STEBCENTER questions...

[Michael Bodan]

I'm a noob to the creative world of woodturning. I've read books, watched
videos and am currently enrolled in an 8 evening turning course at a local
school. I recently purchased and have used a stebcenter after learning how
very forgiving it is when you get a catch while learning to shear with a skew
chisel. It works very well!

Woodcraft is closing out a revolving stebcenter at about 1/2 price.
Essentially it looks like a live center for the tail stock with a spring
loaded center point and the fine pitched stebcenter drive teeth. I read
somewhere that a revolving stebcenter is useful for off-center turnings. I'll
be trying my hand soon at turning a pad foot on a cabriole leg, but I'm not
sure yet how the leg is supposed to be mounted on the lathe. I am pretty
certain that it's an offset turning manoeuver.

My questions are:

1 - what's the purpose of a revolving stebcenter?
2 - Why would you need driving teeth in a tail stock support device?
3 - how do you use a revolving stebcenter in offset turning?

Bonus question:

- can anyone recommend an internet link to text or video about turning
cabriole legs and other off-center turnings?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Michael

 

[Mark Warden]

Hi Michael you can go to youtube and search eccentric turning and see some off center work. You can also go to http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/ and go in the movie clips and the last option is steb center videos. Hope this helps. BTW you should ask questions in the main forum not here they won't tell you where to ask just tell you when you post in the wrong forum.
Good luck


Mark

 

[KurtB]

Steb Center

Michael,
As I understand it, the stebcenter is useful in preventing really large catches, and can be very useful to a production turner because the piece can be removed, and the new one installed, without turning off the lathe.

The basic technique for a cabriole leg is that the pad of the foot is located rearward of the main mass of the foot. As a result, you install the top of the leg at the headstock, and the bottom of the leg at the tailstock so that the pad is centered, not the foot. You turn the little round pad at the bottom, and you're finished with the lathe. I should mention that you do not typically turn the entire leg, just the pad. The rest is done with a bandsaw, spokeshaves, and rasps.

Hope this helps.
Kurt

 

[C Edward Moore]

Get The Revolving Stebcenter!!

For spindle work I think the stebcenter and matching revolving stebcenter are essential. They are great!

Since it is on sale, buy it, think later!

 

[john lucas]

I personally don't like the steb centers and don't see a need. If I get a bad catch the 4 prong drive center just slips, I can tighten the tailstock and keep going. I can remove the piece from the lathe while the lathe is on. I don't do it often because I prefer to look at the sanding quality before removing the item from the lathe. The spring is so strong in the steb center that it actually causes vibration in thinner spindles and will actually break very thin spindles.
I've heard that you can remove a spindle from the lathe and put it back on exactly with the steb center. Never had any trouble doing that with my 4 prong drive centers.
My favorite live center is the nova. It has a wonder set of points that come with it. It uses a short #2 morse taper for these points so it's very easy to make your own out of wood. You can even use them in the headstock if needed. The also have one insert that comes with a thread so you can screw other things to it to make custom live centers of any shape. It's hollow so you can use lamp augers through it.

 

[Richard Baker]

Michael,
Can't help you with steb centers, as, like John I don't see the need. But still want to say Welcome to the forum! Look forward to seeing some of your work.

 

[Gil Jones]

Michael,
I see that you are mostly speaking of Steb live centers, if anyone wanted to try a Steb "type" drive center, these prices would be difficult to beat.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_3?url=search-alias%3Dtools&field-keywords=psi+woodworking&sprefix=psi

 

[robo hippy]

I don't really like the Steb centers either. I do tend to rough out rather agressivly, and the steb center will slip while I am cutting. I can't say that I have had a catch while turning with one, but still, the catch won't put that much pressure on a spindle, mostly that decorative spiral cut that goes half way up the leg. Standard 4 blade type work better for me.
robo hippy

 

[Nick Stagg]

Steb Centers for Spindles

Michael,

The Steb center is an importmant part of the spindle turners tool kit, for several reasons:

1) You have extra driving capabilities with the teeth without putting excess pressure on the spindle causing it to bow.

2) You can turn the piece end for end, if you're using Steb centers in both the headstock and tailstock, and the piece will run true.

3) It's not so apt to split wood and can be used on laminated spindles because the presure is applied over a larger area.

4) If you turn cubes or off center spindles it holds the wood much better because of the holding capacity of the teeth.

It was never made for bowl turning or to reduce catches, in fact as others have said it will slip. My advice, if you plan on turning bowls is to use a two prong drive center, it holds much better.

Nick

 

[n7bsn]

Wow

If all I knew of Strebcenter drives was what I read here, I doubt I would have ever bought one, or used one.

Nothing I had ever read about them, in any way, implied they were for helping with catches, until here.

Put a spindle stock between centers, snug up the tail stock, until the Streb is well engaged.

Then start turning.

When you need to check the diameter, instead of shutting down the lathe, back off on the tail-stock just a touch, so the only the pin of the Streb is still engaged. Now you can grab the spindle, stop the stock and check the diameter.

Then crank the tail back up and return to turning.

They were really intended for production spindle turners.

At least that's what I was taught

TTFN
Ralph

 

[Nick Stagg]

Michael P.S.

For a video on turning cabriole legs buy the one by Allan Batty, it's on his Skew DVD.

He goes through the whole procedure from marking out to the finished leg.

Nick

 

[Max Taylor]

stebcenter

I have the dvd by allan Batty titled :the skew chisel". He turns the cabriole leg completely except the carving. at one point he puts the piece offcenter and dors the foot. Very interesting to say the least. Max

 

[David Wilkins]

Wow, two divided groups.
For turned cabriolet legs, you don't need a steb drive or center. A steb drive is a nice thing to have, but it won't change what you can do at the lathe, or how you do it. I see no reason why you couldn't do this project with the four prong spur drive and live center that came with your lathe, using the exact same procedure.

I own a steb drive, and I am thrilled with it, but it is nothing more than a toy.

 

[Max Taylor]

stebcenter

sorry Nick, didnt see your post before I sent mine. Interesting video eh wot? Max

 

[Burt Alcantara]

I don't care for stebs because they slip. When roughing, I'm pretty aggressive and want to get the process done as quickly as possible.

I've been using the 4 prong drive by Bill Rubinstein (stubbylatheusa.com). This center is the size of China. Nothing slips off that monster. But, for me, that's the point.

Burt

 

[Aaron G+11]

Everyone has there opinon

Steb centers are great for both spindle and bowl work. Unlike those fancy two or four pronged spade bits that other's refer to as drive centers, a large Steb center will not grind a hole in your work.

Why would you want one on a live center? Well for the reason stated above. They will leave a very small mark on the piece, while holding it quite securely. This particularly important while making a plate from thin stock.

One caveat, when roughing out bowls or off center work, I feel most comfortable using a One Way revolving center. Better bearings, and the loss of an 1/8 th of an inch of wood in the tenon is not an issue.

happy turning.

 

[Michael Bodan]

Thanks for all the replies and good information

Thanks all for your replies. The consensus is not quite 50/50 but there's folks clearly in favour and not in favour of the stebcenter. It seems that the ability to slip when a catch occurs is not favoured by experienced turners. But as a noob, I've found the center's ability to slip has increased my confidence in learning to use a skew.

Prior to posting here I did check out You Tube and other internet sources (as someone suggested) but I didn't find any videos and very limited information on offset turning. There was virtually no information about the stebcenter.

The link someone posted to Amazon.com featured an array of fairly inexpensive turning tools, but unfortunately they will not ship most of that stuff up here to Canada. So Woodcraft it will be.

One last thing... someone said I should've asked my question elsewhere. I don't see a "home" page link here and my screen shows that I am in the > Main Category > Main Forum. Where should I be asking my questions, and how do I get there?

Thanks again. I feel I've found a new home.

Michael

 

[odie]

I have an application for my steb center that isn't main stream thought.

There are times when I want to have extra stability without the center point poking very far into the wood. For this, I use the steb center in my tail stock. That spring mounted center point doesn't have to pierce the wood very far for the outer gripping teeth to engage, creating extra stability without going very far into the wood.......just what I needed!

ooc

 

[Bill Boehme]

My questions are:

1 - what's the purpose of a revolving stebcenter?
2 - Why would you need driving teeth in a tail stock support device?
3 - how do you use a revolving stebcenter in offset turning?

I do not have a revolving Stebcenter since I do hardly any multiaxis spindle turning. However, the revolving Stebcenter differs from the standard live center in that the center point of the Stebcenter is spring loaded so the primary gripping is being done by the teeth around the perimeter. Supposedly this mars the wood less since there is very little penetration by the teeth. Another thing pointed out by a recent demonstrator at our club is that sometimes the offset amount is very slight and with a single center point, it is sometimes difficult to keep the point from drifting back to the original indentation as the tailstock quill is tightened down on the turning. The multi-tooth revolving Stebcenter allows for precise repositioning even when turning wood such as pine that has significant differences between the hardness of early and late wood.

It seems that several folks might have missed your question and thought that you were talking about a Stebcenter for the drive end of the lathe since there was a lot of discussion about standard spur drives vs. Stebcenter drives. Since the discussion included this tangent, I may as well join the fray. I have both and I use both. For small things, I prefer the Stebcenter since it is easy to "set" without the need to use a big mallet to drive it home. For big things, a Stebcenter just doesn't quite have enough grip so I use a two or four prong spur drive and use a BIG mallet to sink the teeth nice and deep.

...... If I get a bad catch the 4 prong drive center just slips, I can tighten the tailstock and keep going.

Must be one heck of a catch to cause it to tear loose when the teeth are sunk deeply into the end grain of the wood.

They were really intended for production spindle turners.

That's pretty much the story that I heard about their origin. Sorby bought the product a few years ago when it started gaining popularity among hobbyist woodturners.

.... One last thing... someone said I should've asked my question elsewhere. I don't see a "home" page link here and my screen shows that I am in the > Main Category > Main Forum. Where should I be asking my questions, and how do I get there?

I carefully reread all of the posts in this thread and did not see anything about someone telling you to ask your question elsewhere. If such a rude post really did happen, then one of the moderators probably purged it. Rudeness and other mean spirited posts are not tolerated o this forum.

Bill

 

[n7bsn]

I carefully reread all of the posts in this thread and did not see anything about someone telling you to ask your question elsewhere. If such a rude post really did happen, then one of the moderators probably purged it. Rudeness and other mean spirited posts are not tolerated o this forum.

Bill

Bill, at the bottom of the first reply. I suspect that the question was not asked on the Main forum.

 

[KurtB]

Questions

Let me clarify a little. Generally speaking, questions should be asked in the Main Forum. The How-Tos, Tips and Techniques is usually for telling how to, instead of asking how to. The original post was in the How Tos, and I moved it to the Main Forum to get a possibly larger audience and response.

Hope this helps!

 

[Mark Warden]

It was me who posted that and I in no way shape or form was trying to be rude. When i posted my first question i was in the wrong place and the moderator posted that but didn't tell me where it should be I was trying to be helpfull sorry if it was taken the wrong way.

 

[Ron Sardo]

I don't think a steb center is needed for turned cabriolet legs.

I have the smaller Steb Drive center. I use it mostly when I'm turning small finials such as Xmas ornaments. I like the spring loaded tip and the small profile.

I have the larger steb drive center somewhere, can't remember the last time I used it.

 

[john lucas]

My Nova center has a cup center as one of the options. This works just as well for me as the live Step center would. I have done offcenter work where only the outer portion of the cup center actually contacted the wood. It worked fine. Another good thing about these it that I can remove the center point and just have the cup center. This is really great when you don't want to leave a bad mark in the wood, especially a deep center point.
I'm not saying Step Centers aren't good tools I just think there are other options and they are not the catch all , do all that some think. Just like all of woodturning there are other ways of doing things.
I have been trying to find a tutorial on doing a cabriole leg online. I haven't found one yet. I do have one in one or two of my books and I'm sure I have one in one of my magazines but the searches for the magazines don't work very well. If someone finds one in a magazine I probably have it. I would be glad to copy it off and mail it to you.

 

[Bill Boehme]

For turned cabriolet legs ...

Hmmmm .... legs on a soft top convertible?

 

[john lucas]

Are you sure your looking for Cabriole legs. A true cabriole leg is carved all but the foot that is turned on 2 centers. There is a leg that is Cabriole like that is totally turned. It is also turned on 2 centers but you turn the leg portion as well as the foot.

 

[Michael Bodan]

Thanks Bill

...the revolving Stebcenter differs from the standard live center in that the center point of the Stebcenter is spring loaded so the primary gripping is being done by the teeth around the perimeter. Supposedly this mars the wood less since there is very little penetration by the teeth.

It seems that several folks might have missed your question and thought that you were talking about a Stebcenter for the drive end of the lathe

Bill

Thanks very much for the enlightenment, Bill. You're correct in your observation that I'd been asking about the revolving center for the tail stock. Your explanation makes good sense to me. Since I have a stebcenter for the headstock I think I'll purchase the revolving one to round out the set.

Thanks again to everyone for the replies.

 

[Bill Pottorf]

Cabriole leg reference.

Are you sure your looking for Cabriole legs. A true cabriole leg is carved all but the foot that is turned on 2 centers. There is a leg that is Cabriole like that is totally turned. It is also turned on 2 centers but you turn the leg portion as well as the foot.

One of the best references for both kinds of legs - Cabriole or Offset - was authored by Lonnie Bird: "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Shaping Wood", published by the Taunton Press and printed in Italy. It is bound and was given to me as a set - probably expensive but very well done. I do not see anything in there about using stebcenters, albeit I do use them and have gotten quite used to them - even in roughing out smaller bowl blanks. They do not leave large marks in the ends of blanks. I only use a revolving stebcenter when turning spindle work. The bearings in the revolving stebcenter are not as good as the Oneway or other brands. Hope this helps.
Bill

 

[Steve Worcester]

It was me who posted that and I in no way shape or form was trying to be rude. When i posted my first question i was in the wrong place and the moderator posted that but didn't tell me where it should be I was trying to be helpfull sorry if it was taken the wrong way.

No rudeness taken. Personally if a "How do I.." question is posted in How To, I leave it as it would end up there later on anyway because it will answer someone else's question. No biggie, happens all the time.

 

[Marc Ruby]

I don't think people 'need' a Steb Center. I picked up one of the small ones when WoodCraft put them on sale and I find it a convenience -- it's easier to use than a 4 prong and a whole lot less likely to damage wood in the case of a bad catch (which I never have, anyway >).

I can't see this being a issue to get conflicted about. I'm glad I have it in my center collection, but I would never have paid full price for it.

Marc