Live Centers is new better?

[hockenbery]

. Mainly because the node (internals) turn vs the Robust where the body turns. Both have through holes, the Robust though is threaded 3/8x16 for a drawbar I guess. But I don't know what you need a drawbar in a live center (I am sure to get some reasons).

Just so you won't be disappointed.

One use of a draw bar and which also requires the revolving outside housing is in turning thin stemmed goblets. I saw Stewart Batty tape the goblet cup to the live center and open the tail stock to put stretching pressure on the stem. He did not have a string steady that would work so he stretched the stem to take out the wobble.
Of course he could only rely on the morse taper holding. With a draw bar he could have really cranked it open.

Al

 

[Bill Boehme]

After reading all the comments, I have decided to buy one of the Robust live centers. Doing some close in work with a Oneway live center helped me arrive at this decision. I had my head locked on the idea of the outer body of the Oneway not rotating, but then I noticed that big non-rotating body is still very close to where I needed to get a tool. And the 3/4 X 10 threaded nose winds up being flush against the wood unless I buy an aftermarket tip to replace the stock point. Besides, when you get down to the really close work, the threaded nose is rotating so any perceived advantage of a non-rotating body doesn't matter at that point. The extra working room afforded by the longer narrow nose plus point that can be extended even further on the Robust live center looks very attractive. I also think that the more robust bearings will also be nice for really heavy work. One of my Oneway live centers has a lot of free play. I have a Multistar live center and it is nice because of the small body and assortment of points, but the bearings are small and the rotating cup tip is even larger in diameter than the Oneway cup. I don't think of the Multistar as being in the same heavy duty class as the Oneway or Robust. Anyway, I will give my thoughts after a few weeks of using it.

 

[DOCworks]

Bill,

So are you focusing on Lyle's flute design? As opposed to Henry Taylor's flute design?

Al

I'm focusing on the difference between Doug T's U, V and now parabolic design. Henry Taylor's I have and like (Ellsworth) but I have this tool ground the way David likes it. I've moved away from the straighter side grind, due to personal preference. I feel, for me, the straight edge is a bit more aggressive than the more convex side grind...and everyone knows I'm not an aggressive guy. I still use it the way it is ground on some turnings...well because the grind works better for what I'm trying to do. I have moved almost entirely into my handles and the Oneway handles except for my small Taylor skew and parting tool; again personal preference. I have a few students that ask about one handle over another and I am very emphatic that handles are a personal choice aside from safety and leverage. Back to flutes I do like the V type flutes on Doug's tools, but I don't like the V on say a WoodRiver gouge, I'm sorry but that is a very poorly designed tool. So I'm just putting them through their paces on wet sycamore to see how the perform.

 

[Steve Worcester]

I just noticed that I had a typo in my post that changed its meaning entirely. I had typed that the "point can't be be extended", but what I meant was "the point can be extended". I am sure that some diabolical spell checker changed that.

Well then that makes more sense

 

[John Tisdale]

If it ain't broke

I've only used the Oneway and cannot imagine looking elsewhere.

Oneway built me a 2424 which is used for one purpose: large hollow forms. I use a chain-hoist to position a chain-sawed blank that is typically 250-lbs but can go up to 400. Everything starts on the 1.5" jumbo spur drive in a shallow hole drilled with a 1.5" Forstner. Nothing is balanced and the chainsaw facets are flying around at 200rpm-300rpm.

The tailstock and live center are responsible for keeping me alive. I've turned well over 100 large hollowforms over the past few years and never had a problem with a piece coming off. I keep a tremendous pressure on the piece until the exterior is shaped and I can cut the tenon for a faceplate - even with the piece on the faceplate, I'll keep the pressure on with the tailstock until hollowing time begins.

A 250-lb rough log spinning at 250-rpm equates to a surface speed of a bit under 20-mph - a potential threat to my natural beauty if it gets loose.

The Oneway live-center shows zero evidence of wear. Now what is it the other guys say they do better?

 

[Steve Worcester]

I've only used the Oneway and cannot imagine looking elsewhere.

Oneway built me a 2424 which is used for one purpose: large hollow forms. I use a chain-hoist to position a chain-sawed blank that is typically 250-lbs but can go up to 400. Everything starts on the 1.5" jumbo spur drive in a shallow hole drilled with a 1.5" Forstner. Nothing is balanced and the chainsaw facets are flying around at 200rpm-300rpm.

The tailstock and live center are responsible for keeping me alive. I've turned well over 100 large hollowforms over the past few years and never had a problem with a piece coming off. I keep a tremendous pressure on the piece until the exterior is shaped and I can cut the tenon for a faceplate - even with the piece on the faceplate, I'll keep the pressure on with the tailstock until hollowing time begins.

A 250-lb rough log spinning at 250-rpm equates to a surface speed of a bit under 20-mph - a potential threat to my natural beauty if it gets loose.

The Oneway live-center shows zero evidence of wear. Now what is it the other guys say they do better?

i know you and know that you have done enough field work that if it works for you, it works. the primary difference between the two is their realignment when using a vac chuck. They are both good options as live centers. But when realignment is neccesary for vacuum chucking, the Robust seems to work better. if you want to try it, i will loan it to you.