Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
Single prong center
Jim Rutten
>Last time we saw Nick Cook he had some kind of single prong center that he said was better for teaching new people with because you can't get a catch. With my wife starting out in woodturning I thought this might be a good idea. What is this thing called so I can do some searches for it? Thanks in advance.
Re: Single prong center *LINK*
George Van in WI
>Hi Jim, the one I have is called a "safe center", it came from Oneway. I am sure a lot of others sell a similar product.
http://www.oneway.on.ca/spindle/safe_drivers.htm
Re: Single prong center
Richard Allen
>Hi Jim
It is called a dead center. Oneway sells one that they call a "safety center".
There was a time when lathes were provided with a dead cup center for the tailstock. You would apply grease to the cup so the turning could spin. These dead cup centers have given way to live centers.
Along the way it was discovered that the dead cup center, sans grease, would provide enough drive force to turn spindles. There are a few side benefits:
If you get a catch the turning tends to stop.
If you release pressure from the tailstock the work piece can be stopped by hand without turning off the lathe and the turning can be inspected.
You can dismount the work piece and remount it without concern for lining up the spurs in the same holes.
You can mount a work piece with the lathe running.
If you use both the Oneway dead center (safety center) and the Oneway live center the work piece can be flipped end for end and the work piece will run true. The profile of the Oneway dead center (safety center) and the Oneway live center are the same.
Please note that Jet make a knock off of the safety center which usually sells for a few dollars less.
The Delta dead center works just as well at driving the work piece as the Oneway center.
Good Luck
Richard
Re: Single prong center
Keith Tompkins
>JIm,
Sorby also markets a center called the stebcenter, which is designed to slip in event of a catch. The old dead-center trick works just as well.
Re: Single prong center
John K Jordan
>These are my favorite drive centers. The center prong is spring loaded so you can get more grip with more pressure.
I don't remember who makes them. I bought them from Rude Osolnik's son in Berea KY.
JKJ in East TN
