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Tool Rest Post Diameter

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So in addition to the Robust J-Curve 1" diameter tool rest I got, I felt like I needed one of the Double-S curved ones for more flexibility all around the bowl. I ended up getting one of those $50 ones from China off of ebay, and thought it might be serviceable if I file and smooth it. The post is exactly 1/1000" under-sized for my 1" Laguna banjo, and I can't get it tight no matter what I try , even with the tool-rest tension all the way down. Is there any way I can rig this to work safely? That 1 lousy thousandth of an inch is totally messing up my plan. Anybody else ever deal with this?
 

hockenbery

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Is that the toolrest that closes a gap in the casting to clamp the post?

be sure there is nothing in the slot that is keeping it open. A burr or sawdust

the 1/1000 is a surprising tolerance. if it still doesn’t lock tightly you need to make the post bigger.
a shim would take up the space you can get them in .001 thickness Which should work Or .0005 thicknesses

you can also have someone weld on a true 1” post.
 
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Thanks, Al-Yes, the Laguna banjo's tool-rest post tightens a gap with a screw and lever. Kinda cheap, but it generally works. I know there's a simple solution. I'll look around for that shim.
 

Bill Boehme

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So in addition to the Robust J-Curve 1" diameter tool rest I got, I felt like I needed one of the Double-S curved ones for more flexibility all around the bowl. I ended up getting one of those $50 ones from China off of ebay, and thought it might be serviceable if I file and smooth it. The post is exactly 1/1000" under-sized for my 1" Laguna banjo, and I can't get it tight no matter what I try , even with the tool-rest tension all the way down. Is there any way I can rig this to work safely? That 1 lousy thousandth of an inch is totally messing up my plan. Anybody else ever deal with this?

That could be a blessing in disguise although I'm sure that you mean single S. I have one of those S-shaped tool rests that I bought about fifteen years ago. I used it exactly one time and then promptly stuck it in a junk pile. I would give it away, but I wouldn't wish it on anybody even if it were somebody that I don't like. :D My favorite curved tool rests are the Robust J rests. I have both the small and large ones.
 

Timothy Allen

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@Aaron Harris is the gap closing tight and the post still loose? Or it just that the lever doesn't have enough swing to close the gap enough to securely grip the post? I don't know about the Lagunas, but most of these levers, you can pull them out from the bolt head (they are spring loaded), reposition them, and then they snap back in place, so you can change the swing of the lever.... ?
 
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I'll check that out, Timothy, and also try to find shim stock. Surely one of those solutions will work. Thanks all!
@Aaron Harris is the gap closing tight and the post still loose? Or it just that the lever doesn't have enough swing to close the gap enough to securely grip the post? I don't know about the Lagunas, but most of these levers, you can pull them out from the bolt head (they are spring loaded), reposition them, and then they snap back in place, so you can change the swing of the lever.... ?
 

john lucas

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.oo1" is nothing. It should clamp. I think something else is the problem. You can use a center puch and make a series of punched craters. The rims of the craters will be larger than .001" then take sand paper and knock it down until it just slides in. That's not the same as having a sleeve that makes the entire area a thousands thicker but it will take up anynslop.
 
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I have never seen this clamp but on any clamp of this type it seems something is bottoming out.

Is there still a gap between the sides of the clamp? file the gap larger.

Has the thread bottomed out in the tapped portion? Look in the hole is something blocking the bottom or is the thread on the lever not long enough. Try putting a washer under the shoulder on the lever.

Stu
 
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You could do a poor mans electroplating of the steel tool post and build up the surface on the undersized tool post. There are several videos on YouTube that demonstrate several different methods in applying various finishes on steel. A simple battery charger can be used to induce a voltage thru a solution with an electrode of the metal you want to bond to the steel post submerged in the solution. The steel post has one of the battery clamps clamped to the piece, your electroplating metal is clamped to the other charging cable. Depending on the polarity of the clamps attached to each of the pieces the directional flow of the current will determine which metal is sacrificed and slowly built up on the other piece.

You could also try a thin coat of durable paint, a hard finish or several coats of CA glue on the tool post, your banjo uses a clamping mechanism to secure the position of the post a hard finish should last a fair amount of time before you decide that you want a permanent solution if you use the tool post a lot.
 
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@Aaron Harris curious if and how you resolved your tool post problem?
Timothy-I haven't yet. It sits off to the side, giving me the stink-eye while I experiment with and learn on other tool rests. I have been cutting and turning a lot of wood over my Spring Break. I'll get to it eventually, and have high hopes that 1 of the solutions offered here will work.
 
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