Off side tool rest?

**LanceM** · 02-01-2004, 03:12 PM

At least that is what I think it is called. My lathe will let me turn larger items on the other side, but you need a tool rest. The factory ones are like $2-300, anyone made their own? The largest I can turn is a 12" diameter on the normal side but I would like to go a few inches bigger. I was thinking of welding up my own but wonder what the specs should be, like is it important that it is heavy, adjustable, strong? I'm thinking heavy is important to keep it from walking and to keep vibration down, of course adjustable in height, and I guess strong will come from being heavy. Any pics of homemade ones? I don't have the $ to buy a store bought one but I've got plenty of steel and welding abilitys.

Lance

**Al_Rivard** · 02-01-2004, 04:35 PM

Lance,

I'm guessing you're talking about outboard turning. Your headstock must turn? I don't know what lathe you have, but most of the lathes that have outboard turning capability have some sort of tool rest system to accomplish outboard turning. If your lathe does do outboard turning and it doesn't have factory attachments them you can build a free standing tool rest. Yes it would have to be very stout, you don't want to have any vibration in the tool rest, and also height adjustment would be a must.

**Limey** · 02-01-2004, 05:32 PM

Woohoo
Lance you could make yourself a free standing rest...Imagine a tripod base with a stout tube welded to a a piece of solid bar ..wing nut to adjust to the height of the rest shaft... This is a conventional approach and is available commercially .....you don't wanna do that when you can make something far better.... for outboard turning and as soon as the Superbowl is over I'll dig through some catalogues and get you more details. If you need more stability you can easily bolt the legs of the tripod to the floor.
Don't hesitate it's easily doable and you won't need to drill holes in the lathe.

Limey

**LanceM** · 02-01-2004, 05:40 PM

That's what I'm looking for, outboard turning, I have a Delta lathe from the late 40-50's, cast iron monster. No method of moving the rest from the bed of the lathe to acommadate the outboard area. Limey anything you can show me would be apreciated, I'm in no hurry, other projects need finished and it's too dang cold to be in the big shop welding :7

Lance

**TDHofstetter** · 02-01-2004, 11:33 PM

No need even to weld.

Your stock Delta rests have 1" posts, right? Bet they do.

Can you get access to an old truck wheel? With or without tire? One that nobody'd miss?

Check your yellow pages for a steel supplier. Pick one and go buy a length of 2"ODx1/2" wall "DOM" (Drawn Over Mandrel) tubing. Won't have any seam inside it. What length? Measure from the floor to the top of your existing toolrest base - your existing toolrest will pop into the top of this piece of tubing instead.

OK, lay a hunk of cardboard down on the floor and lay the truck wheel on top of it, dished up, with the lug holes on top. Stick your new steel tubing inside the center hub hole and rig something to keep it perfectly upright. Now mix up one or two (depends on the size of the truck wheel) bags of concrete and pour 'em into the wheel around your tubing. Let it set up, and you have the thing almost completed.

Now (you could have done this on the drill press before you poured the concrete around it) carefully drill a hole into the side of the tubing... it should be the correct tap drill size for, say, a 1/4" or 5/16" NC tap. Tap the hole you just drilled and get'cherself a knob the right size with a threaded stud in it.

For best results, also get a little stick of brass rod from your local crafts store. It should be a little bit smaller in diameter than the tap drill you just used. With a hacksaw, snip off a little biscuit about 1/8" long from one end. Poke this little brass biscuit into the tapped hole before you thread your studded knob in. The brass will protect your toolrest from getting marred up by the end of the steel stud, and it'll hold just fine.

Hey - you have an outboard toolrest, and it didn't take any welding! Cool!

-- Tim --

Don't walk in front of me, I will not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I will not lead.
Walk beside me, and be my friend.

**LanceM** · 02-02-2004, 03:46 PM

Tim that sounds like the ticket, got a truck wheel or two probably laying out behind the barn, just have to see if I can find me a hunk of that pipe and I will be on my way.

Thanks!

Lance

**TDHofstetter** · 02-02-2004, 11:16 PM

Got to thinkin' today, and decided it might be a good idea to CA the little biscuit of brass onto the end of the knob's stud. That way it won't fall down inside the tubing when you yank the toolrest out.

Might not even hurt to grind the end of the stud nice & flat first so the CA doesn't have to span any distance to speak of. Don't worry much about replacing that brass biscuit, it'll last a LONG LONG time.

-- Tim --

Don't walk in front of me, I will not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I will not lead.
Walk beside me, and be my friend.