(not so) live centers

Re: (not so) live centers

Fred L. - North Carolina

>Mine wear out too.

My opinion is that live centers are usually made with RADIAL ball bearings. These are the same bearings you would find in a wheel. Since the pressure in a live center is coming from the side, AXIAL bearings would be much better. The downside is that installing axial bearings in a live center is not easy. That is why they are not used.

There are conical roller bearings available. These are a good compromise if you can find one in the right size and replace it.

I have a replaceable tip live center from Woodcraft. While handy for some jobs, I don't think the bearing is any better.

So for me it is a fact of life that live centers don't last, and a new bearing costs almost as much as the complete live center. I like having an extra one on hand for that reason.

Item H3404 is a #2 MT woodworking live center from Grizzly at $ 6.95. Cheap and disposable at this price.

Look also at their G1069 Live Center Set. They claim it has needle bearings. It would be hard to tell whether they are needle (cylindrical) or true conical bearings. about $80.

Hope this helps,

FredL

Re: (not so) live centers

Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA

>Hi Shawn

It is a little hard to answer your question without knowing a bit more about your center. The cost of the center is a variable, but not always indicative. How it is put together may have more of a bearing (ha ha) on the situation. I have used a number of different centers over the years. I had a cheapie Jet $15.00 center that survived for over three years of very heavy use at high speeds - production pen turning. It was sold with the lathe, so I have no idea how it fared afterwards. I sold the lathe to a guy who worked for the NSA, and since I have not been "disappeared", I suspect it worked well for him. On the other hand, my expensive Oneway center seized up after a little more than two years of less intense use and needed to be disassembled and regreased.

A good center should have the proper bearings in it for the loads it will experience. I have cranked mine on real hard when doing large bowls or vessels between centers - hard enough to move the tailstock on my Poolewood after I have clamped it down with all my might. I do not believe you are getting good information if someone is telling you "this just happens over time". Even if it does, if it is an expensive center, there should be a way to disassemble the thing and either clean it or replace the bearings. If not, look elsewhere from now on and do not buy from that person again.

Bill

Re: (not so) live centers

Fred L. - North Carolina

>Bill:

Interesting about the Jet live center. I assume it is a #2 MT. My Jet mini came with one, of course. I went back to Woodcraft, and found the exact same live center for sale there. It is about $14.95. They are absolutely identical.

By the way, the center point is replaceable. It comes off if pushed from the inside. With the proper tools, the bearing will come off. For the price I don't think it is worth it, since by then the point and cup center are probably worn too.

FredL

Questions for Bill

Bill Howatt

>Bill,

Even though you used your Jet center on high-speed do you think it is a fair comparison since the lateral loading would have been light?

Does the Oneway make the cut as a good center since you were able to disassemble and repair? I am thinking of buying a Oneway for my General.

Thanks,

Bill

Re: (not so) live centers

Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA

>Hi Fred

I guess I should have written a bit more on that center. It is essentially a throwaway when it goes belly up. I have a second one I bought for some applications, mainly in my Vicmarc mini. But even so, it should not stop working in less than a year, and to have two break in that time period makes me wonder about the original quality more so than the use they are getting.

Bill

Try Enco, I'm pleased

Bill Tindall, E. TN

>Enco carries a line of Polish metal lathe accessories(Skoda). I'm pleased with the "precision 3 bearing live center" BQ240-7213 for $34. The two axial and one thrust bearing should provide for a robust center. I have used mine for about 9 months. The quality of this line seems very good.

I too trashed several wood lathe cneters that had but one bearing.

I also purchased a Skoda chuck and it is built more sturdy and at better tolerances than the Oneway. I really don't know why the wood lathe people chose to make chucks anew rather than adapting jaws on metal lathe chucks which are produced in volume and hence cheaper.

I bought and returned a Woodcraft changable point "Pro" center. It was made very poorly and wobbled 0.010" out of center to boot.

Re: Questions for Bill

Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA

>Hi Bill

True there is not much lateral loading in turning a pen, but my experience with bearings is that they are rated for X number of hours at Y rpm. I turned thousands of pens with that center at very high rpm, usually over 3000.

Your next question is a hard one to answer. I think the Oneway is an excellent center, especially since it can be taken apart and regreased or repaired. For the kind of money they want, it should not be disposable. What makes it harder and harder for me to recommend Oneway is some of their business practices and attitudes. They have always treated me well as an individual (well, unless I have the great fun of having to talk to Tym, who isn't nice to anyone I don't think), but they have played pretty rough with distributors and cried foul against Jet for doing what they did to Nova. This in no way detracts from the quality of their tooling, but it just makes it hard for me to tell people to spend money there.

Bill

Re: (not so) live centers

SteveS

>I bought the Axminster live center from Craft Supply with the interchangeable tips (~$80). It may be expensive you can be sure it won't fail on you. I would buy it again. I had one of the $25 live centers from Rockler...POS; turns out the center is made from cast iron. The Axminster is machined steel.

Re: Try Enco, I'm pleased

Jorge Casta�eda ~ East Penobscot Bay

>Hello Bill,

My live center is also on its way out after very little use of my mini Delta.

A visit to Enco tells me they carry live centers, but a search using Skoda brings me to the same 57 live center page, what you need to specify to find the right center?

TIA

Jorge

My experience

Dave Peebles Lyons,Ohio

>Hello Bill,

My experience has been a little different than Bill's. I have been using their live centers for a few years and have yet to have a problem with them. I do treat mine rough too. I tend to crank down on the tailstock when I have a big piece on the lathe. It is a fine center in my opinion.

As for Tym, he has always been a good guy to me, as has the rest of the family. As a matter of fact, I would call them friends. As we have spent a little time bending elbows together. :)

Of course I have dropped a few thousand dollars on their stuff over the years, that may make me a popular guy to them. :)

But I do like all the things you can do with their live center, Including the Tolly attachment for it. It is one of the best things I have ever bought. It make re-centering a breeze.

Best,

Dave

Re: Try Enco, I'm pleased

Doug

>Jorge - at the top of Enco's Home page you will find a search section. Just type in BQ240-7213 and select Enco.

Muchas Gracias!!

Jorge Casta�eda ~ East Penobscot Bay

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