I have a perfectly good "S" shaped tool rest that I would like to use, but it's diameter is 5/8" and the hole in my banjo is 1" diameter. Can I shim it in or is that a bad idea? And if I can shim what material do you suggest I use? Thanks!
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Resizing a Tool Rest
- Thread starter Charles Cadenhead
- Start date
I see a couple of ways to fix the problem.
How about cutting off the 5/8" shaft and welding on a piece of 1" round stock?
Second way - what about drilling a 5/8" hole in a piece of 1" round stock. A couple spots of welding to hold the two parts together and off you go.
Next idea is to go buy a tool rest that you like with a 1" shaft.
I have an "S" shaped tool rest and find that I do not ever use it. It came with a used lathe I purchased many years ago. Sits in the drawer for now.
Hugh
How about cutting off the 5/8" shaft and welding on a piece of 1" round stock?
Second way - what about drilling a 5/8" hole in a piece of 1" round stock. A couple spots of welding to hold the two parts together and off you go.
Next idea is to go buy a tool rest that you like with a 1" shaft.
I have an "S" shaped tool rest and find that I do not ever use it. It came with a used lathe I purchased many years ago. Sits in the drawer for now.
Hugh
Not a shim, but a sleeve is the way to make it fit. But that depends on what lathe you have and how the tool rest is gripped and if you want to epoxy or braze on the sleeve. It would be a fairly reasonable part at a local machine shop.
If you can do it yourself as in welding then cut the 5/8" shaft off and weld S tool rest onto a 1" shaft. I you have to get the work done by a commercial shop it would likely be cheaper to buy a new one.
Hopefully that S rest isn't a cheap Chinese cast version with all the welding recommendations.
I can't weld and don't have the equipment it would probably be cheaper to buy a different rest.
That looks like it would work, and I found one on Amazon.
I looked the rest up I paid 20 bucks for it 4 years ago and it's now listed for $10 so I'm not going to spend a lot of money trying to adapt it. I may just buy a new rest for it.
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Same here. If that S shaped tool rest is the old style big cast iron one, it's pretty useless. The J rests now available do what that S rest was supposed to do.
-----odie-----
Look at Rockler, they have a 1" to 5/8" tool rest adapter for $13
One of my favorite tool rests is made by our own @robo hippy It is my to-go tool rest. The design is incredible. If you follow me on Facebook or IG, you can see I used it today and yesterday.
Take a look at the Robo rest. I'm just surprised that some big tool company has not approached him yet to go big time with it, you can tell it was designed by a turner that has spent a lot of hours turning and has an engineering background. It is tilted, so you can get closer to the work. They come in 3 sizes, this is the medium one.
Attachments
Agree with Emiliano. The Robo Rests really are superb. They have taken over 80-90% of my bowl inside work. Every design aspect fits practical use.
Lars
Lars
It should be fairly easy to find some pipe, 5/8 inside diameter, and 1 inch outside diameter, tack weld it on top and bottom. I did that for a friend who wanted a 1 1/4 inch post.
robo hippy
robo hippy
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I'm a robo rest fan also. I have one of the cast iron S tool rests. I find it useless. May be good if you only used a scraper on it but it is not a good shape for a bowl gouge. If someone really wants one that has a 5/8" tool post we can probably work something out
The whole point was to reuse one I had not to buy a new one.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I had to go the other way. Mine had a 3/4" tool post and needed 5/8". I used an adjustable boring bar in my metal mill and turned the cutter toward the center of rotation. Then just ran it up and down the shaft and adjusted it in after each pass until it was 5/8". I know most people don't have that capability but it was interesting figuring out how to do it.