Steb drive centers and thin parting tools

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All, I was sitting around thinking about turning as I do a lot of the time. This keeps me out of trouble, at least most of the time. :) Anyway I was wondering about steb drive centers and thin parting tools. Are they worth getting? I never do the diagonal cuts for my drive spurs and find it hard to get a good hold with just hammering them in. I'm going to be focusing on spindle turning for the short term. How do the steb centers compare? And do you like your thin parting tools. What's their advantages and disadvantages? O.K. I'm done thinking for now. Thanks!

[Frank Van Atta]

I got both sizes of Steb drive centers - well, the Penn State Industries version - and consider them one of the best tool buys I have made.

As for thin parting tools, I have one commercial version and one I made from a sabre saw blade. I use them both. What for? Making a box where I want the grain on the lid to match the bottom of the box. I first cut in with a regular parting tool, then use the thinner version to cut through the tenon, leaving a very small portion on the box side to show the size I need to make the opening, and just enough on the lid to make a tenon. The thinner tool lets me take a smaller overall cut (removing less wood) so the grain comes closer to matching between the two pieces. Here's an example vase/box, 3 1/2" high:
http://fgvanatta.tripod.com/Vox1.jpghttp://fgvanatta.tripod.com/Vox2.jpg

[Steve Schlumpf]

Alan - I just used my steb drive-center for the first time Friday. I turned a vase and didn't know which end was going to be the foot until I had roughed out the blank. Worked great! I could switch ends and everything remained centered - didn't have to pound the center into the wood - just used tailstock pressure and it was fine.

The only thin parting tool I have is a mini-tool (part of a set) but I use it when turning finials and love it! Can use it to size a detail or, used in a sheer cut angle, I have used it to slice away areas within the finial without fumbling with a skew.

[Steve Mellott]

Alan:

I have a steb center and like to use it for spindle work. HOWEVER, last month, I took a class with Alan Lacer and he recommended a cup center drive instead of the steb center drive. This month, I am taking a class with Mark Sfirri and he is also recommending a cup center drive. I'm relatively new to turning and am now starting to wonder if the cup center is better then the steb center for spindle work. (It certainly is cheaper.)

Steve

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have two steb centers and love them.

[David Christopher]

I dont have a steb center but I do have a sorby thin parting tool....I love this tool, it will cut faster and cleaner than the thicker ones that I have..but you have to be careful it will catch

[Greg Just]

I have the cup drive by Oneway recommended by Alan Lacer and the Sorby thin parting tool. Use both all the time.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I don't have a Steb center.

I do have the Sorby thin parting tool and have used it on a couple projects. Works as advertised.

[Thomas Canfield]

The PSI version of steb center have worked well for me. I have both sizes bought from Amazon and I like the spring center. I also have a smooth ring drive that came with a used lathe and I do not like the fixed point and only friction drive. The PSI slips enough that I have not had any major problem with catch.

[John Keeton]

I have the PSI steb version - the larger one. Wish I had the smaller one, too. I have used it for the minimal amount of spindle turnings I have done, and for some other tasks associated with some bowl work.

I use a thin parting tool that I made from a planer blade - not as thin as Frank's, but it works great.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Thanks guys, I'm going to order both from PSI. I'll tell you how I like them after some use. I'm trying to get better at spindle turning after years of bowl turning. Not that I'm a great bowl turner; I'd just like to try something different. At least a lot of the bowl turning techniques transfer over to spindle work, although not all.

[Peter Fabricius]

Hi Alan;
You will like a steb centre. It is safe and easy to use. If you catch a chisel the centre will spin and you just tighten the tail stock to re-engage it... The thin parting tool is also one that you will like!!! This is what I made.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have the medium size steb center 3/4" it is much nicer to use than a spur drive for smaller spindle work.
As for the thin parting tool, how thin ?? I have a few sizes and if you don't have to save all the wood a thicker diamond shaped tool works great, less friction and it's a stronger tool, though for things like boxes or expensive wood a thinner parting tool would be better, but harder to control as the very thin metal will make curved cuts quite easily, even if you don't want it ;-))

[Bill Wilcox]

I alos have a steb center from PSI and what I like about it is that the center pin retracts and when you tighten the tailstock with live center your chances of splitting the piece at the head stock is reduced. Since it has more teeth the grip is amazing. I love it.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have the PSI versions. They work well for spindles, as everyone mentioned. BUT, they don't work that well for bowl blanks, especially when they're green. Need to use the spur for that. They're too easy to get them to slip and turn your lathe into a horizontal router.

[Ryan Baker]

Steb centers are great for spindle work. Once you have one, you can throw away the old four-spur center because you will never use it again. For bowl blanks, especially wet ones, you are much better with a large two-spur center.

Thin parting tools are great too, when you need the small cut. I don't suggest using them for general parting work though. They tend to be very flexible.

[terry richards]

I only have the larger PSI steb clone. Love it. Can't remember when I last used the spur.

Ditto with the others on the advantages of the steb, but not yet mentioned is that it seems to me the steb stye is less likely to split a blank chucked on the end grain. With the steb, you can put more tailstock force on the blank without the driver sinking in, making your tailstock a hand-cranked log splitter.

[Bob Borzelleri]

I have both PSI clones. They are very easy to work with.

This thread does get me to wondering whether the original has any functions/features that the clones don't have.