4-Prong Drive Center

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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
 
keithkarl2007 said:
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
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If that's what you mean, yes what he said.

Lin.
 
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.
 
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chrisk said:
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.
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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.
 
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
 
jleiwig said:
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.
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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???
 
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.
 
chrisk said:
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???
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I'd probably have to recommend the 1/2" stebcenter. Just my $.02
 
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...
 
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chrisk said:
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???
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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
 
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.
 
jleiwig said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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