removing the tip from a Jet live center

[David Dmohowski]

Hello. I'm new to the forum. I'd first like to thank everyone who posts on this forum. I'm new to turning and have picked up much useful information here. I just got a Jet 1220 lathe. I'm looking to turn table lamps at some point and would like to bore the hole for the shaft through the tailstock. The instruction manual for the lathe says that the tip can be removed from the live center, but it does not say how to do this. I'm guessing that it needs to be tapped out with a mallet and the knockout bar, but I was hoping to get input from someone else with this type of live center before I risk damaging it. Any help would be appreciated.

[curtis rosche]

to get out tail stock options heres how you do it. just spin the knob that makes the center move in and out,, and bring it the whole way back, then bring it back some more. eventualy the tailstock will go the whole way in and the center will stop moving and "pop" out of the tailstock. this is all you have to do.

[Robert McGowen]

The way you describe is the way that I do it on my 1220, David. It is possible that the part holding the center point will come off the tailstock also when you are tapping on it. That is not a problem, it will just go right back on after the center point is taken out. Have fun, lamps are great to make. The way that Curtis describes will work on some of the bigger lathes (it does just that on my 1642) but I don't think it will do that on a 1220.

[curtis rosche]

it should do that. it does that on my 9 inch 1930s craftsman lathe

[Jim Heffner]

I have a Jet 1014I and I was wondering the same thing a while back. The easiest way is, take a piece of 1/4" round rod stock longer than the length of the entire tailstock, slide it in thru the hole in the tailstock, and
take a mallet and tap it out gently! It will get airborne quickly, you might want to cup your hand over the pointed end to keep it from flying away.
Hope this helps.........Jim Heffner

[Gordon Seto]

We may be talking about two different things.
What Curtis described was removing the self ejecting live center.
(It has nothing to do with the size of the lathe. The Nova doesn't have this feature; the Jet mini has.)
I think what the OP wants is just to remove the point of the live center. He still wants to use the live center to center the spindle when drilling the through hole for the lamp.
Remove the live center in your hand first, point the live center towards an empty box to catch the tip. Gently tap the tip from the back side of the live center with a steel rod of up to 3/8" diameter. Be careful when you cup your hand to catch the tip; it is sharp.

[David Dmohowski]

Thanks for the help guys. I got the tip off without any problems.