SOLVED: SOS dad's not available & I need help!

[angboy]

I have a problem that hopefully someone can help me solve?? [?][?]I was turning between live centers and now wanted to remove them so I could put my pen mandrel back in the headstock. Well the live center I had in the headstock in won't come out. I used the knockout rod and all it did was knock out the center part of the live center, [B)]since it's apparently not one whole piece. And now the knockout rod has nothing to knock out- it just goes right through the center of the live center. Anyone have any bright ideas of how to get the darn thing out??? (My usual consultant, dear old dad, had the nerve to go somewhere and not even be available by phone- I think I'll have to tell him he can't do that anymore!)

OK, I solved the problem, but I'm sure that what I did was not a recommended thing to do to a lathe- it involved a hammer and I'll spare you the rest of the details. But for my own future reference, I'd still like to hear what solutions people have?

Nolan, thanks for the suggestion. The problem is that the piece from the middle that got knocked out was the only part that was smaller than the whole tunnel from the back of the headstock to the front is. So after that was gone, you could look all the way through it, so even something bigger than my knockout bar, if it would fit in the hole, would then be too small to have anything to push up against and knock out. (Sorry if that's hard to understand!)

 

[Nolan]

can you put something larger than your knock out tool in and use it? Say maybe a 1/4 or 5/16 bolt thats long enough.
Nolan

 

[Jerryconn]

Not sure if this will work on your lathe but on mine all you do is crank the tailstock all the way in and it will push out the live center. Hope this helps!

 

[Randy_]

How in the world can you turn something between two live centers [?][?]

DSA: Would you mind posting a picture of the offending "live center", please? Something is amiss, here[?]

P.S. Hammers and lathes are not a good mix under normal circumtsances.[]

 

[Monty]

Originally posted by Randy_
<br />[teal]How in the world can you turn something between two live centers [?][?]

DSA: Would you mind posting a picture of the offending "live center", please? Something is amiss, here[?]

Angela,
Same question. How did you manage to turn between two live centers?

 

[Rudy Vey]

Why did you turn between live centers, seem for me not possible.
But get a knockout rod that is larger then the one you are using now, but still fits into the headstock. You might be able to turn a dowel to proper size to use as the knockout rod.

 

[angboy]

Originally posted by Randy_
<br />How in the world can you turn something between two live centers [?][?]

Uhhhmmmmm... stupidly? [:I] or brilliantly and I've invented a new way of turning that no one else has caught onto yet? I'm SURE it has to be the second option!!! [][]

The other option is that I don't know what the heck I'm doing. Or maybe I'm using the term live center wrong and I am actually doing the turning right? Or this is what happens when you let someone like me set up a shop?

Originally posted by Randy_
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DSA: Would you mind posting a picture of the offending "live center", please? Something is amiss, here[?]

Here are some pictures of the offending live(???) center, and how I had it set up on my lathe. If I'm doing this totally like an idiot, please don't rake me over the coals too bad. [V][V]

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[Rifleman1776]

I dunno how you turned anything with that set-up. [:0] Only suggestion has already been given. Use a rod large enough to catch the outside part of the live center in the headstock and whack hard.

 

[Dario]

I saw a post here doing something similar...but with a dead center at the headstock and a live cenetr at the tail stock.

As a result, I bought 2 sets of 60 degree livecenter and dead center to try it [][][]

 

[bjackman]

I use one of these when turning most smaller things between centers. Bought it a couple years back, (the price has definately gone UP since then [:0] ) The drive head is exactly 5/16 diameter and the little recessed shoulder makes it so easy to get tools, sandpaper, fingers, etc up close and personal with the very end of your work. (which is usually very nice when you're working with very small stuff.)

http://tinyurl.com/9opph

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[dubdrvrkev]

Normally one would turn between a dead or spur center (headstock) and a live center (tailstock). I would think that you would have to put way too much pressure on the piece to keep it from slipping using live centers at both ends. This may have effects on the longevity of the headstock bearings.
I think most of us have had to use a mallet to free something from a taper at least once. I know I have. [B)]
Don't worry about it Angela its all part of the learning curve.

Oh yeah back to the original question. I think the only way to free it would be to use a little persuation, now that you got it free make sure you tapers are clean an free of any burrs, gouges, or any other deformaties. You can get a reamer or taper cleaner (plastic reamer) to clean them up as needed. Don't lubricate them though.

 

[pssherman]

When I had a similar problem I locked down the headstock spindle and used channel-lock pliers to turn the center. When it starts to rotate the center pops out. No hammer needed.

Paul in AR

 

[Randy_]

Thanks for the pictures, Angela.....that "IS" an interesting setup!!

Were you actually trying to turn that workpiece or just sanding it or maybe just putting on a finish?? Normally, you use a live center in the tailstock so the work piece can spin free at that end and a spur center at the headstock end so the rotational energy of the lathe can be transferred to the work piece. Here is a picture of a simple spur center. Do you have something like this??

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