Very good question. Two weeks ago I had an original-equipment tool rest break, and faced a similar dilemma. There are a number of options to consider.
In my case, the tool rest that broke was 6" - that's the one that I use probably 90% of the time. I chose to go with the Rockler with the hardened steel bar on the top - less than $20 on Amazon. Two observations about this rest:
- the post is painted which means that until you use it enough to wear off all of the paint, you will have a problem locking it down without having it twist as bits of paint fleck off. I suppose I could use a wire brush to remove all of the paint, but that's more work than I care to take on. Another purchaser of this rest complained that he had to remove that paint to even get the post into the hole in his banjo.
- I found that the shape of the Rockler tool rest was just enough different from the original equipment rest (the one that broke) that there was interference between the lever that locks it into the banjo and the bottom of the rest. Not a big deal - just a nuisance that slows down the process of adjusting the rest.
Several years ago, with a different lathe, I had a similar experience of breaking a tool rest. In that instance, I opted to purchase a rest made by Rick Herrell who regularly posts on this board. He does a two-piece design - the post has a threaded stud that screws into a hole in a round bar. It was beautifully made, and I chose to get both a 6" bar, and also a 3" bar that would attach to the same post. The combination was more expensive than the Rockler. A subtle point, however, is that if you are accustomed to a tool rest that has a solid steel shroud below the bar, using a rest that is only a round bar does feel 'different'. It's something that you can become accustomed to, but it will initially be strange.
Another option is a DIY tool rest. Rick Morris has a series of YouTube videos on making your own tool rest (
this is the first in the series). Rick brazes the components together - I'm not equipped for brazing or welding, but I did follow his videos to make a 3" tool rest from a short length of angle and a bit of rod stock with screw holding the top to the post. I'm fairly comfortable with that approach for a short tool rest, but I would be hesitant to apply it to a longer tool rest because the longer arm would amplify the force of a catch applying more stress to the screw.
