Opinions for Live Centers.

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The other mainline Live Center is One Way -

It and Nova either have (nova) or have a low cost tip (oneway) that give you a 60 degree live center as needed for turning between centers -- and lots more functionality.

While the OneWay is heavier duty, and has some attractive features, I tend to use the Nova more because of the wide flexibility it offers.

For instance -- I have figured out how to make an extra morse taper with a JT end into a mandrel saver -- have the pieces but have not taken the time to bore it out and mount the bearing.

I am very satisfied with the Nova -- and the oneway too.
 
If you are going to ever turn any thing but Pens, I'd go with either Nova or the Oneway set. but the Nova is more reasonably priced, Also check the grizzly set, Not bad for the money and their imitation Vicmark chuck ain't bad either for $100 bucks.
 
I picked up a Grizzly H3408 60 degree live center years ago for something like twelve bucks. It has done the job just fine for hundreds of pens, so I'd say that it gives the most bang for the buck.
 
I'm voting for none of the above! If you want to make a few odd trinkets that don't require that much precision but do require some odd live ends, then any of these are ok, but for pens my opinion and experience says they all suck. Because the tips are interchangeable, they tend to have a little slop in them so that you can remove them and put in a different one. All three of those, the shafts on the replacement bits are straight. Therefore you end up with a little bit of slop in your live center..and although it's just a little bit, it adds up real fast when you also have length from center to center to consider. Like a deck that is a quarter inch out of square but 40' long is 40 quarter inches! That's a big deal. I would only use a single purpose 60 degree live center. On my machine I have a live center that can have the points interchanged, but it is not a cheap center, and the interchanging points are tapered so they sit solid..I don't know if they make a set like that for a smaller wood lathe. The tapered points are sold separate too..but I have no need for anything but the one so that's all I have. For pens..just get a $12 live center is my opinion.
 
I have a One way and I really like it's versatility. I have made wooden tips and pieces that fit over the end so that I can turn other items without having to make separate jam chucks.
 
Jeff -- Hate to point out the error -- but both the one way and Nova live center used tapers on the inserts MT1 on the Onway Points and MT 2 on the Nova inserts. When clean, they install without measurable change in runout for me.

No change in runout is not slop on my dial indicator --

Some live centers with interchangable points do use a straight shaft, but not these two.

Interchangable points are vulnerable to crud -- and if not clean, there can be missalignment on the point caused by dirt/debirs - but not slop. I generally use a Oneway with the pent turners point in it much of the time as a general purpose end.
 
Ken...you are more than welcome to point out my error. I wouldn't want to give a company a bad name just because I didn't look closer. When I looked at the Nova site, I just couldn't tell by the pictures. I know for absolute fact that the one on the woodcraft site is straight shaft interchanging points held in with a little magnet...yes, I was a fool and bought one of those a few years back...so I'm real cautious about buying these tools that you can't see in person.

I also agree a taper can get crud on it and thus out of whack...but you can wipe off crud. You can't wipe off a sloppy hole or loose fitting insert. That Nova chuck looks pretty nice indeed.
 
I would like to challenge with another reason buy the live centre with a removable parallel tip and replace it with a brass bush nesting the mandrel 3/8 of an inch no more colleywobbles. I devised this system over ten years ago it works.

Have fun.

Kind regards Peter.
 

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That's a good argument against me too Peter. Although the factory tips are not so great, the straight shanks make it easier for you to modify or make your own replacements and to a better tolerance that isn't sloppy in the hole.
 
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