# Carbide Tipped Dead Center



## Tozguy (Sep 16, 2016)

Is the extra cost of these 'hard nosed' centers worth it?
I am always tempted to get one when they come on sale but wonder what they can do that a regular dead centre can't do.
Even carbide needs lube or does it?


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## Bob Korves (Sep 16, 2016)

Standard dead centers work fine at the headstock end where there is no wear, and work at the tailstock end as well, but there will be wear.  Good news is that they can be cut with carbide tooling or a tool post grinder and reconditioned.  A carbide center is perhaps overkill at the headstock end, but much tougher against wear and abuse at the tailstock end.  When it gets worn, and it eventually will, it will need a diamond wheel in the tool post grinder to repair it.  Much depends on what you are turning, your skills, and your capabilities.  I think having a carbide center is worthwhile, but I may be turning different work, on a different machine, at different speeds, to different accuracy requirements, more or less often than you are.  Carbide still needs to be lubed and treated gently.


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## chips&more (Sep 16, 2016)

A Carbide center will probably last your lifetime. But don’t drop it! A ball bearing/live center is another choice/option. For decades, I have every center made in my shop. And can count on one hand the times I needed a dead center. I will crab the live center...Dave


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## Tozguy (Sep 16, 2016)

Yes my question relates to the tail stock end. For the head stock end I will touch up the dead centre before mounting the work so it is dead centre. 
For the tail stock end I gather that the only advantage of carbide over a regular centre is durability. Since I have not worn out what I have on hand (3 regular dead centres and a live centre) there doesn't seem to be much point in my getting a carbide dead centre. If it didn't require lube then maybe but that's not the case. 
Thanks for your comments.


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## Bob Korves (Sep 16, 2016)

Tozguy said:


> Yes my question relates to the tail stock end. For the head stock end I will touch up the dead centre before mounting the work so it is dead centre.
> For the tail stock end I gather that the only advantage of carbide over a regular centre is durability. Since I have not worn out what I have on hand (3 regular dead centres and a live centre) there doesn't seem to be much point in my getting a carbide dead centre. If it didn't require lube then maybe but that's not the case.
> Thanks for your comments.


I don't understand your issue with the lube.  A dribble of way oil or a fingertip of grease in the hole and you are good to go.  I find keeping the tension on the center to work interface correct as the work heats and cools to be much more tedious, using any center...


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## Reeltor (Sep 16, 2016)

I usually use a live center in the tailstock but sometimes I need to get close in so I use a half dead center.  One of these days I'll get a long-nose live center but this will work for now.


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## Tozguy (Sep 16, 2016)

Bob Korves said:


> I don't understand your issue with the lube.  A dribble of way oil or a fingertip of grease in the hole and you are good to go.  I find keeping the tension on the center to work interface correct as the work heats and cools to be much more tedious, using any center...



Good to go but for how long? My issue with lube is not knowing when the lube runs out and the joint is running dry. Any lube will eventually work its way out of the contact area. Sure there may be lots of lube outside the joint but is there any left inside where it is needed?
Agree, keeping the tension even for the duration can be tedious.


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## Tozguy (Sep 16, 2016)

chips&more said:


> A Carbide center will probably last your lifetime. But don’t drop it! A ball bearing/live center is another choice/option. For decades, I have every center made in my shop. And can count on one hand the times I needed a dead center. I will crab the live center...Dave



Dave, predictive text can be funny 
Talking about ball bearings, some persons will use a single ball centre when the tailstock is offset for turning a taper. And turning tapers can be a long job. I wonder what the lube requirement is in that case.


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## bfd (Sep 19, 2016)

I typed a reply but it disappeared bill


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## Tozguy (Sep 21, 2016)

bfd said:


> I typed a reply but it disappeared bill



Do you care to try again? I'm interested in what you have to say about this.


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## bfd (Sep 21, 2016)

the carbide dead center will take more heat than a steel one so more speed can be used but watch out for the part center hole melting. also don't melt the silver solder. definitions, dead center part rotates with center live center parts spins on rotating tip. but part that spins on the tip of the dead center it now becomes a live center. interesting( to me anyway) is that od gringers use dead centers because the have no runout live centers have runout maybe not much but for the bearings to rotate there in space this space is runout. yes you need lube ep (extreme pressure) there is a lube just for that. watch your speed and tailstock pressure, you will note that a dead center in the headstock fill have a black line on it when the part is removed this s fretting. misalignment betweem headstock and tailstock can cause this not a big worry. bill (you can see why I didn't want to retype this )


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