Live Centers for Tale stock.

[Squatchhhammer]

I just had a crazy idea of making my own live centers when I am able to make them. I wondering is it feasible to make your own and make them accurate? Also what kind of bearings would someone use on it, whether it be ball bearings, tapered bearings (like car wheel bearings or use something more precise), needle bearings, or a combination there of. Also what lubricant should I use for it and would be more viable finding lube and enclosed bearing assemblies vs something that I have to lube on a regular basis?

 

[Tony Wells]

This is my opinion, so take it for what it's worth. It is not practical to make your own. There are precision surfaces that are hardened and ground that require relatively specialized equipment. Most bearing centers are capable of assuring a runout of a few tenths, some better if you want the high precision models. And bottom line, even a medium duty bearing center is not that expensive.

One last thing, and please don't take this as an insult. If you have a lathe but as of yet no centers, and you are just getting started in this great hobby and do not have much experience, the odds of you getting an acceptable product in the end aren't in your favor. You'd be way ahead simply purchasing one.

 

[GK1918]

been there, I chose a timkin tapered bearing. I machined at threaded crush ring. The bore of the bearing I machined a center, bull center,
pipe center, with almost a press fit, but not. Its so close I need a wedge to change centers for my 9A. I start with 3" round machined 2MT
taper ok put that on a 2 to 3MT put in headstock and machined the press fit race, cut female threads for that & machined and threaded a ring
for the bearing crush. Now just to machine anything for the female bearing good luck

 

[Squatchhhammer]

I kinda figured as much it wouldnt be as precise as a bought set but at the same time I was looking for projects to stock up on when I do get access to machinery (either buying my own and having a place to put them or finding a place where I can use theirs).

 

[GK1918]

addendum: to my last repley, when said and done the centers were gound 60 degrees with a dumore grinder I only copied my gk1918
live Rohm center which is big big bucks.....

 

[Senna]

This is my opinion, so take it for what it's worth. It is not practical to make your own. There are precision surfaces that are hardened and ground that require relatively specialized equipment. Most bearing centers are capable of assuring a runout of a few tenths, some better if you want the high precision models. And bottom line, even a medium duty bearing center is not that expensive.

One last thing, and please don't take this as an insult. If you have a lathe but as of yet no centers, and you are just getting started in this great hobby and do not have much experience, the odds of you getting an acceptable product in the end aren't in your favor. You'd be way ahead simply purchasing one.

I have to say that I agree with Tony here.

 

[flutedchamber]

I made a bullnose center out of a piece of 7 inch diameter by 8 inch alloy steel. Don't recall the alloy, but it was tough to turn. I used two angle contact precision bearings and a roller thrust bearing in the nose. The rear bearing was 4 inches OD, the front bearing was 2 inches OD. Each was over 1 1/4 inches thick.

For the Morse taper I used a new #4 Morse taper and turned the Jacobs taper off flush. I bored the Morse taper to .750 by one inch deep. The shaft to hold the bearings was made out of drill rod with a spacer in between the bearings. The part that pressed in the Morse taper was made .001 oversize.

The part that became the cone I made a skim cut on to true the surface, faced both ends, and bored the recesses to accept the three bearings. After this was done, I turned the part around, indicated it as close as possible and then center drilled the end. I used a live center in the tailstock to support the piece while I turned the 60* taper to about .060 oversize. The center was removed and the nose of the cone was drilled and tapped 3/8-16 for later use.

I removed the cone and pressed the bearings in place, put the Morse taper in my tailstock and a hex key in my 3 jaw chuck and a 3/8 socket head capscrew in the nose of the cone. This way the bullnose center was driven by the chuck, but it revolved around the center of the bearing shaft.

The final .060 was taken off with my Dumore tool post grinder. The steel is tough enough not to burr and is accurate. If it did become damaged, I just use the Dumore to grind a new surface.

Was it more economical than buying one? Probably not, but it was fun to make.

Oh...you will be surprised at the barrel of chips you end up with. I had almost a 20 gallon trash can full from turning the taper and boring for the bearings.