Adaptable tailstock live center for compression chucking various shapes

[Dave Mount]

In a thread a while back there was a discussion about what kind of tailstock center to use when compression chucking something with a shape that doesn't lend itself to typical live centers. At the time I didn't have pictures so I did a half-*** job of verbally describing it. Took the camera with me to the shop last night and took some pictures, but I can't relocate the thread so I thought I'd just start a new one.

The approach is built off a 1" x 8tpi threaded live center (e.g., https://www.pennstateind.com/store/LTCA18.html) and a faceplate. Screw a block of wood to the faceplate, mount it on the headstock and turn it to the required shape. Then move the faceplate/block to the threaded live center and off you go. The shape shown is one I use to turn spheres, but you can make cones, or drill holes, or whatever you need to hold the tailstock side of what you're working on.

Costs $50 or so for the initial buy, but once you have it you can turn blocks to any shape you need. You can also put a spare scroll chuck on the tailstock side to hold the work if that's what's called for.

Sorry for the poor focus in a couple pics, don't know how to tell the phone what to focus on. . .

Best,

Dave

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[Brice Rogers]

Seems like a nice idea.

[Bernie Kopfer]

That looks like it would work well.

[Bernie Kopfer]

So i was trying to figure out a way to use my 1 1/4 x 8 faceplates, chucks etc on the tailstock and could not find anything. Then I talked to the good people at Craft supply and when he discovered I used a Oneway live center he directed me to an adapter Oneway sells, that replaces the cone, to accommodate different threads. Nice of Oneway and kudos to Craft supply for knowing their products. Now I can attach compression chuck devices easily.

[roger wiegand]

I really like the various adapters from Rubber Chucky that screw onto oneway or robust live centers. Not quite as adaptable as one you turn yourself to shape, but the hard rubber composition doesn't mark my wood at all, which is nice at the final steps.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have this kit from Harrison Speciaties. It has a MT2 Live chuck, and multiple centers, but also has the threaded center, so I can take my workpiece off the spindle and mount it on the tailstock. This helps line up the piece for vacuum chucking.


https://youtu.be/b_4ygjDDym4

[ChrisA Edwards]

Here I'm using it, with one of the included pins, as a safety while my vacuum chuck is holding the bowl on.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpQi9ukE3_Q

[John K Jordan]

I really like the various adapters from Rubber Chucky that screw onto oneway or robust live centers. Not quite as adaptable as one you turn yourself to shape, but the hard rubber composition doesn't mark my wood at all, which is nice at the final steps.

You can shape the Rubber Chucky adapters with lathe tools. I did that for a couple.

I have the set and some are useful on occasion. Most of the time I just turn pieces of wood to fit the project, either by turning something with a short morse taper to fit the wonderfully adaptable Nova live center or by drilling and tapping to fit the threads on the Oneway live center. I made a set years ago to turn spheres.