Live center for a drill press?

[Mark Bolton]

Does anyone know of an off the shelf live center that is hopefully flange mountable or way to make something like this for the DP?

I have a custom staircase that is going to use of all things gun barrels for the balustrade. These are blanks and they need to be lightly buffed/sanded on the exterior and coated. Spinning them in a lathe would be the trick but I need to come up with a way to do these on the DP. On one end of the barrels there will be a SS pin pressed into the bore that will insert into the underside of the handrail. This pin can be chucked in the drill press chuck but I need something for a live center at the base which will run in the bore hole on the other end.

I saw a DP lathe in a google search from grizzly but it looks like it has a dead center on a plate.

I was wondering about a 2 bolt flange pillow block bearing but then finding a center for it?

I hate to go the route of having something machined and would like to find something off the shelf if possible.

Any ideas?
Mark

[Kenneth Hertzog]

Sherline has one that is adjustable. it is used on the milling machine
should be able to mount it vertical with a small vise on the DP.
Not cheap tho.
sherline part no. 3702 ( tailstock right angle) 1191 live center
ken

[Thom Sturgill]

Drill a piece of wood to fit a MT2 taper and a couple of mounting screws. You may have to laminate the center area to get something thick enough. Then use a standard center from your lathe.

[Mark Bolton]

Drill a piece of wood to fit a MT2 taper and a couple of mounting screws. You may have to laminate the center area to get something thick enough. Then use a standard center from your lathe.

Thom,
This is somewhat the route I am thinking I will have to go, only killer is, we dont have a lathe in the shop!!:)

I was hoping there was some sort of live center made for bolting to something or another but I am not finding one. My other option was to simply pickup a small pillow block and take a piece of round bar and a shaft collar. Chuck up the round bar in the DP, spin it while grinding a centered point on it. Slide the shaft collar on, and drop it in the pillow block.

Basically all I need is a point in a bearing that I can bolt to the drill press table.

Was just hoping it would be a phone call away rather than a little fab job. I have enough little fab jobs LOL.

Thanks very much,
Mark

[Nick Amandus]

Mark,

Your idea for a pillow block should work pretty good. If was going to make a live center, I would probably get some 1/2" round steel thats a few inches long, and with it spinning in the DP, chamfer it enough with an angle grinder to fit in the barrel. If the ID of the barrels are more than 1/2", you could probably find a bolt or rod slightly smaller than the barrel, then just wrap some tape around the bolt to tune the fit to the barrel. You would just need to find a pillow block that would fit the bolt.

To center the bearing with the DP spindle, you should be able to use a plumb bob in the chuck or maybe just put a laser pointer in the chuck and mark the spot on the DP foot.

Where in WV are you? I'm in Charleston and have a jet 1442 that should take care of what you need. If your up to the drive, your welcome to use it. Just dress warm since I don't have a good heat source in the shop right now.

[Don Alexander]

why not just get a live center drill chuck and use Thom's idea for 30 - 40 bucks and a little time problem solved

[Mark Bolton]

Where in WV are you? I'm in Charleston and have a jet 1442 that should take care of what you need. If your up to the drive, your welcome to use it. Just dress warm since I don't have a good heat source in the shop right now.

Wow, Nick, I guess this is what the creek is all about. Our shop is in Newton, about 35 miles north on 79.

What you outlined is my exact plan at this point. These barrel blanks are varying in caliber, some 9mm, some 6mm, some 45 ACP, some 22, etc.. On the breach end (this end will be the top where the SS pin will be pressed in) I am going to bore all the barrels to .375 so they will all be a consistent diameter for the pins. The couple of larger bores (.45 etc) will get a small bushing milled to bush them down to the .375 diameter. At that point we will press the SS pins into the barrels leaving extra length for trimming.

The muzzle ends are going to be sitting in some black walnut housings down at the stair tread with a bored hole/mortise. This is the end where the center will be used. I called a few places in Charleston to get a 2 bolt flange, 1/2" bore, bearing and am doing exactly as you say, spin the rod in the DP, angle grinder to a point. Then fix a shaft collar on it and drop it in the bearing.

At that point we can just hang a barrel from the DP chuck and center the live center below it, raise the DP table and lock it and spin away.

I appreciate the offer on the use of the lathe but I am working out this process so that the customer can clean up and coat these barrels for some sweat equity. As you can tell this is a pretty odd and highly custom deal and that was part of the arrangement.

Thanks,
Mark

[Mark Bolton]

Don,
I am not clear on the live center drill chuck? I took some time today to look at various metalworking and woodworking lathe accessories and didnt find much and found hardly anything for 30-40 bucks?

I dont have anywhere local to purchase a live center with the morse taper and would have to order that in. If I had one for a lathe (as I mentioned we dont have a lathe in the shop) I would simply bore the tapered hole and be on with it.

Mark

[Mike Ragsdale]

Wow.........Sounds like this may be worked out. However, if you need another option you could just remove the ram and live center from your tail stock and wrap it with a rag or carpet pad to protect the ram shaft and mount it in a DP vice mounted on the DP table. Then lower the table to allow for barrel length, center and lock in place. A cone on the live center will make it fit all calibers. A cone can be turned from wood or aluminum if you do not own one.

[Scott Stevens]

Penn State makes a "Drill Press Lathe Attachement" item DPLATHE
This comes with a live center mounted in a bar that attaches to your drill press base. Might do the trick you need done.

[Don Alexander]

Mark,

what i was referring to is in fact a lathe accessory available at Woodcraft and likely a lot of other places
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2003975/9194/1-MT-12-Keyed-Chuck.aspx

heres a link to it

HTH

Don

[Sid Matheny]

The Grizzly also says "Includes a base plate with live center".

Sid