Woodturning Live Centers - What Works What Does Not Work

A short while ago, I had a conversation with another club member about live center options. He is an experienced turner, so the conversation was mutually beneficial.

Sometimes a new turner is constrained by how their lathe was initially equipped. That begs the question of where to go from this point. What to do when you do not want a point poking into your beautiful wood?

Some options include:
-removing the center point (if it comes out) but then it can get lost in wood shavings.
-padding the point with a coin.
-covering the live center with wood.
-purchasing a more capable live center. But then often the issues repeat themselves as projects come.
one upgraded live center has 3/4-10 threads and a cone accessory. Then
-perhaps a covering wood piece could be threaded to be secure when on.
-what about a dedicated cone center so you do not have to look for where the cone piece is hiding.
-how about a rubber stopper drilled to match that slips on but is still secure?
Another upgraded live center has 1-8 threads but no accessories.
-The threads match more lathe spindles as is. An inexpensive adapter covers more options.
-With matching threads, many other possibilities emerge. Limitless.

Enjoy.

p.s. If you would like a more in depth demonstration, please contact me for an IRD (Zoom Demo) on this or other topics.

#liveCenter #tools #woodworking #woodturning #woodturningprojects #lathe #AlanStratton #video #DIY #Utah

[glencrandall]

My goodness there are a lot of options for tail centers. I knew that before this video. I have most of them.😋 And you didn't even mention Rubber Chuckey. 😯They offer a bunch more. Thank you for sharing Alan. Have a great day and keep on staying safe.🙂🙂

[bernardfutter]

For my live centres with removable tips I insert a sacrificial birch dowel as the contact point. I can then just keep going, removing the tenon stub.Yes, there are even more accessories; a funnel is sometimes useful for centring small pieces, and I have my own design of spring loaded micro centre with tiny hook for supporting the waste end of finial blanks and very small fishing floats &c. (Care with torque!). Bernard.

[rea]

I'm watching this and going yep, I have one of those...and one of those...and one of those... LOL I need to get me a small Longworth like yours though.

[iancompton]

so you can keep track of your rubber stoppers but not your one way cone center??? i have had the oneway for years and take the center point out a lot and have never misplaced it or the cone center. also you can get a threaded adaptor for the oneway that allows you to put a chuck on the live center - so my vote goes with the oneway as it solves all the needs in one tool - just my opinion

[bernardmaitre]

bonjour Alain tres astucieux comme systeme merci pour la video a bientot

[keithnewton]

Thanks good information. One thing I'm Canadian so can you send me a penny to use.