Crude tool rack side of lathe

[Rick Fisher]

I had no tool rack, always thinking I would build a beautiful hardwood rack .. While putting that off, I am moving turning tools all over the place, storing them over here, then over there.. losing track of them .. blah

A simple tool rack, clamp rack, screwdriver rack, chisel rack. Whatever. is a gift. I know better than to wait. When done, ya wonder how you made it without one..

This is crude and simple, but it holds all the tools. Its stuck to the side of the lathe with magnets .. super cool .. Anyone who knows those Mag Switch magnets knows they are super strong.. I had a spare..




I feel organized

[Bill White]

What's so crude about that? I've seen racks that took a week to build, finished like a piano, and didn't work any better.
Ya done good.
Bill

[David Delo]

Hey, whatever works for you Rick. Looks like it would be very functional for your type of lathe. There's a very lively discussion on another board about using magnetic strips that I think someone might get called to the principal office pretty soon.

[Thom Sturgill]

Rick, one suggestion, paint the ends of those Sorby gouges different colors so you can tell which one you are grabbing!

David, those magnetic strips are, like many things, controversial. And people can get heated about their ideas whether they have any facts to back them up or not. As a moderator, it could be my task to shut down a thread that gets too out of hand. Looks like one did while I was offline at the symposium this weekend.

[Rick Fisher]

I didn't want to drill into the chassis of the lathe. The tools where literally everywhere. I was constantly looking for a flat surface to move them too..

Good idea on marking the ends. Its already annoying. lol

[Wes Ramsey]

Simply out of curiosity, what is controversial about using magnets for lathe tools? If they don't hold then find a better solution. If they do, problem solved. What am I missing?

[Thom Sturgill]

Simply out of curiosity, what is controversial about using magnets for lathe tools? If they don't hold then find a better solution. If they do, problem solved. What am I missing?

A magnetic strip can magnetize the tool shaft. Especially if the tool is dragged along the magnet. This makes the tool stick to the tool rest and harder to control. Also changes the crystaline structure of the steel, which is what hardening and tempering is all about. Magnets tend to be brittle and you could be introducing a brittleness in the middle of the shaft. I know of at least one case where a user dropped a 5/8" bowl gouge and it broke in the middle. He later mentioned that he uses a magnetic strip to hold the tools on the wall. Others of course, will disagree that there is any issue.

[Wes Ramsey]

A magnetic strip can magnetize the tool shaft. Especially if the tool is dragged along the magnet. This makes the tool stick to the tool rest and harder to control. Also changes the crystaline structure of the steel, which is what hardening and tempering is all about. Magnets tend to be brittle and you could be introducing a brittleness in the middle of the shaft. I know of at least one case where a user dropped a 5/8" bowl gouge and it broke in the middle. He later mentioned that he uses a magnetic strip to hold the tools on the wall. Others of course, will disagree that there is any issue.

Interesting. Thanks Thom!

[Rick Fisher]

Thanks for the answer Thom .. Interesting .. I'm using mag switch, not strip, but I never would have thought of any of that..

[David Delo]

From Dave's Highly Scientific Testing Laboratories..........a couple months ago I was getting some other magnets at Harbor Freight and impulse bought one of their magnet strips because I thought I might try it out for holding lathe chisels. Never did anything with it until today. Took a skew and laid it on the strip magnet for about 45 minutes. Took it off and placed a metal washer and held it upside down and it down not come off. Used a larger/heavier washer and although it would not hold upside down, it did show a noticeable pull when slid back and forth over the length of the skew. Never thought anything about residual or transferring magnetism but I'm glad I never did anything with it.
magnet1.jpg

[Thom Sturgill]

Rick, I don't think your mag switch is a problem at all, but rather an excellent solution. Better than drilling holes in the pretty white case. I was looking hard at that machine at the vendors booth at the Florida symposium this past weekend. I like the high-speed for turning miniatures.

This discussion always reminds me of another magnet related story. I'm a retired computer tech, worked with PCs of one sort or another from before IBM ursurped the term. One user, who had a floppy based system, called us every week or so to rebuild her system/wordprocessor disk. She was also an early adopter of whiteboards and back then whiteboards were enameled metal. She was in the habit of sticking her floppy disk to the board with a magnet.... I discovered this when I stopped by one day to see her on an unrelated subject. People don't think of transferred magnetism even though its grammer school science.

[Doug Ladendorf]

Nice tool rack Rick. Looks more functional than crude. In fact it looks exactly like what I need! I may borrow the idea.

As a moderator, it could be my task to shut down a thread that gets too out of hand.

AMEN! I left one forum because I didn't need the stress of bickering that too often got out of hand. Thanks for giving your time Thom.

Doug

[Rick Fisher]

I drilled the holes through a 1.5" scrap, then resawed it ... Made a space between the two pieces to keep the tools from touching..

I can add another 2 tool holders to the rear, after that, I would just scrap it and start again.

Oh .. I used a hollow chisel mortiser to make the holes for my scraper and 3/16" Parting tool .. Seemed kinda clever .. lol

[robert baccus]

crude and cheap Obtain a bucket of the right size--buy some of these foam plastic water tubes for kids to play---cut them to an equal length that holds the tool tips off the bottom --fill the bucket until they are tight enough to stand and insert turning tools. Beats leaning over a turning lathe.