Live centers

[Jenny Trice]

Any pros and cons between OneWay and Robust live centers with cones?

[Dexter Harris]

Another option is the Nova. Its much cheaper and lots of folks here use it . I like mine.

[Brice Rogers]

I have three live centers that each have only a single bearing. The tips wiggle a bit due to a little slop in the bearing. Enough so that the center perhaps hangs a little less than 1/16" low. On one, the slop is less so that is the one that I selected to accept a 3" pin to allow me to turn closer to the center and to help get the tailstock further out of the way. Whatever live center you buy, I would advise getting one with a pair of bearings.

[Tom Wilson66]

I have the Nova live center system. It is very good, and versatile.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

In order of "quality" IMO, Jet/PM (the supposed clone of OneWay), the OW, and the best is the Robust. That said, I use the Nova as before mentioned. Good enough, and it comes with a variety of tips that makes it very versatile. I don't think you go wrong with that.

[Dean S Walker]

I use the oneway, Lathe was made in 2000 and it is the original center that came with the lathe. I have a couple drozda inserts never had any problems. My old lathe was a jet and I had a oneway with it sold it with the lathe never had any problems with it. I have turned on a robustAB and the center worked good other than that I have no other experience with it or the nova

[Grant Wilkinson]

I've not used the Robust, but I imagine that it is very good, given the rep of the company.

I have the Oneway and have no issues with it. I bought a 3/4 x 12 tap so that I can make soft "tips" for it and those, along with the two cones that come with it, allow me to do pretty much anything I want.

[Don McClure]

I have both Robust and One Way and both are equally good with no run out. I would avoid the less expensive ones....

[John K Jordan]

I have centers from Oneway, Jet/PM, three brands I can't remember (one is junk), and the Nova. All but the one are good for some things. (I haven't tried the Robust.)

I use the Nova the most, more versatile than the others. In addition to the variety of points and attachments, my favorite feature is the short #2 Morse taper socket. I turn new centers as needed, things from long jam extensions to wood pins to fit drilled holes to a custom support for tapping theads. I bought another when the price on Amazon dropped to about $45.

I realize the Oneway/clones will accept a wood tip to fit the 3/4x10 thread but for me the #2MT insert is easier and quicker to make and doesn't need to be drilled and tapped then held somehow for turning. I turn the MT between centers then jam that into the headstock MT socket to shape.

My other favorite is a 1/2" Steb live center. I use it with most smaller and thin spindles such as wands, batons, and finials. It has a spring-loaded center point which will not put excessive pressure as spindles as the ends get very thin and risk splitting them, sometimes a problem with hard/brittle exotics. Also, as I get ready to cut the tip on a thin spindle or finial I can back off the Steb teeth and the spring can keep the point very gently supporting.

JKJ

Another option is the Nova. Its much cheaper and lots of folks here use it . I like mine.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

I have a Robust & the Powermatic that is a Oneway clone. I prefer the Robust It just seems beefier to me. For my turnings I'm constantly putting on and taking off a variety of cone centers from Advanced Lathe Tools. The Robust center is quicker & easier to change the cone centers on as it doesn't require a stop rod to lock it in place.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I have both the Robust and Oneway, along with a few others. The Robust uses larger bearings (radial and angular contact) according to their site. It is bigger in diameter. In use the main difference is that the outer sleeve rotates along with the center - the Oneway outer sleeve is stationery. to change accessories threaded onto the center, the Oneway requires a pin to keep it from rotating as you’re threading accessories on. On the Robust, the center pin is both adjustable for extension and replaceable with a flat tip when needed. It takes the same 3/4 - 10 threaded accessories as the Oneway. It also has an angled nose that would appear to allow access when working in close to the center, it helps offset the diameter difference between the two.
In actual practice - they’re both good, solid centers. Both have held up well. I do use the Robust daily since I got it a few years ago and have relegated the older Oneway to backup duty in the drawer.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have and use the Oneway live center almost exclusively, I do have a couple other ones that came with the wood lathes I bought, also have live centers for my metal lathe, though the don’t get used for wood turning, as the sharp tapered points will act like a wedge and in endgrain/spindle turning it may split the wood.

What the metal and Oneway live centers have in common are the bodies do not rotate but only the point, this is usually not a big thing, however I rather don’t have that whole body turn, I often get very close to that.

The other thing is that with delicate turnings the weight of the larger and heavier centers can twist and break thin turnings when starting or stopping the lathe, as the mass especially at the higher speeds used with thinner turnings can easily destroy a delicate spindel or finial.

The small center pin can be removed and I sometimes use a turned wood center in there for when I don’t want to mark the piece or like to have a bit more room between the center/tailstock and the turning, there’s also a true 60 degree point for keeping pen turners accessories perfectly centered, and yes adaptors and special pieces can be threaded onto this high quality product as are all the Oneway products.

The threaded end and the large cones are now commonly cloned after the oneway center as is the center itself, there is a reason for that.

As for strength, this over a 1000 pound rough piece of wood at start, is being held with a Oneway center with no ill affects , John Tisdale explains.

Oneway live center use.jpg

[Jim Barkelew]

I also have both and prefer the Robust for the reasons above. Another benefit of the Robust is the center point can be pulled out some and used with a 3/8" hole to get a very secure hold on the work. This is handy for making tool handles to get a concentric hole for the tool shank.

[ALAN HOLLAR]

I've not used the Robust, but I imagine that it is very good, given the rep of the company.

I have the Oneway and have no issues with it. I bought a 3/4 x 12 tap so that I can make soft "tips" for it and those, along with the two cones that come with it, allow me to do pretty much anything I want.

The thread size is 3/4" x 10tpi

[Grant Wilkinson]

Tks, Alan. I misspoke.