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Curved Toolrest

Norm Marentette

Norm Marentette

Joined
Jun 2, 2021
Messages
255
Likes
602
Location
Kingsville, ON
Looking for a curved tool rest for my laguna 1836 lathe. I tend to turn bowls 12 to 16 inch in diameter. Any suggestions would greatly appreciated!
 
I had the curved rest but didn’t like them. I now use a J rest that I prefer. I know some like them, but I seemed to want to follow the rest profile and not the bowl profile I wanted.
 
I like the Robust j rest. If you use a gouge the large one is excellent for those sized bowls
l agree with @William Rogers - curved rests get in my way more than they help.

if you hollow with scrapers a curved rest is essential
also if you have any physical limitations a curved rest can help.

check out the j rest From robust.
 
How come I'm such an oddball? :D

For exterior curves, I have both Robust and Oneway curved tool rests. Although the Robust is great, I use the Oneway quite a bit more than the Robust. Actually, I have two of the Oneway outside curve tool rests......one of them, I've cut down.

For the highly detailed bowls and platters I turn, I don't have much need for a long curved rest. There isn't much need for length, because the shape has details that break up the long curved overall surface. I rely on constantly repositioning the rest, and my sense of the overall curve of interconnected smaller curves.

For interior curves, the process is entirely different. I have both Oneway and Robust long curved interior tool rests, but seldom use them, unless I'm making a more traditional shape, or a salad bowl. In more recent times, I'm come to really enjoy Robo Hippy's inside bowl rest that is shaped like an ogee. I have the Robust version of this rest, but Robo's version is better......too bad he doesn't make them anymore.

Of course, what I do doesn't seem to apply to many other turners, as my goals do not seem to be inline with the herd. I guess that's why I'm considered such a maverick.....or, maybe the proper term is "oddball" ha,ha! :)

-----odie-----
 
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I have the inner and outer Robust curved rests. For the right curvature they work great, but not so well as the desired curve deviates from that of the rest. The J rest works better over a wide range of shapes.
 
Robo's rests for the inside. Robust for the outside. Pretty expensive to get them on this side of The Pond, but they're in use all the time.
Hope, someone eventually reintroduces the the Robo line, they're really high class.
For deeper forms, I go for the J-rest, too.
 
I also use the oneway curved tool rest....... I use it when hollowing out all my bowls. No Odie.....you're not an oddball my friend! :)
 
Lamar Wright said:
I also use the oneway curved tool rest....... I use it when hollowing out all my bowls. No Odie.....you're not an oddball my friend! :)
Click to expand...

Hey there Lamar..... :)

Oh rats!

I sort of like being the oddball, you know! Heh,heh,heh :)

-----odie-----
 
There are or were no better J rests than Robo's. Quite a shame that he is no longer making them. If you ever see a set for sale my advice would be to snag them immediately. Solid all the way out to the tip. Robo has contributed the Big Ugly Tool. the Robo Rest and the J Rests he made are all top quality.
 
Straight rest on the outside, inside too for shallow bowls (less than 4-5 in). For deep ones, the Robust J rest. I also have the robust curved interior rest, but I reach for the J 99% of the time, it's much more flexible for dealing with all kinds of different shapes.
 
William Rogers said:
Well Odie compared to me you are mainstream. I mean making two lidded boxes with 18” finials and a Ship from a bowl. I’m much more “odd":rolleyes:
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Thanks for everyone's opinion. Looks like Robust j rest is very popular. Problem in Ontario we only have one dealer in Toronto but no stock. Oneway lives just down the road, about 21/2 hrs from where I live. (Kingsville, Ontario Canada - about 45 minutes from Detroit Windsor border). See if I can find one soon. Thanks again. By the way no suggestion is a bad one from my teaching experience of 25 years. Thanks again guys.
 
Purchase (2) pieces of steel round stock, one the proper diameter to fit your banjo and another the diameter and length you need for the curved rest and take it to someone that has a welder and a torch and they can heat up the long piece and make your curved tool rest and then weld it to the short piece that fits your banjo.
 
Hmm, long time ago, I did a video on tool rests. I don't use anything other than the ones with the hardened drill rod on top. Tools just glide over the top. I do have to clean gunk off of both tools and the rod from time to time, but huge improvement over the cast iron. Never liked the 1 inch diameter round rod rests. Main problem was that when you drop the handle, your balance/fulcrum point changes and moves farther away from your work. For outside curves, I like the arc of the Oneway rest better than the arc of the Robust rest. I like a wider radius, it just suits me better. Dale Larson commented that the Robust curve was perfect for him. As for inside rests, never liked the Oneway or Robust version. They just were awkward to use and required too many banjo adjustments to use them. The Oneway also would bounce when you were out at the very end of it.

As for the ones I made, I believe they are the only ones on the market that were 'invented' by a dedicated bowl turner. They will be out again, but not by me, and I don't know when. The person, who does not want to be named, does read this forum.... He is trying to figure out my grinder platform first. He does want to make it so that there is no wobble in the platform top at all. There was a tiny bit of play in it, which I never noticed until some one told me about it. It can be done by using a 5/64th pin instead of the 1/8 inch pin, but it is almost impossible to make it accurately enough so that all the holes will line up perfectly enough for that slightly larger pin..... Hope to see both out again...

Some one also needs to make the Big Ugly tool. I made them mostly to keep that tool alive, but didn't make any profit on them. Not as easy to sell as gouges because not many use scrapers like I do...

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
He is trying to figure out my grinder platform first. He does want to make it so that there is no wobble in the platform top at all. There was a tiny bit of play in it, which I never noticed until some one told me about it.
robo hippy
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Well, of course, when you put a 6# Big Ugly on the platform it's not going to wobble....;)

Seriously, I LOVE my Robo platform and wish I'd bought one years earlier. The only tiny issue is that the pin does try to fall out due to vibration sometimes, generally when leaving the grinder on cuz it's NRS time on something big. (OK, the other issue is that when I mounted it, I discovered I'd put the Wolverine base 1/8" off center and the edge of the platform cutout is really close to the wheel. But that's on me)
 
Dean Center said:
Well, of course, when you put a 6# Big Ugly on the platform it's not going to wobble....;)

Seriously, I LOVE my Robo platform and wish I'd bought one years earlier. The only tiny issue is that the pin does try to fall out due to vibration sometimes, generally when leaving the grinder on cuz it's NRS time on something big. (OK, the other issue is that when I mounted it, I discovered I'd put the Wolverine base 1/8" off center and the edge of the platform cutout is really close to the wheel. But that's on me)
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Dean. Put a slight bend in the pin and it should not try and fall out. I don’t think that affects anything.
 
I"d love to have a grinder rest made with a piece of steel or cast iron thick enough that it didn't flex with the downward pressure of holding the tool in place. Completely loved the concept of a reproducible angle, but the flex drove me crazy. Same kind of problems as with the Wolverine rest before I figured out that it had a hump over the weld. A few minutes with a big file was able to fix that.
 
I gave one of my first rests to Dave Schweitzer at D Way. He noted that if he put the pin in on one side, it would vibrate out, but not if he put it in on the other side.

Two ideas behind that design, one was that it worked like a chop saw with pre set stops so no jigs were needed and angles would be perfectly repeatable. The other was to make it affordable by keeping it simple. I had pondered other variations over the years, but most 'improvements' would have made that platform much more expensive.

I am still trying to invent things, just my nature.... I want a flex shaft sanding system that runs off of a mini lathe variable speed motor and a mandrill that will set up on the articulated sanding arm I made...

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
want a flex shaft sanding system that runs off of a mini lathe variable speed motor and a mandrill that will set up on the articulated sanding arm I made.
Click to expand...
I do some sanding with a foredom. Motor is similar up to the motors on the small mini lathes.
foredom can be hung above the lathe to keep the shaft in a gentle curve.

for a prototype
should be easy to Jerry rig a coupling you can hold in a collet or 4 jaw Chuck to drive the flexible shaft from a mini.
maybe clamp the shaft housing to the banjo or a block mounted in the banjo.
 
I did look at the foredom set up and the motor is to small. They say you 'can' use 3 inch discs on them. To me, that means you can, but probably should not use it exclusively for that. That particular set up is kind of like the angle drills that most of us use, they are not intended to be used for grinding purposes, and that is what we do with them. I would like to be able to run, maybe 5 or 6 inch discs, and want low speeds, in the 200 to 500 rpm range. It could also come in handy to be able to run some of the larger carving bits in a set up like this.... even the chainsaw bits. Possible if you have the horse power to run it. I had thought about a Milwaukee Hole Hog, but don't think they are variable speed, or easily set up for that. A mini lathe would be perfect because just about every one has one, or more of them...

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
I gave one of my first rests to Dave Schweitzer at D Way. He noted that if he put the pin in on one side, it would vibrate out, but not if he put it in on the other side.

Two ideas behind that design, one was that it worked like a chop saw with pre set stops so no jigs were needed and angles would be perfectly repeatable. The other was to make it affordable by keeping it simple. I had pondered other variations over the years, but most 'improvements' would have made that platform much more expensive.

I am still trying to invent things, just my nature.... I want a flex shaft sanding system that runs off of a mini lathe variable speed motor and a mandrill that will set up on the articulated sanding arm I made...

robo hippy
Click to expand...
Yes! That sounds very intriguing.
 
Does anyone know if ording the 'long post' rests from Robust are fine for a Laguna 2436 or do you need to special order?

Specifically, the large "J-Rest"
 
I don’t know the answer Allen, but have found Robust to be very responsive to questions. The “toolrest dimensions” link on their tool rest page indicates the long 14” j rest has 5” post & 7.25” overall height. Looking at the 2436, it sure looks like the stock Long would be fine. Do those dimensions somewhat match your stock tool rest?
Earl
 
Earl McLain said:
I don’t know the answer Allen, but have found Robust to be very responsive to questions. The “toolrest dimensions” link on their tool rest page indicates the long 14” j rest has 5” post & 7.25” overall height. Looking at the 2436, it sure looks like the stock Long would be fine. Do those dimensions somewhat match your stock tool rest?
Earl
Click to expand...
Yes, I had just read something from a site that mentioned special ordering for Lagunas, but perhaps it was an old 'guide'.

I called Robust yesterday but they were closed in the afternoon. I'm debating biting the bullet and risking a return so I can get one here sooner than later. Trying to do a deep bowl last night and today was tough w/out good reach and proper tool support.

I've also considered a Oneway rest for bowls.

Does anyone make one that the post doesn't get in the way besides them? I wish the larger Ogee style was available from Robust or someone now that Reeds aren't available. I love the smaller one I have. I'm not convinced I'd be happy w/ the inside bowl rest from Robust - it seems the post gets in the way from being able to make a full sweep. A friend showed me one and why he doesn't care for it.
 
Allen Mattsen said:
I called Robust yesterday but they were closed in the afternoon. I'm debating biting the bullet and risking a return so I can get one here sooner than later. Trying to do a deep bowl last night and today was tough w/out good reach and proper tool support.

I've also considered a Oneway rest for bowls.
Click to expand...
Everyplace is closed on sunday and can't ship until Monday. If Brent can't get you a rest as quickly as you want, Craftsupplies usually ships the same day you order, if you call in the am. They're also good at answering questions.
 
Allen Mattsen said:
Yes, I had just read something from a site that mentioned special ordering for Lagunas, but perhaps it was an old 'guide'.

I called Robust yesterday but they were closed in the afternoon. I'm debating biting the bullet and risking a return so I can get one here sooner than later. Trying to do a deep bowl last night and today was tough w/out good reach and proper tool support.

I've also considered a Oneway rest for bowls.

Does anyone make one that the post doesn't get in the way besides them? I wish the larger Ogee style was available from Robust or someone now that Reeds aren't available. I love the smaller one I have. I'm not convinced I'd be happy w/ the inside bowl rest from Robust - it seems the post gets in the way from being able to make a full sweep. A friend showed me one and why he doesn't care for it.
Click to expand...
I just ordered 2 Robust rests for my Grizzly G0766. For this lathe the post to top edge of rest needs to be 8 3/4". I just called Robust; told them what lathe I had and they made them to the length I needed. Delivered to my door in less than 7 days, and no extra charge for the longer post. I strongly suggest calling them before ordering. Responsive and knowledgeable.
 
Tom Lucas said:
I just ordered 2 Robust rests for my Grizzly G0766. For this lathe the post to top edge of rest needs to be 8 3/4". I just called Robust; told them what lathe I had and they made them to the length I needed. Delivered to my door in less than 7 days, and no extra charge for the longer post. I strongly suggest calling them before ordering. Responsive and knowledgeable.
Click to expand...
Thanks Tom
 
They can be made.......IMG_4729.JPG
Four blanks for a standard J rest. Bottom rest was modified for a cut I make. I made one 18" long a couple months ago.

I've been using 4130 alloy steel for the top rod. I can weld it pretty good and it stays semi hard. Maybe $10 for material. Trade a bowl to a welder for a custom made rest!

I don't sell these things, I just like piddling.
 
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