Where do you find tip centering live centers. I’ve seen some good looking ones on you tube?
- Thread starter gbs52
- Start date
I made a few of these but they arent livecenter
Tip centering tools are only useful if your tailstock and headstock are in great alignment. Edge Technology makes a tool for doing this. I tried to eyeball the alignment but never got the alignment correct. The best $50 I‘ve ever spent on my lathe. If you have a friend to lend you the tool, you’re way ahead. I now use my Edge tool only to check alignment before a critical repair such as a new tenon.
I have to say it wasn't my idea a cuemakers here suggested this when I setup my lathe works great i don't use any tip alignment tool.
I have some steel dowel pins I use between the headstock and tailstock, seems to work
Looks more complicated than using the Edge tool, 2 dead centers and a dial indicator. But I guess we use what works for us. The bottom line; you must align your tailstock with the headstock to simplify installing new tips or ferrules. Repairing a broken tenon is pretty difficult if the lathe is out of alignment.
There's a time to drill and a time to bore. When really accurate is the goal boring is the chosen method. If you rely on drilling a coax indicator is your best friend. I'd bet at least half of the guys on here with edge finders use then wrong,,,
Dead centers and indicators don't tell you if your drill chuck is aligned,,,,,,
And finally, I can very easily install tips and ferrules without using the tailstock, and usually do.
PracticeChampion
Well-known member
May have been you who suggested the edge to me but yeah it works great. Assuming my dial indicator is consistent I can zero the head stock and tailstock out in about 5 mins, if even that long
Those are great for centering. But these finger type indicators aren't accurate for measuring sizes or for calcing runout. Just think about the long needle compared to the short one. Obviously the long needle is going to respond to the slightest size difference whereas the short will take a bit to move. There's just no way to have those different lengths give the same readings
To measure sizes or runout you need a plunge type indicator.
I'm sure a lot of people know this, just sharing for those who may not.
Coos Cues
Coos Cues
Two entirely different measuring devices with distinctly different purposes. Renegade was correct in stating a coaxial indicator was the right tool for the job being discussed.
Correct. Hope what I said didn't come off as stating that he was wrong. I love my Co-axial, sure easier to swing than a Best-Test.
Chris Hightower has a "Live Center Small Concave 3/8 shank" on his site here https://www.cuesmith.com/small-concave-live-center-3-8-shank/ .
Even though it says it's concave faced you can call or email Chris and he will supply it with a flat face.
Works great for putting on flat faced tips. It's about 9-10mm in diameter so it makes it really nice for keeping pressure on the tip while trimming. Use mine in the tail stock drill chuck on almost every tip job, I also have a concave one for doing pre-shaped rounded tips.
Hope that's what you were looking for.
Ken
edit: I should point out... this live center does nothing to center the tip, I use my fingers for that.
Even though it says it's concave faced you can call or email Chris and he will supply it with a flat face.
Works great for putting on flat faced tips. It's about 9-10mm in diameter so it makes it really nice for keeping pressure on the tip while trimming. Use mine in the tail stock drill chuck on almost every tip job, I also have a concave one for doing pre-shaped rounded tips.
Hope that's what you were looking for.
Ken
edit: I should point out... this live center does nothing to center the tip, I use my fingers for that.
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