New Live Center

[KKingery]

Just a question regarding my new live center which arrived today. Can anyone give me a good reason why it is so big? Good Lord, it's as big as a hand grenade. Compared to my old one that came with the lathe, this is one good size chunk of metal!

 

[Rudy Vey]

its that big because it has more that one ball bearing and its for metal working and can carry a load of a couple hundred pounds or so

Rudy
SE MI

 

[Gary Max]

That is the chuck you want for big stuff. They are super tough---the only thing that you need to watch is when you are chucking up a piece of wood---be careful you do not run the tip in so deep that you split your wood. I have one just like it that I use on big bowls.

 

[jwoodwright]

Better Bearings, Sealed for life... [8D]

 

[KKingery]

Well, I needed a new one - I did the Newbie mistake a few times with the old ones, and the tip is about worn off. I just was'nt expecting something quite this large. It works great though - just finished up a modified cigar pen with it. I guess if I ever do metalworking, I've got it made!

 

[jwoodwright]

You do realize the tip on your old one is replaceable, like a buck ($1.00) [?]

Fits in place with a taper, you can knock it out and use the live center as a cup center, or pad and not leave a mark where you need support but not damage... also use as a guide for a lamp auger... [8D]

You'll love your new center... Better Quality...

 

[wayneis]

Ken thats the same live center that I use and have been using for almost a year and it shows almost no ware. You will be happy that you have it.

Wayne

 

[Fred in NC]

Ken, that is a LIVE CENTER !!! I bet you could turn a 6" diameter pen on a one inch mandrel with it!!!!

Because of the multiple bearings your live center will last longer and be very accurate. These also have a hardened point, which will last forever when you use it with a mandrel.
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NOW, for a QUIZ !!

OK, this is a live center. Is there anything such as a DEAD center, and can you buy one ?

 

[Darley]

Ken where did you find this live center? mine started to show some waring off, thanks

Serge

 

[opfoto]

Ken,
Oh look, the center had a baby.....[] I'd like to get one. Where did you get that one and can I ask.... 1 arm + 2 legs???

 

[KKingery]

I ordered this one from the Harbor Freight website. It was under their category of Lathe Accessories. They had a decent price on it, but it took FOREVER to get here. I think the total was 15 days from when I ordered it, to when it got here. I had no idea I could have replaced just the tip of my old one. Oh well, live and learn - but quality wise, I think this new one is way better.

 

[jwoodwright]

Ken,

Keep the old one, never know when you might want a "cup" center or the ability to use a lamp auger...

Your New one is Way out ahead of the crowd...

Fred,
A Dead Center is just that, Doesn't rotate, needs to be lubed to stop burning. You can use as a friction drive when learning the skew. A "catch" stops the rotating...

 

[jwoodwright]

Serge,

grizzly.com has them. I'm using model H3408 MT#2 $10.95

You can go to their site and type in Model # and it shows a description.

It fits the mandrel end well and has held up very well in the past year...

They are one Company who are honest with their shipping and handeling...

They ship Outside Us Parcel Post and First Class...

 

[Fred in NC]

Right John !!! Dead center is just a Morse taper with a point at the other end. One piece of metal. No moving parts.

The live center is a relatively recent invention. Woodturners used a dead center for centuries. A lot of them were made from a sharpened nail. They had to keep putting some grease on it.
On the same subject, early lathes had no ball bearings on the spindle !!! Bronze and Babbitt bearings were common. You had to keep lubricating them.

And guess what? One of the most expensive bowl turning lathes in production today has no bearing on the spindle either!! How?

 

[Darley]

Originally posted by jwoodwright
<br />Serge,

grizzly.com has them. I'm using model H3408 MT#2 $10.95

You can go to their site and type in Model # and it shows a description.

It fits the mandrel end well and has held up very well in the past year...

They are one Company who are honest with their shipping and handeling...

They ship Outside Us Parcel Post and First Class...

Thanks John, I will contact them to see if they can send me one, would think probably of a joke to received an order from Australia [], but will try

Serge

 

[Randy_]

As I understand it, one reason that the points on the live centers that come with wood lathes wear out so fast is that they have a 30° included angle which is too sharp to match the dimple that is in the end of pen mandrels. The live center that Ken got is designed for turning metal and has a tip with an included angle of 60° which matches pen mandrel dimples. You would think makers of mandrels for pen making would understand that those lathes come with a different kind of live center and would design their mandrels accordingly

 

[Gregory Huey]

Now thats a center. I am close to needing one and it looks like HF will get my order.

 

[Fred in NC]

Randy, not only the angle does not match, but the live centers that are made for wood usually have points that are not hardened.

As far as the mandrel fitting the live center that comes with the lathes, I think it would be too flat.. too shallow an angle, it will still wear the point.

Best solution is to get a good machinist live center.

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by KKingery<br />.....Can anyone give me a good reason why it is so big.....

Can't be sure from the picture; but you probably have a heavy duty live center which probably has 2 or more bearings rather than the single bearing that is used with the medium duty live center. It's also possible that your center has taper bearing rather than a ball bearing. Bottom line is that your new live center is much stronger unit than what you had before!!

 

[jwoodwright]

Ken,
How much did you pay [?]

Serge,
Grizzly Ships to Australia... Parcel Post...[]

The Grizzly one works great. They have more expensive ones. This one is sealed and multi bearings. []

 

[Darley]

Thanks John will contact Grizzly about it

Serge

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by jwoodwright
<br />You do realize the tip on your old one is replaceable, like a buck ($1.00) [?]

Fits in place with a taper, you can knock it out and use the live center as a cup center, or pad and not leave a mark where you need support but not damage... also use as a guide for a lamp auger... [8D]

You'll love your new center... Better Quality...

Wish that were true of the Grizzly brand. My tip broke and I had to buy a whole new live center. The tips pops out of it's taper but they don't sell a replacement. And I don't know if other brands will fit. There may be an expensive alternate brand in my future.

 

[Randy_]

Frank: The JET tips are replaceable and you can get the tips at most(if not all) Woodcraft stores for $1.99. You can get the tips direct from JET for $1.59; but they charge you $19.95 for shipping???

If your lathe has a #2 Morse taper in the tail stock, you might consider buying a Jet live center.....then replacement tips would be available if you need one. I don't know if Woodcraft could sell you a complete Jet live center or not. If so, you could get some "help" on the postage&gt;

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by Randy.
<br />Frank: The JET tips are replaceable and you can get the tips at most(if not all) Woodcraft stores for $1.99. You can get the tips direct from JET for $159; but they charge you $19.95 for shipping???

If your lathe has a #2 Morse taper in the tail stock, you might consider buying a Jet live center.....then replacement tips would be available if you need one. I don't know if Woodcraft could sell you a complete Jet live center or not. If so, you could get some "help" on the postage&gt;

Thanks, I'll look into it. Some of the classy imports are in the $50.00 to $100.00 range for a live center.
There may be a Jet in my future, I seem to be doing more and more small stuff and can't use two lathes at once. At least not yet. Working on that, though. []

 

[jwoodwright]

Frank,
Check out this Grizzly one...

grizzly.com has them. I'm using model H3408 MT#2 $10.95


Works great...[8D]

 

[Randy_]

They also have a cupped live center...H3404...for $7.50. I can't tell for sure from the picture; but I think the point on the cupped center has a sharper point(30° included angle) for wood and the one that John mentioned has a 60° angle which would be better for metal stock and pen mandrels.

 

[Darley]

Originally posted by jwoodwright
<br />Ken,
How much did you pay [?]

Serge,
Grizzly Ships to Australia... Parcel Post...[]

The Grizzly one works great. They have more expensive ones. This one is sealed and multi bearings. []

Hi John order one today from Grizzly

Thanks for the info

Serge