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How do I sharpen a live center?

I have never had this problem but, before ordering a new one, I would simply try rolling it gently against your running grinder wheel. And please wear gloves while doing this. Should be able to quickly put as sharp a point on it as you'd like.
 
chucking it in a drill and then touching a grinding wheel will do it in a heart beat. Or you could simply file a point on it. That small amount of wear would probably be unnoticeable on 99% of your turnings since the point is simply forced into the wood. Still it's a simple fix.
 
I sharpen my center points by holding them in vice grips and turning them a revolution on the fine grinding wheel.
I sharpen drive center points every 2 years or so. The tail center points ever 10 years or so.

Drill should work too and you could rotate the wheel by hand.

Vice grips can touch the wheel without any violence.
I think a rotating Jacobs chuck touching a rotation wheel would be way too exciting!
 
I use a diamond hone and gently touch up the point. Power grinding seems to me like it would be too aggressive to keep the point perfectly centered -- or it would be too aggressive for me. If you have very good dexterity and keen vision then maybe power grinding woUld work. Depending on the brand, you might be able to buy a replacement point.
 
You can always put it a Jacobs chuck in the head stock and hold a stone against it.

Bill using the grinding wheel and vice grips might get the point off center a tiny bit.
You can't be off more than 1/32" - 1/128 of an inch or so off center.
I seldom get my center marks that close.

My job used to be getting the wrong answers fast.... 🙂
 
I do it all the time. Whenever I need a point on something I chuck it up in my hand drill and touch the spinning wheel on the grinder. It's very easy to control and leaves the point centered. In fact I have made long tapered pointed rods for my awls using this method. The only difference is I taper the whole shaft about 4" long. It's much easier to taper 1/4" or 3/8" points on drive or tail centers. I have a pointed piece of steel rod I use to center pieces on my waste blocks. I dropped it last week and bent the point. I chucked it up in the drill and in about 5 seconds had restored the point. Worse case scenario you grind a little detail in your drill chuck and even that won't really hurt anything.
 
sharpening lathe center point

the problem that I see in using a chuck to hold is that the sides are tapered not straight. if there is a "WoodCraft" store near you they have replacement points for about $4.00. they have two different sizes. I have picked up several for our club over the last few years. our problem is that the points often come out when everyone is in a hurry to clean up after a "hands-on" sessions.
 
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Another method is to fasten the live center so it won't move. I use several layers of tape. Put it in the headstock and the use a file to sharpen it to a point as it spins. Light strokes will do it in a few seconds. It's much easier on live centers like the Oneway or Powermatic because they have a hole in them. You can simply put a cotter pin through the hole and tape it in place and then it won't spin so you can put it in the headstock and sharpen the point.
 
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