Tool rests or is it toolrests

Art,

I like the idea of the square rest. Are you planning to bring one to the May DAW meeting for show and tell?

Also, back in November or December I won a piece of "Arkansas Zebrawood" at the meeting. Finally got around to doing something with it, but mine turned out to be a "Texas Tigerwood" bowl and plate.

Randy

Art Ransom wrote:

Actually, Art, the Oxford English Dictionary claims it is "tool-rest." *G* But! I think I understand toolrest or tool rest equally well!*G*

Leif

One of my woodturning clubs is getting ready to have a "toolrest (or tool rest ... whatever) making day" where we'll be making these kinds of things. They're great to have several different shapes on hand, cheap, and easy to make. We'll also be making so-called box rests, S-curved, L-shaped and whatever anyone wants to make. We're getting cold rolled steel and some HSS in bulk to make things even cheaper. We're figuring on charging $8 for a

For larger projects and bowls, the round toolrests are fine but just aren't good for smaller-scale pieces and most skew work. The point of tool contact is just too far away so you either have to use smaller diameter bar stock or else add a smaller (usually 1/8" HSS rod) piece on top of the larger horizontal toolrest. I guess you could call it a secondary toolrest (ala secondary bevel ).

I can't really see the square toolrest too well. Is it, basically, just a square stock on the horizontal with maybe a round bar attached to one of the squares' edges? If so, then as long as the distance between the top of the square and the top of the round stock on top of it isn't enough to get a finger under there (holding your tool with a finger under it but yet riding on top of the square), it should work well. If there IS room to get a finger in there, you've got a nice finger-shearing device. Granted, it's mainly the newer turners that do this but even the more experienced of us do it sometimes too I've seen. That is, they run the tool past the end of the rest and it slams the tool down ... finger gets caught between the tool going down and the square horizontal toolrest. Ouch. There's just nowhere for the finger to go on these kinds of things. I seem to remember another toolrest much like this being sold nationally and there being major problems like this with that one too. Anybody remember that one? I think they pulled it off the market due to liability.

- Andrew

========================= Andrew, Was't that one more of an angle iron configuration. I remember one like that and thought at the time it could be a finger smasher/remover. Don't know if that's the one you're talking about or not. An angle iron rest will work, but you have to fillet the inside of the "L".

Ken Moon Webberville, TX

The one I'm thinking of was black and did appear to be like an elongated (on one leg of it was about 3" tall) angle iron. It was straight sided and kinda short. Maybe 4" wide. They may have made longer ones though. I think it was sold from one of the catalog companies like Craft Supplies, Paxtons, Highland Hardware or similar. In fact, I think I remember one of the forum regulars (of that time anyway) complaining against it. This was maybe 2 years ago?

The problem with it, and with Arts' version of it, was that flat top area where your finger rides along it sometimes. If it were just eased off at an angle (or filleting the inside as you mention below), it would allow the finger to slip down and off the toolrest with little to no harm done instead of getting pinched and/or cut off.

- Andrew

Woodcraft. Lynn bellyached to 'em and they filled the angle.

I cut a couple pieces this morning with my iron rests, and I still can't figure out how you need to hold a tool to pinch. Care to elaborate?

Everything I do has the handle lift, because the turning's pushing the nose down.

That's the one! I used one for awhile when giving classes and demonstrations. I didn't have a problem with it myself but had a couple of students pinch their fingers with it. Nothing major but I stopped using it as the potential for much greater harm was there. It just wasn't worth it in that case. I agree on being able to do smaller work with it. It was nice for that.

- Andrew

Well, safer, anyway. One of the many topics suitable for this forum, safety.

Then, of course, there's sarcasm....

Hi Art, Interesting tool-rests. Maybe you could make them even more special by calling them by an old name; hand rests, handrests or hand-rests. Maybe not! Arch

Fortiter,

Eeeeeasy big fellow....

And sometimes the sarcasm is well deserved!