when do you use a live center instead of a dead center?

[Bamban]

The MT2 Skoda live center arrived today, a nice surprise it got here so early. I will find out soon how it does compared to the ChiCom unit I have.

 

[f350ca]

I have a 6 inch Bison live 3 jaw chuck. Handy for working with pipe.

Greg

 

[Hotbluechips]

Dead centers are almost always used on cylindrical grinders. The one that is driven is called a live center, the one in tailstock is called dead center.
On a lathe, Dead centers are useful for putting in spindle bore taper for between center turning, In the tailstock you use a Bearing Center or a lubricated dead center at relative slow speeds. And as with a grinder, the center that driven or rotates with spindle is called a live center. Regardless of what tool sellers call them, unless it is driven with machine power, it is NOT a live center. Should add that carbide tipped dead centers are a must for super precision turning or grinding.

 

[benmychree]

Dead centers are almost always used on cylindrical grinders. The one that is driven is called a live center, the one in tailstock is called dead center.
On a lathe, Dead centers are useful for putting in spindle bore taper for between center turning, In the tailstock you use a Bearing Center or a lubricated dead center at relative slow speeds. And as with a grinder, the center that driven or rotates with spindle is called a live center. Regardless of what tool sellers call them, unless it is driven with machine power, it is NOT a live center. Should add that carbide tipped dead centers are a must for super precision turning or grinding.

On every cylindrical grinder that I ever ran or owned, the headstock center did not revolve, only the driving plate revolved, The center could be allowed to revolve by disengaging the lock; this was done to allow the driving plate to rotate the center(s) when regrinding them when they are worn; if carbide tipped centers are used it becomes difficult to regrind them, a diamond grinding wheel being necessary to accomplish the task. When regrinding centers, the tailstock center is ground first in the headstock, removed and replaced in the tailstock, then the headstock center is ground so that it will be concentric in the headstock.

 

[pdentrem]

Our ancient Landis grinder, we have the option of the driving plate or the driving plate and the spindle together. There is a sliding pin that moves to lock and unlock the spindle from the driving plate.
Pierre

 

[benmychree]

On my Norton 18 X 48 Universal, it worked the same way, and a chuck could be mounted on the spindle nose and driven by the driving plate; This was a late 1950s machine, I think.