Make a Long Tool Rest for Your Lathe
If you plan to turn chair or table legs, Tim Manney’s shopmade long tool rest allows you to make fluid, full-body motions that yield consistent, smooth, flowing turnings.
Synopsis: The short tool rests that come standard with most lathes are fine for turning short things, but if you plan to turn chair or table legs, or other long spindle work, you’ll find you have to continually stop to reposition the rest. You can avoid that with a long tool rest, and the shopmade versions shown here are inexpensive, durable, and effective. Once you’ve made one or more, you’ll set aside the tool rest that came with your lathe and you’ll never look back.
The tool rests that come standard with most lathes are generally between 6 in. and 12 in. long. A short tool rest is fine for turning small things, but the first time you try to turn a table or chair leg, or anything else longer than the tool rest, you immediately recognize its limitations—you are forced to constantly reposition it and…
Start your 14-day FREE trial to continue reading this story.
Plus, access more than 1,900 in-depth articles and more when you become a member.
Start Your Free Trial NowAlready a member? Log In
Comments
The only change I would make would be to add a 1/4"thick x 1" metal strip into the top edge. I would project it about 1/2"out of the wooden upright.
This gives one a more sturdy edge to work from and one that can be filed to smooth out any dings that result from catches. The metal should have a bit of bevel on the top edge.
Log in or become a member to post a comment.
Sign up Log in