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lathe tool rests
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:11 pm
by rpmilius
When I found my Mk 5 on CL, it didn't have the lathe tool rest. Watching ebay, I notice that there are basically 4 different styles of the basic lathe tool rest:
1) ER
2) Greenie (one set screw for rest, rest of tool arm/post is a single unit that rotates in carriage)
3) 500 (two set screws, one for tool rest, one for rotating on post)
4) 505/510/520 (two set screws, but also can put post in middle of arm of tool rest)
any others?
I know the ER tool rest won't fit on the Mk 5s, so my question is whether the other 3 (greenie, 500, 505/510/520) can be used interchangeably on the other different types of Mk 5s? e.g., will a lathe tool rest assembly from a 510 fit on a 500?
thanks,
bob
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:30 pm
by JPG
There are 'tool rests' and there are tool rest mounting arms.
All(including Model 10) tool rests will fit into any mounting arm. They all have a 3/4" shaft that fits into a 3/4" hole in the mounting arm.
The mounting arms do vary. The model 10 has a smaller post that fits into the smaller hole in the carriage.
The Mark 5 and V 500 are the same but as you mentioned some earlier greenies did not have a set screw fastened post.
With the wider spacing of the 505-520 tables a longer mounting arm was required.
So all tool rests are interchangeable, the model 10 mounting arm is 'unique', and the later versions of the mounting arm are almost compatible but the shorter one will be too short for small diameter turning on a 505-520.
FWIW there are 3 other tool rest shapes(narrow,s,square).
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:31 pm
by SDSSmith
rpmilius wrote:When I found my Mk 5 on CL, it didn't have the lathe tool rest. Watching ebay, I notice that there are basically 4 different styles of the basic lathe tool rest:
1) ER
2) Greenie (one set screw for rest, rest of tool arm/post is a single unit that rotates in carriage)
3) 500 (two set screws, one for tool rest, one for rotating on post)
4) 505/510/520 (two set screws, but also can put post in middle of arm of tool rest)
any others?
I know the ER tool rest won't fit on the Mk 5s, so my question is whether the other 3 (greenie, 500, 505/510/520) can be used interchangeably on the other different types of Mk 5s? e.g., will a lathe tool rest assembly from a 510 fit on a 500?
thanks,
bob
The tool rests on all models of the Mark V's will work in the carriages of all models of the Mark V. The 510/520 have a wider carriage and so a longer tool rest arm was introduced with it to span the larger gap from to post to lathe center. The 510/520 tool rest arm has a second position for the tool post to allow for better support on larger turnings. Also the newer rests have the gear rack in the tool post cut on one side to help prevent the post from rotating.
The tool rests are physically interchangeable but the geometry caused by the different arm lengths varies a little between the Greenie/Goldie/500 and the 510/520. You might not be able to get close enough to the workpiece using a model 500 on a 510/520.
BTW, depending on your model I may have a tool rest for you.
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 8:15 pm
by rpmilius
thanks! very useful info!
SDSSmith wrote:BTW, depending on your model I may have a tool rest for you.
Thanks for the offer. I manage to pick up a lathe tool rest assembly from a greenie and it looks like it'll work for now.
-bob