Live Tail Stock Center Question

[Tom Winship]

I have a Jet lathe with a #2MT live tail stock. The little center pin is removable. It is rounded over after using a pen mandrel on it.
What do you guys do when this needs to be sharpened. Does anyone sell just the little center piece?

[Marty Eargle]

Did a little searching in Pen Turning forums and found a link to this page.

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/center-point-for-live-center-p-451757.html

Seems like that might be what you're looking for. If not, they have a whole list of replacement parts.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

IMO you have too much tailstock pressure if you're rounding over the pin.

[Marty Eargle]

The particular live center that comes with a lot of lathes these days are said to be fairly low quality. And because of the bevel in the end of the mandrel, it seems impossible for them not to eventually round over a bit. I only make the occasional duck call ( working on finding a new method of doing so, as I am not at all happy with the Game Call adapter for the pen mandrel ) so my live center is still in decent shape. Many pen turners suggest upgrading to a piece with higher grade steel to solve this problem.

Or so I've read.

[Chris Burgess]

I am not sure about replacing but it sounds like you can. What I use is a Mandrel Saver from PSI. That are about $20 and do away with the need for spacers and knurls and such.

[Jeff Nicol]

Most standard inexpensive live centers have a much to pointed tip that does not fit the pen mandrel correctly. I believe the cone should be at 60degrees and the live centers that have the removeable points are about 75 or less. This lets you get the blank centered and the tip goes in until the cup makes contact with the wood to support it without fear of splitting. So if you get a new point get one that is made to fit the pen mandrel.

If you want to sharpen the one you have, just take some duct tape and tape the bearing to the MT#2 taper so the bearing won't spin and put it in the headstock and turn it slow and sharpen it with a file as it spins, quick fix and keeps the point centered.

Good luck,

Jeff

[David E Keller]

I've never sharpened one, but Jeff's idea sounds like a good approach!

+1 for the mandrel saver if you're gonna do a bunch of pens.

[John E Wallace]

What I use is a Mandrel Saver from PSI. That are about $20 and do away with the need for spacers and knurls and such.

I bought a Mandrel Saver and returned it. Great idea, poor execution. I had to put way too much pressure on the tail stock to keep it from spinning which in turn trashed the bearing and made it a son of a gun to remove. I am turning my blanks between centers instead of using a mandrel. I found out recently that the Mandrel Saver has been redesigned and the issues are supposed to be fixed.

[Tom Winship]

I bought a mandrel saver after I rounded the point. I will try the sharpening as suggested by Jeff.
Thanks to all.

[Michelle Rich]

Oneway sells a pen specific hardened tail center unit..it fits in their tail center. Will it fit yours since it has a replaceable center?? I dunno..check with oneway

[Don Alexander]

you can get replace points for the live center i think they are less than $2 at Woodcraft

as for the mandrel saver the new design is far superior to the original design the original has a rubber O-ring that holds a pass thru insert into the live center too much give and didn't hold up however when the O-ring in mine disintegrated i cleaned it off and a couple drops of CA and carefully pressed the pass-thru insert back into the live center and voila ... its better than it was before on the new mandrel saver the pass thru and live center are one solid piece which is a much better design and it works great after fixing the original i now have 2 which my son appreciates :)

[Bernie Weishapl]

I do the same as Jeff. Works pretty well but just don't get heavy handed with it.

[Tom Winship]

Don, thanks. You are correct. Although I couldn't find it in the Woodcraft web, I called the Houston store and they had them.