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DIY live center "soft touch" accessory

G

Greg Carles

Joined
Aug 22, 2022
Messages
124
Likes
113
Location
Kenton, OH
Nothing new, got the idea from Capt'n Eddie on you tube, but have been needing something like these for quit awhile. was using small pieces of wood between the live center to make a soft touch but did not like it because it would fall out etc...
First I bought a 3/4-10 NC tap to match the threads on the one-way brand live center and then took some rock maple I had glued up for over a year and was just sitting there. Made some blanks and drilled a 1" recess and then a 5/8 inch hole for the tap,, using the lathe of course. These came out real nice and I am so happy now I have my own DIY live center soft touch adapters.
If you have not done this and you have a one-way type live center I highly recommend it.
 

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A couple more pics, the threads are in face grain.
Since the square is end grain I used a bowl gouge to round out from square
 

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Those are great! They come in handy. I use them for turning balls and seed jars. And lots og other stuff

I use some of the rubber chuckie threaded centers 81D7DC93-8BA1-4BEA-A6F2-0185621FE1EF.jpeg

I also use wooden ones - mine aren’t threaded just drilled. I usually put a turn of masking tape on the threads to tighten the fit
I glue a piece of leather over the tip. AD0E73ED-41F6-43FE-9434-59696ADDAF8F.jpeg

A 1.5” hole fits the cheap centers that come with mini and midi lathes. They are not threaded.
 
Greg Carles said:
Nothing new, got the idea from Capt'n Eddie on you tube, but have been needing something like these for quit awhile. was using small pieces of wood between the live center to make a soft touch but did not like it because it would fall out etc...
First I bought a 3/4-10 NC tap to match the threads on the one-way brand live center and then took some rock maple I had glued up for over a year and was just sitting there. Made some blanks and drilled a 1" recess and then a 5/8 inch hole for the tap,, using the lathe of course. These came out real nice and I am so happy now I have my own DIY live center soft touch adapters.
If you have not done this and you have a one-way type live center I highly recommend it.
Click to expand...
I too make and use these devices. A hint: Turn a tenon on the bored end of the device to fit a chuck. This will allow you to reshape the other end as needed.
 
I've made a bunch of these, first to fit over the cone centers, then threaded for the 3/4" on my live center. They are great problem solvers, for sure. Some of mine are threaded on both ends and provide multiple uses. Question for you - how do you store these things, or are they more one offs for you?
 
Another way to make these is to buy some 3/4-10 nuts and epoxy the nuts into a blank. After the glue sets, I screw the thing on the live center, turn a tenon next to the nut like Dennis said, then reverse it in the chuck to make whatever profile.

Either way you make them, get the threaded part deep enough so that it threads all the way down to sit flat on the shoulder of the live center.
 
Dave Landers said:
get the threaded part deep enough so that it threads all the way down to sit flat on the shoulder of the live center.
Click to expand...
I made sure of that when I made them 1-1/4 inch is the depth I used. That clears the point pretty sure.
I also bought 2 nuts and will look at epoxy them into a chunk of wood. When the nut is in there how do you hold it to turn it? Do you have a bolt you put into the 4 jaw chuck?
 
hockenbery said:
Those are great! They come in handy. I use them for turning balls and seed jars. And lots og other stuff

I use some of the rubber chuckie threaded centers View attachment 47052

I also use wooden ones - mine aren’t threaded just drilled. I usually put a turn of masking tape on the threads to tighten the fit
I glue a piece of leather over the tip. View attachment 47053

A 1.5” hole fits the cheap centers that come with mini and midi lathes. They are not threaded.
Click to expand...
Hi , I was looking at your head stock piece in the first picture. It looks like you have a Morse taper with a nut on the end of it? Just curious how did you do that? or is this something you purchased? Any pics of this head stock adapter without anything on it?
 
Has any one done this type of accessory for the head stock thread portion? I did get a spindle tap for my lathe and was thinking about making some threaded accessories for the head stock as well.
 

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Greg Carles said:
Hi , I was looking at your head stock piece in the first picture. It looks like you have a Morse taper with a nut on the end of it? Just curious how did you do that? or is this something you purchased? Any pics of this head stock adapter without anything on it?
Click to expand...

That is a rubber chuckie threaded Morse taper. In his photo he but a nut on it…
4AEFD0D7-CEFF-417C-9E9F-2B9EB52E460D.jpeg
 
Like Al, the ones I have made aren't threaded, but are drilled at 3/4". They slide on and off easily and quickly, and stay on well enough without the threads. I'd love to have one out of PTFE plastic, but the material I have is only 3/4" thick.
 
Dennis J Gooding said:
I too make and use these devices. A hint: Turn a tenon on the bored end of the device to fit a chuck. This will allow you to reshape the other end as needed.
Click to expand...
I got the tenons turned on the adapters like you suggested... Thanks.
The second pic is what I was using, it worked , just not real convenient.
 

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Greg Carles said:
Do these with out the threads run true?
My threaded ones that screw into the live center all run true , not really sure if that matters or not.
Click to expand...
The slip ons won’t work for something like a cup because the cup rim may be off center.
For a small flat it doesn’t mater. A wrap of tape gets it to darn near perfect.

Here is some fun with gifsDEE8AB4E-5A0D-4725-86D6-CE3ABEF54F7D.gif
EBEFB268-839D-4707-91FE-9CC3EA1E61C7.gif
 
Leo Van Der Loo said:
You can mount the live center in your chuck with a pin through the center to prevent it from spinning or mount it in the MT in your spindle and again put a pin through the center, make sure the pin does not fly out, a thin screw can be used or even a nail you bend over.
Click to expand...
I've used that method many times (mostly MT in spindle). Just wrap a layer (or a few) of masking tape over the head of the nail. When shaping/reshaping use light cuts so the MT doesn't slip ... not a problem IF you can mount it in a chuck. Or, if you have another live center for applying pressure.
 
Greg Carles said:
I made sure of that when I made them 1-1/4 inch is the depth I used. That clears the point pretty sure.
I also bought 2 nuts and will look at epoxy them into a chunk of wood. When the nut is in there how do you hold it to turn it? Do you have a bolt you put into the 4 jaw chuck?
Click to expand...
So I drill out a hole big (diameter) and deep enough for the nut, so just enough sticks out that the nut will engage on the flat of the live center. Then drill again at 3/4 to ensure it'll screw on all the way.
After glueing in the nut, I screw it onto the live center, and use friction against the headstock spindle to spin it (or use a drive center). Then I can put a tenon on the wood around the outside of the nut on the live center end. I then can flip it around into a chuck to make (or re-make) whatever shape I want.
 
For a tailstock "soft touch", I use 3/4" rubber furniture leg tips ... pack of 4 for under $2 at the home center. They fit on my live centers and leave no marks on the turning. Rubber Furniture Leg Tips.jpg
 
Greg, thanks for the reminder. We have some new members in our club and it's nice to share ways to make work holding fixtures.
I tapped the back of my live center (Oneway clone) with a 3/8 x 16 tap (idea from Davidreedsmith.com) so I could use a draw bar when shaping.
As for threads for your spindle, wooden faceplates for small stuff, easy, and better yet, cheap... Also sanding disks, just a wooden faceplate and spray adhesive, velcro or PSA disks.
As for storage, I wish I was more organized. A box full of fixtures seems to procreate on its own and usually has something I can reshape or, face off and glue on a new piece of wood to reshape. Wood morse tapers are another form of fixture/work holding option to explore.
Box-O-Fixtures.jpeg Threaded live center.jpeg
Five at bottom right are for live center, the rest are parts and pieces from past projects.
 
Dennis J Gooding said:
I too make and use these devices. A hint: Turn a tenon on the bored end of the device to fit a chuck. This will allow you to reshape the other end as needed.
Click to expand...
Also, if you begin to run out of wood on the working end, you can face off the end and glue on a flat-ended disc/cylinder and start afresh. CA glue should work fine since there would be very little force on the joint.
 
Greg Carles said:
Has any one done this type of accessory for the head stock thread portion? I did get a spindle tap for my lathe and was thinking about making some threaded accessories for the head stock as well.
Click to expand...
Gary,
Yes I have made them for head stock. I made blocks to hold 15(?) in sand disk from mdf or plywood,. Applied different grits of rolled sand paper using spray adhesive. On one of the disks I made a through hole and the disk had different grits on each side. The block protruded on one of the sides so care when using. Sand paper can be replace as needed
 
Greg Carles said:
Do these with out the threads run true?
My threaded ones that screw into the live center all run true , not really sure if that matters or not.
Click to expand...
In my use, they are simply replacements for the live center end and are used in compression mode. They don't have to run true. If you really need them to be centered, it's not hard to adjust them until they are satisfactory. The biggest advantage of wooden ones is that you can make them with a taper on the workpiece end in order to give you room to work on the end/bottom of your piece and only leave a small nub.
 
Tom Gall said:
I've used that method many times (mostly MT in spindle). Just wrap a layer (or a few) of masking tape over the head of the nail. When shaping/reshaping use light cuts so the MT doesn't slip ... not a problem IF you can mount it in a chuck. Or, if you have another live center for applying pressure.
Click to expand...
The One Way live center will accept a 3/8" - 16 threaded drawbar to hold it accurately in the headstock with no chance that it will come loose and that is far superior to and simpler then mounting it in a chuck.
 
Don Wattenhofer said:
The One Way live center will accept a 3/8" - 16 threaded drawbar to hold it accurately in the headstock with no chance that it will come loose and that is far superior to and simpler then mounting it in a chuck.
Click to expand...
I'll have to agree and disagree, Don.

I just checked - my Oneway live center (20 yrs. old and still in the box) isn't tapped for a threaded rod. I rarely use it (out-of- sight, out-of-mind) except for a special purpose(s) since I have 3 others that I use. I'll have to take it out of the drawer and use it more! You must have tapped your center for a drawbar because it isn't mentioned on the Oneway website that it is tapped. Wow - $40 more than what I paid for it.

I can't chuck it up (as mentioned by @Leo Van Der Loo ) in any of my chucks except for possibly my Super Nova - but because I have to use a spindle adapter with that chuck it won't work.

Re: "drawbar...is far superior" - that may be true. But, "simpler than mounting in a chuck" - not a chance! I have several homemade chucks that use drawbars on which I've turned thousands of pieces. Excellent for multiples but will not be simpler for a one-off project such as the small projects the OP or others have mentioned in this thread.
 
My tap came today. I made one that was drilled to fit over the threads on my Powermatic but the fit was a bit loose, a turn of painter’s tape tightened it up. I then made a 2nd one drilling a slightly smaller diameter hole, now the fit is tight but it’s hard to install and get off so I decided to tap the hole making it easy to remove or install the soft center.
 
If you use an adapter to hold your chuck into the lathe via the Morse taper (e.g., https://bestwoodtools.stores.yahoo.net/onepihetachr.html) then the work can be moved to another lathe with significantly less runout. This type of adapter is held into the headstock with a draw bar.
 
Greg Carles said:
A couple more pics, the threads are in face grain.
Since the square is end grain I used a bowl gouge to round out from square
Click to expand...
I make these as well, and use my Robust Drive center, which is threaded 3/4-10, to do do any variety of shaping right on the headstock.

I am curious about your photo with the tap mounted in a four jaw chuck. Do you do your tapping under power?
 

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To turn one of these useful soft centers, I also use a threaded adaptor. Buying an Adapter may not be needed. I just cut the head off a 1/2 threaded 3/4 10 bolt with a hacksaw and insert in a chuck without jaws or 3/4 er32 collet if you have one.
 
Here in the UK other than the Easywood live centre (available through Amazon) none that I can find have the threaded part. Only non revolving centres on which you screw the chuck in preparation fro using a vacuum chuck. Maybe some are available from metal engineering lathes. I bought an engineering one which is dismantled so custom “ends” can be used. Similar to the “hollow” live centres with removable tips from Record and others. Choices so far are threaded, a 15mm “cylinder”, reverse (female) cone, small faceplate. Should allow many options.
 
Michael Beswick said:
Here in the UK other than the Easywood live centre (available through Amazon) none that I can find have the threaded part. Only non revolving centres on which you screw the chuck in preparation fro using a vacuum chuck. Maybe some are available from metal engineering lathes. I bought an engineering one which is dismantled so custom “ends” can be used. Similar to the “hollow” live centres with removable tips from Record and others. Choices so far are threaded, a 15mm “cylinder”, reverse (female) cone, small faceplate. Should allow many options.
Click to expand...
Doesn't this one have a threaded part?
www.axminstertools.com

Axminster Woodturning Deluxe Live Revolving Centre

For professional woodturners and dedicated home turners, our heavy duty live centre is designed to meet all your needs. This centre is both robust and versatile, whatever your project or ambitions this centre has it covered. It’s manufactured in our...
www.axminstertools.com www.axminstertools.com
 
Michael Beswick said:
Here in the UK other than the Easywood live centre (available through Amazon) none that I can find have the threaded part. Only non revolving centres on which you screw the chuck in preparation fro using a vacuum chuck. Maybe some are available from metal engineering lathes. I bought an engineering one which is dismantled so custom “ends” can be used. Similar to the “hollow” live centres with removable tips from Record and others. Choices so far are threaded, a 15mm “cylinder”, reverse (female) cone, small faceplate. Should allow many options.
Click to expand...
Is the NOVA live center available in the UK? The nova live center has several different tips that all mount in the female #2 morse taper so you could easily make soft touch tips of any style desired with a male #2 taper, which would be less hassle then messing with threads.
 
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