Stock Banjo

rwilabee · Post by **rwilabee** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 5:50 pm

How many of you use the stock Banjo with your tool rest for doing lathe work. Especially if you are turning bowls.

I got the Heavy Duty after I cracked the stock Banjo. The problem with the Heavy Duty is the large bottom plate and sometimes the big wing nut on the arm. Those sometimes get in the way when turning between centers.

I was just wondering if I should give the stock Banjo another go.

Rich

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 7:15 pm

I've always used the stock banjo.

Interestingly, I just picked up a ~10-yr-old woodworking magazine. Some guy in there ditched the tool-rest on his dedicated Lathe, and put on a stock Shopsmith tool rest which he liked better.

rwilabee · Post by **rwilabee** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:05 pm

nuhobby wrote:I've always used the stock banjo.

Interestingly, I just picked up a ~10-yr-old woodworking magazine. Some guy in there ditched the tool-rest on his dedicated Lathe, and put on a stock Shopsmith tool rest which he liked better.

I like the tools rests also. They have a nice assortment of angles and curves.
I do like my all round bar tool rest also but it isn't Shopsmith brand.

lightnin · Post by **lightnin** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 3:01 am

I have both... I use both.. .. I got a 12" tool rest from ebay... non shopsmith, I only use that with
the heavy duty banjo because I'm afraid of cracking the stock one.
The heavy duty one can get in the way, when I can use it it... just feels better, that might just be in my mind though.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 7:50 am

Help out an idiot when it comes to lathe work...when you say "stock banjo" do you mean the carriage?

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 7:57 am

heathicus wrote:Help out an idiot when it comes to lathe work...when you say "stock banjo" do you mean the carriage?

I think it is that piece into which the tool rest goes. I come to that conclusion watching this.

But this thread (thanks to oldc6) seems to answer all the questions along with some really good photo images.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 12:56 pm

I find referring to the shopsmith tool rest/carriage etc. as a banjo to be a stretch.

Yes the hardware for mounting the tool rest on essentially all 'typical' wood lathes are called a banjo. They resemble a 'banjo' in that the tool rest mounts to a 'round' shaped socket with a long stem('fingerboard') that is secured to the lathe ways in a manner that allows adjusting both laterally in/out and rotation about the pivot(mounting screw) as well as positioning along the ways.

All that function is provided by the carriage and tool rest arm on a shopsmith.

Perhaps it helps to refer as such when communicating with poor destitute turners who do not have a shopsmith.

In any event the tool rest is held by whatever you wish to call 'it'.

One could make the case that the shopsmith heavy duty 'thingie' does resemble a banjo - a big heavy banjo with a double jointed neck.