Shopsmith Forums

Trying to decide on getting the Universal Tool Rest. Will it accept 3rd party tool rests in the support arm?

thanks,

hal

hfmann wrote:Trying to decide on getting the Universal Tool Rest. Will it accept 3rd party tool rests in the support arm?

thanks,

hal

Take a look at this post. I mounted the UTR to my 10ER and I bought a 9" Robust tool rest.
https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... 34#p258934

Merry Christmas

Go to bestwoodtools.com. They make a series of tool rests with a variety of posts. The 3/4 posts will fit the UTR.

thanks. that is helpful.

hal

thanks. So it sounds like any tool rest with a 3/4 inch diameter post will work?

hal

hfmann wrote:thanks. So it sounds like any tool rest with a 3/4 inch diameter post will work?

hal

3/4" IS the post size the bore is dimensioned to accept. Other physical features MAY affect suitability.

JPG wrote:
Other physical features MAY affect suitability.

Thanks JPG - makes sense and I appreciate the warning.

hal

IF there is a 1" diameter post aftermarket tool rest that you really like, you could possibly use it on the Shopsmith universal lathe tool rest (UTR) if you remove part number 521794 (Tool Support and Shaft Assembly). It is the little swing arm that the tool rest mounts in. Without it, you would just insert the 1" post tool rest into the "Top Support" (521773) bore hole. The downside is you might not have enough articulation with the 1" diameter post tool rest without the swing arm part of the UTR. In theory, you could use either 0.75" or 1" tool rests in the UTR.

Thanks RFGuy. Your comments and the diagram are much appreciated. Thank you.

hal

I have one and it will accept other tool rests as long as the post is sized correctly. If you remove the articulating arm it becomes like most every other banjo/tool rest on the market so no problem there. My regular tool rest articulating arm cracked and a friend sold me his UTR since he had switched to a Jet lathe. I still have it in case I need it, but do not like the time it requires to install and remove. It will also limit how close the head stock can be to the tail stock requiring the quill to be extended further if you are turning a short piece. Probably not a big deal for most, but I do seem to have my head stock and tail stock literally touching the carriage quite often.

A cool advantage is to remove the tool rest and clamp a carbide cutter to the articulating arm while leaving the carriage unlocked. This allows you to make a perfectly straight pass down a blank, come back and advance the cutter in further and repeat for a perfectly straight cylinder requiring no turning skill! I did this to turn a drum to make a 25" SS drum sander based on Shipwright's sander. Very important to have a true diameter on a sanding drum!