Need new live center?

[David Gunn]

I put my pen mandral on the lathe for the first time last night. My son turned his first pen (pics coming soon). All I have is the live center that came with my Jet 1014. It has a very sharp point. When I moved the tailstock up to the mandral to tight it up, it seemed as if it didn't want to tighten up. Also, the sharp point only contacts a small area of the end of the pen mandral. What do I need to get to remedy this. Do I need a 60 degree live center? If not, what do you recommend?

Thanks,
David

[Gordon Thompson]

yes. you need a 60 degree one, for the perfect fit. the ones that come with the 1014 are not a 60 degree point.

[David Walser]

David,

A 60 degree live center would be ideal, but ideal is most likely not necessary in this case. The 60 degree live center will fit the dimple on the end of your pen mandrel. However, a perfect fit is not required for your live center to do it's job -- support the pen mandrel and keep it firmly seated in the Morse taper.

When I turned my first pens, I tightened the tail stock down and then cranked the quill until the mandrel was jammed tight into the headstock. In my effort to make everything tight and secure, I put too much pressure on the end of the mandrel and gave it a permanent bow. (Craft Supplies USA replaced it at no cost and even paid for overnight shipping. My mistake. They knew it. They still insisted on "making it right" at their expense. Great service.)

Don't make my mistake! You only need light pressure and the live center you have will suffice for that.

HTH.

[Chris Huybregts]

Hey David,

I agree with David, you don't "need" the 60 degree center. just don't over tighten the quill. I hold the mandrel, tighten up the live center, then back off just slightly. The center should hold the mandrel, but if you put your finger on the barring, it'll "slow down" with minimal pressure.

[Jon Behnke]

If you intend to turn a bunch of pens then it is much better to use a 60 degree center. A better fit in the pen mandrel will help the mandrel run true. The point in the stock center will be dulled in the pen mandrel if used that way too long.

[Dean Thomas]

I kind of disagree with Chris & David. At least mostly. Yeah, you can get along without one, but if you're going to turn a bunch of pens, why should you make it harder than it has to be unless you just don't have the $$? I'd try to find another way that will fill the dimple better and that is cheaply repeatable.

I've known guys that drilled a hole in the end of their mandrel! Just big enough for the sharp tip of a severely pointy live center to fill and hold steady. Works if you drill in the center. You can imagine how that bit of knowledge came to be. Can we say WONKY???

I have one of those Jet centers but have not actually used it much. I have had a Oneway live center (purchased about $40 ago) for an eternity and the REPLACEABLE pin in that center is precious close to a 60º so it's not a big deal. Less than $4 to replace the tip. And it "gets out of the way" for pen work. So many live centers have just a WAD of metal at the end of themselves and sometimes dodging those bearings is a pain.

If you choose to buy another center, try to get one with replaceable parts. I have a really nice set (offshore set from WC purchased about $25 ago) that works really well, but once I eat the nose off that aluminum cone, can I get another one? Probably not without buying another set. I like the $4 replacement theory better. I have made several specialized inserts for that set out of hard maple and even brass, too, so it's pretty much my go to center for most things I do except pen turning, although I have used it for that as well.

WC also sells a very inexpensive, dedicated 60º point live center for $20 that some friends like just fine and that seems to hold up fairly well.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I agree with Dean here, the point should fit the mandrel properly (60°), and then you would need very little pressure to hold the mandrel steady.
Here's a very good live center set and you can get the penturners point that fits in there.

http://www.oneway.ca/spindle/live_center.htm

[Jeff Nicol]

you could turn a little adadter out of alumunum or wood or what ever that would go over your live center that would fit the recess correctly. Or just put some paper towl in between and it will sandwich in there and hold it fine. Like has already been said you don't need to put a ton of pressure on the mandrel.

Good luck,

Jeff

[Tom Wilson66]

You say the live center doesn't want to tighten up? On my Jet, the tailstock will move slightly when I apply presssure with it, even after tightening the lever on the tailstock. I have to retighten the lever after the initial tightening to get it to stay tight. I have also found that if I move the tailstock slightly backwards (towards the tailstock end of the lathe) before I first tighten it, then it will usually stay tight. I guess the plate on the bottom doesn't seat square with the ways because of the moving of the tailstock, and sliding it backwards gets it aligned. Hope this helps.

[Chris Huybregts]

Hehe, I'm not saying, don't get one, I'm just saying it will work I personally tried to get one last week, but my woodcraft was out, for the interim, I'm having to use the stock one. Like you're saying though, the tip will wear, but, a replacement tip for the default jet live center is 3 bucks at my woodcraft, after I saw that, I figured i could wait until they got more 60degree ones in.

Too excited not to keep on turning