Homemade shop made live center for a lathe

[GoceKU]

I was recently asked to find a live center MT2 for a friend how has a small lathe, after looking locally with no success i've order one online and a week later got an e-mail they can't deliver, so if i can buy one i can make one, so i started with an 45mm round 4150 steel, which is overkill but it was closest to what i needed, first i chuck it straight and cut it down to 18 mm and 80 long, took couple of heavy cut and got beautiful chips with insert tool, then i set my compound for morse taper and cut the taper, then i flip it around cut the excess, face it and begin drilling it started with 8mm drill and drill it about 40mm deep, then i drill it with 29mm drill about 26mm deep then i used a boring bar to bring it out ti 32mm press fit, i'm using two 6201 bearings, then i made the shaft from some AR500 started with 14mm cut a 60 degree taper on one side and cut it down to 12mm for 22 mm and 16mm down to 7,8mm and center drill the end, i put in a ball bearing in the end fill it with grease and then press in the bearing and shaft, as last thing i made a cap form C45 and press it on, this is my first live center i've made, and i'm very satisfied, i'll update this thread as is being used how it holds up, and i hope to inspire someone, not to be afraid to make you own tools.

 

[tweinke]

Nice job! Please do update us on how it works out.

 

[Silverbullet]

Looks good , should work well for you. Nice job.

 

[WoodBee]

Sounds like an interesting project. Unfortunately I can only see the second, third and fourth pictures. The rest seems broken? I use Tapatalk, but when opening the subject in a browser it does the same. All or nothing I can understand, but why just some?
Peter

 

[GoceKU]

All the pictures open in google chrome, maybe the sites administrator can help explain.

 

[GoceKU]

Little up date, my friend has been using this live center for couple of days, yesterday when i visited him he had an 120mm round piece about 500mm long 40 Kg chuck up and was turning it at 250 rpm, and the live centre handle it no problem, i've certainly chosen the right person to test it out, this guy has no mercy for his tools.

 

[Wreck™Wreck]

From the pictures it appears that someone really needed to turn to large a part and cut a slot in the back ways creating a gap, not a bad solution as the tail stock likely can not reach that position.

 

[T Bredehoft]

someone really needed to turn to large a part and cut a slot in the back ways creating a gap

I noticed that notch carved out of the way, too.

Re: that great live center. I think I'd have tried to put more of a thrust bearing in it. Or are the 6201 bearings radial and thrust?

 

[markba633csi]

40 kg holy sh*t that's 88 lbs
Mark

 

[dlane]

I noticed the way carving too I'll guess the front way is also, if it don't fit make it .