Source for live center tip (cone)?

[Robert Marshall]

My Grizzly's (model G0766) original-equipment live center tip, the pointy part, has gone missing. I'd love to replace just it, but can't find any vendor who will sell less than the whole live center, including the shaft, bearings, cup, etc.

Can you suggest a source?

Not that it's a bank-breaker; I just prefer replacing what's missing, not the whole thing.

Next time I'll put the whole thing in my toolbox, between uses. That'll avoid getting poked by it, too!

[Peter Blair]

I could make you one if I had the specifics. I recently bought a small hobby lathe and made a new center for my Oneway. Of course it is not quite as good as the original but works like a charm. I can do for no cost cause I like playing with my lathe and if it is small the shipping would be minimal.
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[Bruce Schoenleber]

Call Grizzly support, odds are that they will send you a replacement at no charge. Good companies care about their customer service reputation. From my (limited) experience, Grizzly is a good company.

[Eric Gourieux]

Cindy Droza has some center points on her website. I don't know if they will fit yours, but she could probably tell you.

[John K Jordan]

My Grizzly's (model G0766) original-equipment live center tip, the pointy part, has gone missing. I'd love to replace just it, but can't find any vendor who will sell less than the whole live center, including the shaft, bearings, cup, etc.
Can you suggest a source?
Not that it's a bank-breaker; I just prefer replacing what's missing, not the whole thing.
Next time I'll put the whole thing in my toolbox, between uses. That'll avoid getting poked by it, too!

Robert, I suspect you mean very small steel point in the end of the live center, right? If so, I don't know where to get one but it would be easy to make one from a piece of steel rod.

Or do you mean the large pointed aluminum cone attachment like this one the Oneway?
oneway-live-center-full.jpg
If you are talking about the aluminum cone, does yours use the same 3/4"x16 tpi thread as the Oneway and clones (supplied with Jet, PM, etc)? If so, I might have an extra one you can have - I think I have 4-5 and don't use them often.

JKJ

[Roger Chandler]

The one he is referring to looks similar to this cup center with a point in the middle......it has a set screw to hold it tight in place, which also allows the center point to be removed so one can just use the cup portion of the live center.

[John K Jordan]

The one he is referring to looks similar to this cup center with a point in the middle......it has a set screw to hold it tight in place, which also allows the center point to be removed so one can just use the cup portion of the live center.

I don't have one like that to look at, but given the dimensions I'm sure one of us with a metal-cutting lathe could make one pretty quickly (assuming it doesn't need to be hardened.)

JKJ

[Robert Marshall]

Thanks, all.

I'm going to try customer service at the Grizz, with lots of "how much I love my lathe" flattery . . . all of which is true.

[Brice Rogers]

Robert, I don't know what equipment you have in your shop or what your skills are. But I think that you might enjoy fabricating a replacement. Here is a suggestion based on a minimal amount of equipment: (1) electric drill, (2) bench grinder, (3) hack saw, (4) a file and (5) a vice

Find a piece of steel that is slightly larger than the ID of the cup. Use the hacksaw to cut the metal to about the right size. Chuck it up in the drill and make the end the right diameter and shape, using the bench grinder to fit into the live center cup. Test fit it to confirm. Then turn the part around 180 degrees and use the drill and grinder to make a point. When you are happy, put the almost finished part into the vice with a little bit of the shaft to be above the top of the vice. If you use some stiff cardboard, the vice won't scar up the metal point rear end. Use the file to make a flat for the set screw. I suspect that it might be only about a half hour job for most people. (This isn't the only way that you could do this ... lots of other methods). Also, If you don't have a chunk of steel but have a chunk of brass, copper, or aluminum, that could be used to make the point also.

If you have a metal lathe or have a friend with one, it would make the job even easier.

I made my own replacement point for the Griz 0766 live center. I wanted one with a pin that stuck out about 2" so that I had more clearance for working on a foot. But, because the Griz live center only uses a single bearing, it is a bit sloppy with a point sticking out that far.

[Roger Chandler]

One could use a collet chuck and some drill rod, or an appropriately sized bolt and file a point for the live center using the wood lathe. I would simply purchase a new one from one of the many vendors who sell them, but that is just me.

[John K Jordan]

One could use a collet chuck and some drill rod, or an appropriately sized bolt and file a point for the live center using the wood lathe. I would simply purchase a new one from one of the many vendors who sell them, but that is just me.

You can also turn steel on the wood lathe with HSS tools. Although I have a metal-cutting lathe, yesterday I wanted to reshape some chuck jaws so it made sense to do it on the wood lathe to make it easier to keep things concentric. I used a 1/2" Thompson scraper and a 1/4" round skew. I cut the jaws down from about 25mm dovetailed to 20.8mm flat to hold a wood piece by expanding into a 21mm hole made with a Forstner bit. The turning was not fast but worked fine. There was some chatter with a hand-held tool. The tool required sharpening several times.

Based on this, I think it would be reasonable to turn the diameter and point on a steel rod as long as the steel used was not hardened.

If the point needs to be hardened, use some unhardened rod and quench harden after turning.

I have a few pictures if anyone is interested.

JKJ