Nova Live Center Gets Hot

[Marty Tippin]

I recently bought a Nova Live Center (or "Centre" if you're on the other side of the pond) and have noticed lately that it gets really hot when I'm using it - like almost too hot to touch after 10 minutes of run time at maybe 1200 rpm. I do tend to put quite a bit of pressure on the tailstock, so maybe that's where the heat comes from. Or maybe I've got a defective bearing in my live center.

Has anyone else seen a similar issue?

[Dan Hintz]

Pressure should be firm, but you shouldn't crank down on it. Even if you have since lightened up on your touch, it's likely a bearing is now burnt... replace the bearing.

[David Gilbert]

I have the Jet version of the Oneway live center and it also gets warm or hot when I'm doing spindle turning. I've pulled it apart and have replacement bearings but don't have a good way to get them off the shaft.

Any suggestions?

Cheers,
David

[Dwight Rutherford]

David,
I would just take it to a local machine shop and have them pull the old bearings and press on the new.

[Jon Nuckles]

I am sure the advice to watch the pressure is good, but I really crank when I have a big and out of balance piece and I've never noticed heating on the center that came with my powermatic. The rpms are a bit lower on those pieces, but I don't loosen the tail stock as I achieve balance and speed up. Not saying this is the best course, of course.

[Steve Peterson]

I believe that the Oneway live center has notes mentioning that it is expected to run warm as the bearings warm up. Afterwards it should run slightly cooler.

If it heats up later, it sounds like a bearing is starting to go out. Has it always run warm? Or is this a new characteristic?

Steve

[Jim Underwood]

Used to be you had a dead center in the tailstock, and you had to remember to oil it periodically so it wouldn't start a fire. A little heat on the bearings aren't going to cause a problem til the thing seizes up.
I'd just monitor the bearing until it gets rough when turning it by hand, or noisy (it'll roar at high speed), then replace it. But hey, those bearings are pretty cheap, so have at it if you feel like it.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Couple questions: 1) does the center turn freely without a load 2) does it turn silently (all the time). I have a Nova center, and it does not get hot at all. I put some serious pressure on my tailstock when roughing bowl blanks, and it still is pretty much cool. Granted, I don't rough at 1200 RPM, but takes me at least an hour between 5 and 900 or so. If it's brand new, and it doesn't turn freely and/or makes noise, give them a call and see if they'll replace it.

[gary jarvis]

My jet knockoff of the oneway live center ran hot for the first couple of hours when it was new. Been running cool ever since.