4-Prong Drive Center

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

keithkarl2007

Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2008
Messages
1,727
Location
Ireland
Some bowlturners use them for roughing bowls before creating a tenon for the chuck. Just hack off a piece of the bark so it will bite into solid wood and not just rip off a piece of bark. You would also use the tailstock with a live centre for support
 

lorbay

Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
3,378
Location
BC. Canada
Some bowlturners use them for roughing bowls before creating a tenon for the chuck. Just hack off a piece of the bark so it will bite into solid wood and not just rip off a piece of bark. You would also use the tailstock with a live centre for support
If that's what you mean, yes what he said.

Lin.
 

chrisk

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
822
Location
Brussels, Belgium
A drive center is generally used in spindle or between centers woodturning. Some IAP members use a drive center with a smaller diameter, for example a 1/2" Robert Sorby's stebcenter (http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/s...Drive_Centers___Stebcenter___stebcenter?Args=) to round their blanks between centers. But I'm afraid you cannot use yours for this kind of job. Only for spindle projects.

As for bowls, personnaly I prefer to use a faceplate eventually with the help of a live center.
 
Last edited:

jleiwig

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,860
Location
Monroe, Ohio, USA.
A drive center is generally used in spindle or between centers woodturning. Some IAP members use a drive center with a smaller diameter, for example a 1/2" Robert Sorby's stebcenter (http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/s...Drive_Centers___Stebcenter___stebcenter?Args=) to round their blanks between centers. But I'm afraid you cannot use yours for this kind of job. Only for spindle projects.

As for bowls, personnaly I prefer to use a faceplate eventually with the help of a live center.

That's not true at all!

I used the 4 prong drive center with my lathe to round all my blanks before I bought a smaller steb center. The only reason I bought the steb center was because I got tired of turning the blank end for end during rounding to get the part that I was afraid to get to close to the 4 prong center. Is it the best solution, no....but it can and will work.
 

KenV

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
4,720
Location
Juneau, Alaska.
Safety suggest that sharp items spinning fast not be available to bite and bleed. That suggests that the prongs on a drive center be buried into the wood and not be exposed.

1 1/8 drive center is just right for driving 1-1/2 and larger spindles (table legs, lamp stems, etc Works for barley twist candlesticks.

It will work well for smaller bowls, but the big bowl crew seem to like two prong centers with live center support. I use the live center for safety, but everyone has to determine the risk they want to take.

I use a face plate with bowls because I have McNaughton bowl savers and can easily mount and remount the core by using a face plate
 

chrisk

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
822
Location
Brussels, Belgium
That's not true at all!

I used the 4 prong drive center with my lathe to round all my blanks before I bought a smaller steb center. The only reason I bought the steb center was because I got tired of turning the blank end for end during rounding to get the part that I was afraid to get to close to the 4 prong center. Is it the best solution, no....but it can and will work.

Let's state the point differently. If you were to advise a new member to buy a drive center to turn his pen blanks between centers, what would you say??? OK, go for a 1" 1/8 4prong drive center or a 1/2" stebcenter???
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
8,206
Location
Tellico Plains, Tennessee, USA.
Gregg
I start all my pepper mills on a 4 prong drive... rough the blank round, then cut a tenon to put in the Barracuda chuck to do the drilling.... I guess that's the equivalent of spindle work...
I never start a bowl on the drive, unless is about 4 or 5 inches or less... anything bigger I put on a face plate... I have both a 3 and 6 inch that I use... the 3" most of the time.
 

WhiteHare

Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
18
Location
Troy, Ohio
Let's state the point differently. If you were to advise a new member to buy a drive center to turn his pen blanks between centers, what would you say??? OK, go for a 1" 1/8 4prong drive center or a 1/2" stebcenter???

I'd probably have to recommend the 1/2" stebcenter. Just my $.02
 

chrisk

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
822
Location
Brussels, Belgium
Of course, turning a pen (or pepper mills) between centers is a spindle work.
What I mean is (IMHO) the final diameter of the turned object must be larger than the drive center's diameter. Namely, as KenV wrote above: "1 1/8 drive center is just right for driving 1-1/2 and larger spindles".

Sorry for the hurried writing... and for my poor English...
 
Last edited:

jleiwig

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,860
Location
Monroe, Ohio, USA.
Let's state the point differently. If you were to advise a new member to buy a drive center to turn his pen blanks between centers, what would you say??? OK, go for a 1" 1/8 4 prong drive center or a 1/2" stebcenter???


Which is a completely different situation than that posted. You stated matter of factly that he cannot use his current center for turning pens, which is a completely false statement.

Since we're not advising what to buy, he already owns it, it can be used and will work just fine.

Any size drive center could be used to turn a pen, it doesn't have to be a 1/2". My steb center is 5/8". Is that not ok since it's 1/8" larger than the 1/2" Sorby?

Proper caution and care should always be used regardless of what is being utilized in the turning of the spindle. Nothing in woodworking is safe
 

Wildman

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
1,390
Location
Jacksonville, NC, USA.
You can do a lot of damage with it. I have that same 4-prong drive center plus others.

To increase bite on four prong drive center need to cut an X with saw or chisel to help prongs bite better. You want a pretty flat surface so all prongs can bite the wood.

Prefer to use a two prong center because get a better bite whether going into side or end grain. Also wood surface does not have to be perfectly square or flat for prongs to bite.

JMO, never thought a stepcenter drive center whether you spend a lot or a little for, worth the money.
 

bitshird

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
10,236
Location
Adamsville, TN, USA.
That's not true at all!

I used the 4 prong drive center with my lathe to round all my blanks before I bought a smaller steb center. The only reason I bought the steb center was because I got tired of turning the blank end for end during rounding to get the part that I was afraid to get to close to the 4 prong center. Is it the best solution, no....but it can and will work.

Yup what he said, except I turn as close as I can get and cut off the 1/8th or so left at the spur end.
 
Top Bottom