Tool Rests for Bench Grinders
Aftermarket tool rests and tool guides make grinding easier, but which of these products works best?
Synopsis: Tool rests are supposed to provide support when grinding cutting tools such as plane irons and chisels. But the rests that come with bench grinders from the factory often are inadequate. For that reason, several companies offer aftermarket tool rests and guides designed to make grinding easier. Woodworker Chris Gochnour tests four of them: the FastTrak, Veritas, VersaRest, and Wolverine, and offers tips for better grinding.
Virtually all bench grinders come from the factory with a built-in tool rest. As the name suggests, the tool rest serves as a supporting surface when grinding cutting tools such as plane irons, bench chisels, and turning or carving gouges. A tool rest improves control, which results in a better grind. Plus, the added control helps make the procedure safer.
Although a few factory-made tool rests are designed better than others, I’ve yet to find one that didn’t look to be much more than a casual afterthought by the manufacturer. In particular, tool rests tend to be small, so tool support is minimal. As a result, when it comes time to grind, the process isn’t as easy as most woodworkers would like. Aware of those shortcomings, several companies now offer aftermarket tool rests that are designed to make the grinding process easier, mainly by adding a greater measure of control. Before using any of these products, the factory-made rest is removed and retired.
I recently looked at the four most common models on the market: FasTTrak, Veritas, VersaRest, and Wolverine. Each one can be used with either a 6-in.- or an 8-in.-dia. grinding wheel.
Three of these companies— FasTTrak, Veritas, and VersaRest—offer an optional tool guide designed to be used with the tool rest. In use, the cutting tool first is secured in the tool guide, and then the guide is placed on the tool rest. This setup allows the tool guide to slide back and forth, with the edge of the cutting tool always maintaining the same position relative to the grinding wheel. As a result, the user gets both added control and a consistent grind. Because the tool rest and tool guide commonly are teamed up to create a grinding system, my review is based on how well they performed together.
Wolverine doesn’t include (or offer as an option) a tool guide to use with its tool rest. Instead, Wolverine’s tool rest has a long arm with a stop on one end that is especially suitable when grinding either turning or carving gouges.
From Fine Woodworking #174
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