How Many Use a Curved Rest?

I have it, and use it inside bowls when the wood is difficult and requires xtra light cuts.

Bjarte

Leif

Hi George

Yes I made myself a couple of curved tool rest, for clock and counter clock turning, use them on deeper bowls inside mostly, very seldom on the outside, reason being that a round bar, which I used to make them, gives you more overhang of your tool, even at the best of positioning, and I like a close, controlled cut when doing my finish turning, that is also the reason for using the curved rest inside, and yes there I do have the same problem but it is better than using a straight rest, I have considered making a curved rest from a flat bar, but the forging is more complicated than just bending a flat bar, so thus far I have not made one. My experience is it makes turning inside easier and outside not much, so if today, I would not consider making one to use only for the outside, but certainly again for the inside turning.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

George wrote: /snip/

When I first got mine, I used it a lot. Now I use it occasionally 10% of the time, when I have some difficult cuts to make. I find it most helpful on the inside of larger bowls, less so for the outside.

Walt C

That's what I see elsewhere - a rounded top is great, but one with the straight drop on the side facing the piece would be better for snuggling up. Other than OEM cast iron rests, doesn't seem to be a pattern folks follow. I feel lucky in having my iron "S" rest, but reach is most suited to a 4 or

5" deep turning.

Come to think, I do also have the offset arm I used to reach around behind on the Delta.

my neighbor is in the process of making me one... he already made a long (8") straight one and a 6" V rest for me, but since he's using angle Iron, he hasn't quite got the bend right yet.. The curved one is for the future, since most of the stuff that I'm turning is too small to get it inside, but the V rest is going to be a big help on boxes and small bowls..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

I use my Craft Supplies curved rest only for the inside of larger bowls (Over 14") simply because there is less of a gap between rest and bowl inside and finer cuts can be taken.

Regards, Peter Charles Fagg Freshwater, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.

Each can do but little! But if each DID that little, ALL would be done!

i worked for years without any curved rests. somehow i got the idea they were not that helpful. now that i have a few i dont know how i lived without them.

i now use curved rests for both inside and outside of bowls. this is thanks to my aquisition of a wire feed welder *and* BIG thanks to a friend who gave me what i consider to be one of the best tool tips ive ever heard! often the best ideas are so simple that we all should have allready thought of them. well my buddy Jim was at a local steel yard and he saw some short (1" - 1.5") cut offs from large steel pipe in their scrap bin. a light bulb went on. "hey i could use these for making curved tool rests!". to see the ones i made go to:

work sweet!

I use curved tool rests on both the inside and outsides of my bowls. Bottom line is that I don't have to move the tool rest and /or the banjo nearly as much with the curved rests, as I do with the straight rests. I have the One Way deep rest for the interior of big bowls, the

12 inch rest for the outside, and one from Craft supplies (blue cast iron) that is S curved that I use on smaller bowls. This tool rest is fine if you are doing a riding the bevel cut, but because it is so wide, it doesn't work as well for the shear cuts. Since I almost never use this cut, it isn't a problem for me. Some day, I will have some smaller ones made, as the S shape has some limits. Sometimes I find that the bowl shape does tend to follow the curve of the tool rest, but most of the time it is the shape of the bowl blank that is the major influence.

The one advantage to using larger heavier gouges, is that you can reach farther off the tool rest with your tool, and not have to be right up to the wood. Again, it means fewer times moving the tool rest and banjo. For me, I find that I can get just as fine of a cut with the heavier tools as I can with the lighter tools. How much pressure I apply to the tool determines how fine or course the cut will be. Of course, the tool needs to be sharp for a fine cut. I have always liked all of my tools to be bigger and heavier than what most other people like. They just feel more comfortable in my hands. robo hippy

robo hippy wrote: snip... >I have always liked

I agree and that is why I use the Oneway 17" handles on bowl gouges. They are heavy and feel comfortable.

But, when I grind I want to use as light a touch as possible so that I can feel what is happening and also preserve as much of that expensive steel as possible. I always remove my bowl gouges from the Oneway handle before grinding. It takes only a few seconds and gives me the best of two worlds.

Bill

2005 11:48 pm:

Neill,

Do you know of a commercial source for the J rest? Looks like just the ticket for straight sided bowls to me. I make those as eagerly as curve-sided bowls so a J rest would get pretty frequent use from me.

BIll

On Tue, 10 May 2005 15:17:52 -0700, Bill C. wrote (in message ):

mine was made by Howard Borer. great guy. he makes toolrests, faceplates, hollowing tools, etc. i dont remember what he charged me for it. you can email him at snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com

2005 06:47 pm:

Bill