Hey turners, is it a practice to glue felt or some other type of padding material to the surface of the tool rest where the tools meet the rest? The reason why I ask, and I know this is dumb, but I have a couple shiny turning tools, and putting them up on the metal surface tool rest, well, they'll just get all scratched up, the tools that is. Do you guys try to protect the finish on the shaft of your turning tools, or is it just what it is, grit the teeth and get those new scratches on your new tools. Thanks for any help.

I, personally, have never seen this done. I don't know what metal was used to construct my tool rest, but, it actually gets worn/scratched/gouged from the tools. I regularly sand/polish the tool rest to ensure smooth tool travel.

 

I believe any type of padding would impede the smooth flow of the tool over the tool rest. Something like felt would also pick up dirt/chips further impeding the smooth traverse of the tool.

 

Of course this is just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Sounds reasonable Lew, I am just being a big baby about my tools is all. I made a nice little tool holder for my lathe yesterday, well not that nice, just a board with holes drilled in it and placed as a stretcher between the lathe legs. I have a whole lot of tools for turning that my good buddy included when I purchased his mini lathe. I got a screaming deal on it all, a friend deal for sure. Now I need to go through them all and figure out what they are used for. Most of them are mini tools, for the mini lathe, but this seemed like a good place for now to get them out of the box, and displayed for use.

 

Edited February 7, 201610 yr by Courtland

That is a nice tool holder! Now for the bad news... you notice that many of the handles look alike (except the Easy Wood Tools)- the only way to see the tool "function" will be to step back and look down- unless you always remember to put the same tool in the same place every time and then memorize the locations. 

 

Quickly locating the tool you want is nice when turning. Of course, you can do what I do and just leave them all out- as you use them- just in case you'll need to return to that particular tool.

I did think of that Lew, I figured once I get to turning, I'll have the tools I use most in locations I remember, in other words the tools I use most will make their way to the area I reach down to the most naturally. I am counting on my tool remembering feature I have built up in my brain over the last 30 years working in construction and I am able to reach into a tool box or into my pouches out of memory and without looking and grab what I need. I don't know if that will work here, but I am counting on reaching down without barely looking at the display of tools and come back up with the proper tool. That's how my brain works.

1 hour ago, Courtland said:

That's how my brain works.

 

I wish mine did! If you opened my head it looks like a Chinese Fire Drill.

2 minutes ago, lew said:

I wish mine did! If you opened my head it looks like a Chinese Fire Drill.

In my shop a tool is a tool. it's something used to make art and while pretty they are in the end a part of the process which then makes them disposable after they are worn out.

My Sorby roughing gouge is about to meet this fate,

Let it have an honorable death John!

On 2/7/2016 at 10:25 AM, Courtland said:

Sounds reasonable Lew, I am just being a big baby about my tools is all. I made a nice little tool holder for my lathe yesterday, well not that nice, just a board with holes drilled in it and placed as a stretcher between the lathe legs. I have a whole lot of tools for turning that my good buddy included when I purchased his mini lathe. I got a screaming deal on it all, a friend deal for sure. Now I need to go through them all and figure out what they are used for. Most of them are mini tools, for the mini lathe, but this seemed like a good place for now to get them out of the box, and displayed for use.

 

John this is kind of old but let me give you a couple of ideas. Having polished tool backs is good in addition to polished tool rests,but not high gloss polished. The polish you will want on both is a smooth surface not needed to be shiny. The idea is to reduce drag as the tool almost floats over the surface of the rest ( hardened steel is best for this surface) so a padding will only impede this movement.

 

This is my take on your rack as Lew said hard to identify. You will find that for most turning only 3 to 4 tools will be used. It is handy to have a rack at lathe bed height with these tools on it so you just have to reach for the correct one . You will find that just as happens in the flatwork areas the flow and arrangement will change many times.

It has to be metal to metal for the tools to move properly.  Like Lew says you will have to dress the top of the tool rest from time to time.  Stick posted a nice tool rack idea a few years back.  This is my version for the tools being used on the piece I am doing at the time.

 

I made it from an old floor lamp base weight and a wire rack from a refrigerator.  I since added feet out from the base 3" for more stability since this picture.  It stands beside me at the lathe for easy reach.

 

 

It tilts back so the tools stay on it and no, it was only this neat when I took the picture.

 

 

 

 

 

great idea Dan...

2 hours ago, Gerald said:

John this is kind of old but let me give you a couple of ideas. Having polished tool backs is good in addition to polished tool rests,but not high gloss polished. The polish you will want on both is a smooth surface not needed to be shiny. The idea is to reduce drag as the tool almost floats over the surface of the rest ( hardened steel is best for this surface) so a padding will only impede this movement.

 

This is my take on your rack as Lew said hard to identify. You will find that for most turning only 3 to 4 tools will be used. It is handy to have a rack at lathe bed height with these tools on it so you just have to reach for the correct one . You will find that just as happens in the flatwork areas the flow and arrangement will change many times.

Thanks a million Gerald, I gotta say, since this topic was posted I have used my lathe a few times, and it indeed is inconvenient to have the tools down there, I thought I'd be able to just lean over and grab one as I need them, but they get hung up on stuff when I pull them out. It's a great place for storage, I am good with that, but like @HandyDan did, I'll have to build a rack to house the tools I am using at the time.

 

Thanks so much Gerald for the feedback on the tool rest vs the tools, and the need to just keep them both slick. That helps me a lot in my quest.

By the way, Courtland is my alter ego, I don't use it anymore but it was fun while I did!

1 hour ago, Stick486 said:

great idea Dan...

You can't say that!  I put it in my commentary that it was your idea.  That has been a while ago.

1 hour ago, HandyDan said:

You can't say that!  I put it in my commentary that it was your idea.  That has been a while ago.

musta forgot...

besides I did say and Gramps'll back me on this...

yur execution rocks...

besides do you think That I read your commentary when you have pictures.. do ya.. heh...

Edited September 26, 20169 yr by Stick486

1 hour ago, Stick486 said:

musta forgot...

besides I did say and Gramps'll back me on this...

yur execution rocks...

besides do you think That I read your commentary when you have pictures.. do ya.. heh...

Well if I knew how to put it in comic strip format for you I would.

I'm not even a turner and I got you guys beat on a tool holder. after the paint dried I mounted it on an easy turn swivel and I can swing it around from the end of the lathe to very close  so I don't have to stoop, bend or stretch but I do need to pee every once in a while.

 

More of that printers ink. Purty ain't it.

 

Yep, I built all those assist you see in the background. The rollers are electrical conduit which takes the exact size of some go-cart wheel bearings I just happen to have 500 of extra. Notice how

 I made the slots for the mitre gauge to slide past the rollers. Gotta think of all those things when putting things together. Also notice the break in the side rails the rollers are attached to, that is so I can let longest part of the tablesaw extension swing down out of the way if need be for any reason. 

 

 

 

I am rather new to turning, but this is a great question.  I dress my tool rest from time to time with file.  Each dimple or whatever is quickly transferred to your work.  Unless you love to sand, it is best to keep it dressed.  Both my tool rests are soft steel.  Also, I keep my chisels waxed with a paste wax.  It protects the chisels and makes them slide easily along the tool rest. 

Dan, I like your idea about having this up about elbow level.  And, I love the one just above this post.  I didn't get the name, my bad.  I want to come up with something to work on my Shopsmith so I just have to reach over to retrieve or return.  Best of all to you.

 

STeve, the old FlGatorwood

I can't remember exactly how long ago, but, Patriot member Cliff made a carousel type tool holder. Not sure how he mounted it at the lathe. 

Tool holders can be the bain of our existence or the saving grace. I had one mounted to the lathe at one time and found it cumbersome. Even though it could be removed or swung away. Not only that it would not hold all varieties of tools.

 This one will also hold smaller tools between the larger ones and is on wheels.