Live Tail Center - Rebuild?

[Dennis Peacock]

OK, my live tail center is making a noise like the bearing in it is about to spin out. It's not terrible yet, but I'd like to know if I can just replace the bearings in it?
Anybody know?

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

There have been several threads about this subject. It comes down to whether you can get the old bearing out. Some are pressed in some clipped in with snap rings, and a host of other methods. I have one that I really like and would like to have rebuilt. The bearing is pressed in. I do not know if heat is necessary to remove it. Just haven't stopped by a bearing shop to ask yet.

[Dennis Peacock]

I have a blind bearing puller that you could pull that bearing out with. :)

[John K Jordan]

I have a blind bearing puller that you could pull that bearing out with. :)

The problem might be gripping the bearing. The small hole in the MT mandrel on those I have prevent using a puller. Maybe it could be pressed out from the front on some. I have one that looks like that may be possible.

The bearings are supposed to be sealed, but I've wondered if they could be lubricated. If making a noise I'd be tempted to try: immerse the entire live center in oil, put in a vacuum bell and pump out the air (which should pull air past the shields, then when the bubbles stop release the vacuum pressure which may suck lubricant into the bearings. This is all untested conjecture! Perhaps the bearings in some are not even sealed and simply soaking in light oil would help. Or get a new live center! :) If you get all the up this way sometime stop in and I'll loan you one of my spares you can use until you get old. I'll be traveling to your neighborhood to do a woodturning demo but not till next year.

JKJ

[Brice Rogers]

Luckily the cost of a live center isn't a whole lot.

I've found that the live centers with a single bearing aren't that tight. I've got three and none of them are particularly tight. The primary force on the bearing would dictate using a thrust bearing but few do that. I've got a live center bearing for a metal lathe and it used two bearings. It is very precise.

I've replaced a bearing in one of my live centers and it wasn't all that hard. If you have a C clip it should be easy to remove the bearing. If it is pressed in, if you heat the outer shell with a propane torch, it'll help.

[Roger Chandler]

If I were needing to repair a live center because of a bearing, I would choose to just upgrade to a finely made Oneway live center. [I did that twice]. The quality, the versatility of the Oneway system make for several configurations of live center support, and they last. A bit pricey at first, but quality always is, and it is a performance upgrade.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I did replace the tail stock with a nova and the replaceable tips are nice, BUT, my old live center has an MT1 taper in the nose. Which came in quite handy over the years. I have about 500 pieces of turning stock from an old factory that has MT1 tapers on both ends. I can just mount between the Taper adapter in the head stock and the taper in the tail stock and turn with no spurs, or chucks. No edges or chuck jaws to bump into. Much nicer turning.