Why doesn't someone make .......

[julcle]

An adjustable cross slide would be useful for things like thread chasing where dedicated tools are so expensive. I don't suppose it's an issue for thee pro turner but for the amateur I find it difficult to get both male and female  components exactly parallel . I also think that it would be more fun to try and make one, it can't be that difficult.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

I think the point of this thread has been missed somewhat. All the comments about not needing fine adjustment for the tool rest are fully justified (IMHO) until you realise that the originator of this post, Graham, is registered blind. Then you can see why a rack and pinion would be useful.
        Graham my idea which may help would be to make a lever with an eccentric curve on it, similar to ones used for cramping, only in this case it would be used to lift the tool rest (it should drop under it's own weight.)
    It could be fitted to a small saddle on the lathe bed or banjo.

[bodrighywood]

You are right John, I certainly didn't think about it. Apologies Graham.

pete

[Bryan Milham]

John,

well pointed out, now the need in the first post makes perfect sense, something we all missed bar you.

So what ideas can we come up with, you first instinct is the use of threaded bar with the tool rest welded on and Nut's on the banjo.

But of course I don't know the diameter of the toolpost.

[Graham]

Mmmm.
Not sure how to respond to this now. 

John ( BHT ) is right but it is something that I wasn't really aware of myself. The only time I am really aware of my eye sight , or lack thereof, is when I am in a car and appreciate that I couldn't mix it up with other traffic. I tend to forget that other people can see more than I can and don't have the same problems or do the same things. I get brought up short sometimes when other people comment on things I really wasn't aware of. For instance.... I only use a white stick when I am in places I don't know because I have a problem detecting changes in floor level ( steps, kerbs etc ) but apparently I have a way of dealing with stairs ( when not using the stick ) I wasn't even aware of. I was in a discussion about shoes one day and my preference for soft ones. My wife commented that that was because I curled my toes around the edge of steps when I come down stairs so I know where the edge is. I hadn't realised I was doing it.

Anyway..... The tool rest positioning is a minor irritation that takes me a bit longer to deal with but not a big issue that is worth spending time and money on. lets tun this thread into a lathe facility wish list like Dragonfly steered it towards with his motorised tailstock 

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Thinking more on toolrest setting heights, why not just file a small nick in the post for repeat settings? But I am with Pete on this one, the height of the rest is not that critical.

[bodrighywood]

The height of the tool rest depends on what tool you are using and what you are doing, e.g. using a skew you need it higher than using a spindle gouge or bowl gouge, I tend to put the tool onto the rest and lift or lower to 'about' the right height. One of my lathes this is an easy one handed job takes a second, the other has a tight fitting post that I keep meaning to loosen but haven't got round to it and takes a lot longer, at least 3 or 4 seconds sometimes. I suspect that each turner also has different levels to suit themselves. When doing long spindles using a skew I will be dropping the tool rest fairly frequently as the spindle gets narrower and the skew needs to be lowered. I suppose partly it is a matter of practice and it isn't something I had really thought much about until this topic came up LOL.

Pete

[Richard Findley]

My tool rest sits about 2 fingers width above the top of the banjo. This puts it within mm's of where it should be, I can then just tweak it as I feel I need to.

Richard

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Richard are those metric fingers or imperial?

[Richard Findley]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_(unit)

HTH John 

Richard

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Ahh I see.........whiskey tot  measurements ......I can relate to that.
 

[Graham]

I tend to use Jack Daniels fingers, the're smoother

[Richard Findley]

Watch out! The health & safety brigade will be on telling us not to drink and turn!! ...Hick...

[burywoodturners]

Ok now we have all sobered up a bit......
Why don't they make a fine adjuster on a bandsaw fence, something like the fine adjuster on a Trend Router would do, or do I have to make my own?

When you want to cut a bit of wood exactly down the centre I guess it, make a shallow cut and turn the wood over and try another shallow cut, it is when I need to move a fraction of a millimetre and then, as has been pointed out on this thread, you need the Golden Shot approach

Ron

[seventhdevil]

because generally operations on a bandsaw don't need fine adjustment as it's mostly used for cutting freehand.

resawing should either be done on a power band resaw or on a decent sized ripsaw.