60-degree Live Center

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GaryMGg

GaryMGg

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Nov 23, 2006
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Location
McIntosh, Florida, USA.
The 60-degree live center I got from Grizzly http://www.grizzly.com/products/H3408/images was soft metal rather than tool steel. Literally wore out in weeks.
I've been looking for a replacement and when I spied LanceD's post I visited Lathe Master's site.

So, I recently ordered a carbide tipped 60-degree live center from these folks:
http://www.lathemaster.com
Place my first order about two weeks ago.
I got one of these:
http://www.lathemaster.com/CARBIDE TIPPEDLIVECENTER.htm

Quick shipping. I finally got a chance to use it yesterday. The unit I got has bound bearings and I called Robert this morning. He said he's sending a replacement out immediately after personally checking it to make sure the replacement isn't problematic.

Service like that isn't common anymore.
Even with the bad bearing, I can tell this unit is far superior to the one it's replacing. When I put the Griz LC in the headstock and the LMCT in the tailstock and check for alignment, the LMCT was actually cutting a hole in the center of the Griz soft metal :(
It blends just fine into Joe Collazo's mandrel rods! ;)

If you're looking for a replacement LC, check these folks in Louisiana
 
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Gary, thank you VERY much as I was looking at thier live center as a replacement!!

Carbide tiped, Eh?? Awesome!!

BTW... it's out of stock, but they seem to have a 115 piece drill set for $42.00 [;)]
 
Gary: Did you talk to Grizzly and ask for a replacement of a refund? There have been some posts by folks who own the Grizzly live center and are happy with it. Maybe you just got a bad one??
 
Randy,
Your point is valid. I didn't ask for a refund because I've been `making it work' which means as the tip wore down, I reground it so that I could turn pens. I'm not sure Grizzly would stand behind my modifications -- perhaps I'll ask them just the same.
However, I've had several (at least 3) Grizzly LCs -- my lathe is the Grizzly G1067Z http://www.grizzly.com/products/G1067Z and none of those LCs has lasted well.
I figured carbide has to be the way to go.

FYI: I have forwarded the notice of shipment for the last LC along with a link to this thread to tech. supp. at Griz. and will see what I learn.
 
Damn!! [:(!] I used to recommend the modestly priced LC from Little Machine Shop to people and then we started getting some posts here about the bearings in those units as being a problem. Then I went to mentioning Grizzly as a source and now they seem to have a problem.

Come back in about 6 months, Gary, and let us know how that carbide LC holds up. It would be nice to have a unit that could be recommended and did not cost a hundred bucks.

I'm sure you know that carbide is somewhat brittle so you don't what to just let it beat around in your tool drawer. It would be a shame to crack the tip or knock it off the LC altogether.
 
Good suggestion Randy.

Following up: Customer service is alive and well at Grizzly. [8D]
And I want to stress that I didn't ask Grizzly for a replacement because I anticipated they'd have wanted the old one back to see what the problem is and my re-grinding wouldn't allow them to see what they'd want to see.

I got an email from Tech Support at Griz offering a polite apology for any trouble I had with the LC I purchased and stating that a replacement is being shipped immediately. It'll be interesting to see if the replacement LC is as soft as the original. If so, I won't use it with a mandrel; only with raw wood. The bearings in the Griz. are real nice -- no issue there.
I'll be keeping the Carbide tipped LC in a box when it's not on the lathe in use.
 
Gary, unless I missread and if you still have the LC with the bad bearing will it fit the headstock then the carbide LC in the tailstock and you can eliminate the mandrel?
David
 
David... "if" the bearing was frozen it "could" work, but you will most likly have a less than perfect run-out. A dead center is the way to go, not a dead-live center! [;)]

Gary, is there a chance that the junk live center has a threaded on MT2 shaft? If you can remove it, they are normaly 1/2-20 and will take a drill chuck. Buy your self a new chuck and you can have a spare drill chuck for those times you don't want to swap bits as much.
 
Dave and Lee, you guys think like me.
The bearing in the Carbide-tip turns; it's just way too tight so it doesn't spin on the tail-stock end. When I talked to Robert at LM he said the bearing is press fit and once in a while they're not pressed in just right.
I'd offered to see if I could fix it if he'd describe the process but he wanted to send a replacement and said do what I want with this one. I told him I'd probably just glue the bearing solid and try it as a dead-center. Its got no run-out that I could discern.
I'll know something soon.
 
Originally posted by Firefyter-emt
<br />...Gary, is there a chance that the junk live center has a threaded on MT2 shaft? If you can remove it, they are normaly 1/2-20 and will take a drill chuck. Buy your self a new chuck and you can have a spare drill chuck for those times you don't want to swap bits as much.
Click to expand...
I think this is highly unlikely.

First off, it is highly unlikely that the arbor will be drilled and threaded. Live centers, by their very nature, are designed to be used in the tailstock and under compression so there would be no need to make provision for a drawbar.

And secondly, the end of the arbor that accepts the chuck would need to be threaded or have a Jacobs taper. The arbor that is used for a live center is presses into a sealed roller bearing and would nave neither of the previously mentioned configurations. You might be fooled into thinking your MT arbor was drilled and threaded because of the "hole" in the end of it; but if you look closely, it is more likely to be a 60° centering dimple used in the manufacture of the arbor.

It is always great to be able to recycle and squeeze additional life of tools in alternative applications; but is one time where it won't happen as suggested. What you could try however is grind a 60° point on the end of the arbor and use it as a dead center. This might be more trouble that it is worth as you can purchase a dead center for very little money. Depends upon how highly you value your time.
 
Originally posted by GaryMGg
<br />Dave and Lee, you guys think like me.
The bearing in the Carbide-tip turns; <b>it's just way too tight </b>so it doesn't spin on the tail-stock end. When I talked to Robert at LM he said the bearing is press fit and once in a while they're not pressed in just right.
I'd offered to see if I could fix it if he'd describe the process but he wanted to send a replacement and said do what I want with this one. I told him <b>I'd probably just glue the bearing solid </b>and try it as a dead-center. Its got no run-out that I could discern...
Click to expand...

Gary: I had that same problem with a live center from little Machine Shop and figured it was because of too much grease in the bearing or that the grease was too stiff.

I put it in my vice, point down, and protected from jaw damage by a cloth and gave it a good shot of WD-40. Let is sit overnight and then put it in the lathe. Got out a hair dryer and heated up the head of the LC{probably about 10 minutes(?)}. Then I turned on the lathe and drove the LC with a pen mandrel for about a half hour. After that, I never had any more problems with a stiff bearing. My theory is that I diluted the bearing grease a little and reduced the internal friction......who knows??

Might work for you might not??

As for turning it into a dead center by glue, it certainly won't hurt to try. I suspect there is so much grease/oil and other stuff on the thing that getting a good bond will not be possible.
 
Originally posted by GaryMGg
<br />Good suggestion Randy......I got an email from Tech Support at Griz offering a polite apology for any trouble I had with the LC I purchased and stating that a replacement is being shipped immediately...
Click to expand...

Gary: Glad that worked out for you. My experience with many different companies is that you will be offered a replacement about 80% of the time and they almost never ask for the return of the item.(especially if it is a modestly priced item) Harbor Freight once asked me to return a pin nailer that I purchased; but they sent a prepaid mailing label. I would never trash a defective item without taking a minute or two to email the vendor.....the worst they can do is say no. And then they have commented on their business character and I cross them off my list of people to do business with!!
 
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