# new tool rest



## Rifleman1776 (Jan 22, 2008)

Below is a 4" tool rest for my new Grizzly lathe. It is a 1" post and I let the old one go with my previous lathe as it was only 3/4". I had this made up at a local welder shop for $10.00. Exactly what I wanted, no waiting and much less money than the ones in the catalogs that are about $30.00 each. Later I'll be getting a larger one and a curved one for bowls.


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## Sylvanite (Jan 22, 2008)

Interesting.  All of these I've seen are made of solid bar stock, but is there any reason that 1" OD steel or copper pipe wouldn't work as well?  Pipe would be easier for me to find and fabricate.

Regards,
Eric


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## NavyDiver (Jan 22, 2008)

I think they overcharged you for the welding.  Whoever did it needs some more practice. That looks like some of my first welding attempts (and I was doing it under water []).


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## maxwell_smart007 (Jan 22, 2008)

I was thinking the same thing - I'm surprised a professional welding shop would do such an amateur job!


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## Rifleman1776 (Jan 22, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Sylvanite_
> 
> Interesting.  All of these I've seen are made of solid bar stock, but is there any reason that 1" OD steel or copper pipe wouldn't work as well?  Pipe would be easier for me to find and fabricate.
> 
> ...



For a tool rest, you want tough stuff. Rests do take a beating and most need filing to smooth out periodically. I know you said 'steel' pipe  but I'll caution that iron would be too soft as would copper.


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jan 22, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Sylvanite_
> 
> Interesting.  All of these I've seen are made of solid bar stock, but is there any reason that 1" OD steel or copper pipe wouldn't work as well?  Pipe would be easier for me to find and fabricate.
> 
> ...



Copper way is too soft. Stick with steel. And yes, it needs to be solid stock


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## Rifleman1776 (Jan 22, 2008)

> _Originally posted by NavyDiver_
> 
> I think they overcharged you for the welding.  Whoever did it needs some more practice. That looks like some of my first welding attempts (and I was doing it under water []).



Interesting comment. I know zip about welding. The guy that did it has been at this shop for quite a few years. The $10.00 was their minimum shop charge for any job and includes the material and welding.


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jan 22, 2008)

Did you try it yet Frank?


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## rherrell (Jan 22, 2008)

The welding job looks fine to me. It's a $10 TOOL REST for cryin' out loud, not a high pressure vessel!


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## Gary Max (Jan 22, 2008)

In this day and age finding a welder that will even let you in a shop is rare much less do anything for $10.00---You did good Frank


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## rlharding (Jan 22, 2008)

You may wish to get your grinder and smooth out the weld.  There may be occasions when you want the tool rest all the way down, the weld will prevent that.  Are the post and bar at 90 degrees? It's hard to see in the picture.


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## jwoodwright (Jan 22, 2008)

I know it's been said, however, that is one crappy weld.  Heck, he didn't even take a minute and clean up ends of rest on grinder...

I know, what do you expect for $10.00?  Better...

Now a word of caution, you want a solid tool rest.  Too hard a steel, get a "catch" slam tool "HSS" against Hard rest and you have broken tool, and injured turner, most likely.  This was discussed years ago on Better Homes and Garden Wood on-line...  Appartenly, it happened a lot, so iron tool rests became the norm...


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jan 22, 2008)

> _Originally posted by jwoodwright_
> 
> Now a word of caution, you want a solid tool rest.  Too hard a steel, get a "catch" slam tool "HSS" against Hard rest and you have broken tool, and injured turner, most likely.  This was discussed years ago on Better Homes and Garden Wood on-line...  Appartenly, it happened a lot, so iron tool rests became the norm...




I'll disagree on that. If he slammed the gouge on the tool rest he was doing something else wrong.

Many turners who make their own tools rests will weld angle iron on a post then epoxy 1/4" HSS on top of the angle iron. I've used a rest like this and it is really nice.

Robust Lathe makes what they call a comfort tool rest with epoxied HSS on top. Instead of a angle iron, it has a nice curve. After playing on a Robust at Bill Grumbine's, I liked the rests so much I purchased two of them on the spot, (6" and 9")






http://www.turnrobust.com/Comfort_Tool_Rests.html


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## byounghusband (Jan 22, 2008)

I'd pay $10 for that!!  I'm not worried about what the weld looks like, as long as it is SOLID.  And the top edge is what I need to be straight and level.  It looks like it is.  Would he make one for my JET 1014?  I believe it is a 3/4" post though.....


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## Rifleman1776 (Jan 22, 2008)

> _Originally posted by jwoodwright_
> 
> I know it's been said, however, that is one crappy weld.  Heck, he didn't even take a minute and clean up ends of rest on grinder...
> 
> ...



It is cold rolled. I don't really know what that means. But I have used cold rolled for other projects in the past. I do know it is tough stuff and not brittle. A tool rest I had made previously was cold rolled post with angle iron rest. I used it for six years many hundreds of times. It was OK but I never really liked it.


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## Texatdurango (Jan 22, 2008)

It's no wonder fewer and fewer members are taking the time to post helpful tips and neat ideas anymore.

Try to share an idea and many can't wait to pick it apart and crap all over the idea rather than saying... "Hey, I wonder if I could get a few of those made for $10 apiece!"

What next... is someone gonna mention that it appears to be welded at an 89.743 degree angle rather than 90 degrees?  Geeze!


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jan 22, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Texatdurango_
> 
> It's no wonder fewer and fewer members are taking the time to post helpful tips and neat ideas anymore.
> 
> ...



I don't see it that way Tex, if there is a problem with a weld and someone notices it, wouldn't it be better for Frank to find out before he uses it? If the weld is bad (and I know as much about welding as Frank does) and it snaps, it's gonna hurt!


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## rherrell (Jan 22, 2008)

Cold rolled just means that it's formed without heat. Hot rolled steel is heated to over 1600 degrees and is fine in very thick applications but for thinner stuff cold rolled is the way to go. After forming it can be re-heated and hardened to whatever degree needed. You know, I've been working in metal shops my whole life. My dad owned one and I was in there on weekends sweeping floors when I was 7 years old. He taught me how to weld when I was 10, I'm 55 now, do the math.
I agree with you George. Frank got a new part made at a GREAT price and he was kind enough to share and let everybody see what they could get made on the cheap. Some say it's a "crappy" weld, well beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I think it's a beautiful, FUNCTIONAL piece, and that crappy weld will outlast ALL of us. I'm done


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## GaryMGg (Jan 22, 2008)

Rick,
Your answer means the most to me. I don't weld but looking at the photo in the OP, I had concerns that the holes and voids would lead to a dangerous situation. Safety first in my book. And my interpretation of the posts to this point were about safety too.


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## NavyDiver (Jan 22, 2008)

I wasn't trying to criticize Frank.  Two pieces of bar stock are tough to properly weld together because you don't get a lot of surface area contact between the end of one piece and the side of the other (round on flat).  Therefore, you have to slowly build up the weld to make sure you have good contact.  This would mean taking numerous passes and grinding/smoothing between passes to make sure the voids are all filled and there are no hidden cracks. From the picture Frank posted, it does not appear that this was done, ergo my comment.


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## Rifleman1776 (Jan 22, 2008)

I guess I have to defend the shop that did this. They have been in business here for many years. Their primary business is selling steel. But they also make things and fabricate. They make custom trailers and get top dollar for them. The owner once told me he keeps raising prices to discourage orders as he is constantly behind on delivery. But people still want his trailers because they are so good. His farm equipment, heavy duty racks and much other stuff is respected for being stout and reliable. Point is, they know how to weld. What I have gotten from them when I had cattle is still in use, some after 20 years of service. I'm not worried that this rest will fail. For those who missed it: I paid only TEN DOLLARS.


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## R2 (Jan 22, 2008)

That might only be a $10 toolrest But I would be ashamed to let that out of my shop if I was a professional welder. And, Yes, I do have welding certificates and experience.


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## jhs494 (Jan 22, 2008)

Frank,
Does it fit the lathe ok?
Mine that I made, I had to turn the vertical shaft down to .980"
diameter to fit my Grizzly.

I drilled and tapped the end and made different length horizontal rest to fit on it.


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jan 22, 2008)

Joe, you might be better off drilling the hole to 1". Most after market tool rests, including coring and captured systems use a 1" post. This way all you need to do is modify one part instead of every post.

Hey Frank, do you have a weirdo 1" drill bit (I couldn't resist  )


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## jhs494 (Jan 22, 2008)

Good idea Ron, I could very easily make a new vertical shaft any size. I made mine interchangable so in the future, when I upgrade, to a better lathe, all I need to do is make a new vertical shaft.


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## Chuck Key (Jan 22, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Rifleman1776_
> 
> For those who missed it: I paid only TEN DOLLARS.



Any chance for a group buy or individual orders through you Frank?  For $10.00 plus priority mail charges I would try one.  Five eights size though.

Chuckie


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## Rifleman1776 (Jan 22, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Chuck Key_
> 
> 
> 
> ...



PM sent.


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## Nick (Jan 23, 2008)

Does the underwater welder turn pens underwater as well. I agree with the last post. As long as the weld is solid (as it appears to be) who cares. Good job Frank!! Let us know when you have the curved rests fabricated. Thank you for sharing!!


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## WWAtty (Jan 23, 2008)

If anyone has any doubts about the intergity of such a welding job, have the shop make 2 identical rests, and use one for destructive testing. What's another $10 for some peace of mind? Clamp it in a vise and beat on it with a hammer.  If the weld holds up, good chance the other one would too.

Frank's rest looks OK to me.  I'd be interested in joining a group buy as well - if I can get a 5/8" version.

Cheers.


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## loglugger (Jan 23, 2008)

Eric, some where not to long ago there was a write up about making tool rest out of water pipe, don't remember where. It was short pipe screwed together, I think the threads would be the weak spot.
Bob              
Iron pipe.


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## Firefyter-emt (Jan 23, 2008)

You know, it's not the smoothest "non-stop" bead, but a far cry from boger-welds.  The "stich" welds have great penetration, the heat pattern rings appear even around the weld areas showing good heating of the stock.  With something shaped like that it is hard to run a bead without stopping to get a nice "round bead".  I have done a ton of welding (I-Car trained) and while not as pretty, it's a fine weld job. Could the welder of set it up and worked hard to manuver around the stock to continue his bead in one nice long strip, I am sure he could. But for $10.00 you have a tool rest that is every bit as strong as any other. Most any welding shop would not even entertain that job for $10.00 and if they did, you would be expected to slip the welder another $10.00

Now this, is what a "booger-weld" looks like.







> _Originally posted by Rifleman1776_
> 
> Below is a 4" tool rest for my new Grizzly lathe. It is a 1" post and I let the old one go with my previous lathe as it was only 3/4". I had this made up at a local welder shop for $10.00. Exactly what I wanted, no waiting and much less money than the ones in the catalogs that are about $30.00 each. Later I'll be getting a larger one and a curved one for bowls.


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## stevers (Jan 23, 2008)

Here's a pretty decent weld. Ground down some to clean it up.


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## Nick (Jan 28, 2008)

Frank, here is an additional home made box turning post that I find usefull. It fits my Delta Midi (the flat area is 1/4" plate, 3" long)I will be making one for the 1" post on my General. *I still think **that one you have, Your gouge would break befor the weld.*


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