Recommended "safe drive" or cup drive?

[Aaron Buys]

I'm in the midst of the Alan Lacer skew chisel video and I see he recommends a safe drive or "dead center." I've seen these priced anywhere from 20ish to 40ish dollars. Penn State has one that's on the low end with a spring loaded center point but I don't always like to buy the cheapest I can find. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[David Walser]

Aaron,

When Alan Lacer was in Arizona for last February's Desert Woodturning Roundup, I purchased a dead center from him. (I could have gotten one for less somewhere else, but I like to reward demonstrators who come to our events by buying their products when I can.) IIRC, Alan's dead center is made by Oneway and is high quality. It has a removable point and the design allows you to set how far the point protrudes. However, this is definitely low-tech stuff. So, I don't see any need to pay top dollar for a simple Morse taper with a cup/point on the end. If you go this route, you'll want to take a small file and make 3 or 4 notches in the rim to give the center a bit more "drive". This won't make it like a spur center -- the cup will still allow the blank to quit turning if you get a catch.

Sorby introduced the "Stebcenter" a few years ago. Since then, several firms have brought out their own versions of the Stebcenter. The PSI center you referred to appears to be one of these. Alan Lacer's complaint about this type of drive is the spring in the point may put too much pressure on a thin spindle. To use the center to drive your spindle you need to apply enough force to overcome the spring AND drive the blank. One thin blanks this can cause the blank to bow or split. I've not used a Stebcenter or one of its clones, so I've no personal experience with them.

I like my dead center and use it now rather than my spur center. It helps "keep me honest" in turning. With proper technique, I can still take a heavy cut. Without proper technique, the blank will stop. So, the center helps me get the job done AND it helps reinforce proper turning practice. It's a twofer!

[Paul Atkins]

Here are some I have - some homemade - I'll never use a spur center again. I've been using the brass one for years. Getting the live center the same size as the drive center lets you flip the turning without any problem indexing - and you can do it without turning the lathe off.