excellent turner that uses one.

Most all of the really good bowl turners use only the straight rest.

The curved rest on the outside limits the shapes of your bowls and hollow forms.
This is a good thing if you own the inside rest because they only fit in certain shaped bowls.

Take a class from a good bowl turner then decide if you want a curved rest.

 

[Dale Miner]

The curved tool rest has a some fans. I know one excellent turner that uses one.

Most all of the really good bowl turners use only the straight rest.

The curved rest on the outside limits the shapes of your bowls and hollow forms.
This is a good thing if you own the inside rest because they only fit in certain shaped bowls.

Take a class from a good bowl turner then decide if you want a curved rest.

No one has mentioned the use of a blunt grind or 'bottom feeder' bowl gouge in large, deep bowls.

There are times when a curved rest on the inside of a bowl using a bottom grind is beneficial. The curved rest helps maintain minimum overhang in deep bowls.

12" bowls can usually be done with a straightt rest, but a 16" dia x 7" deep bowl becomes challenging in the bottom and the curved rest helps.

 

[robo hippy]

As a bowl turner, I prefer the curved rests. Mostly you can keep the tool/fulcrum point closer to the wood as you cut, so you aren't hanging out so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0uS9gj0Szs

I am seeing if I can find an easy way to make one with the S curve, but with hardened drill rod on it rather than the cast metal blue one I show in this clip. With the S curve, you don't have the problem of running into the end of the tool rest. I have found that when you are getting to that point, it is usually time to change to a bottom feeder gouge.

robo hippy

 

[Richard Wilabee]

I did take a peak at the Robust tool rest but at this point I have no idea which post height to pick.

Rich

 

[hockenbery]

I did take a peak at the Robust tool rest but at this point I have no idea which post height to pick. Rich

On the Robust site there is nice chart of which rests fit which lathes.

Al