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Sorby vs China steb center
- Thread starter Raif Harik
- Start date
With shipping and my local sales tax to the USA, it is $12 cheaper buying from Axminster in the UK, but may take 10-13 days to arrive. And they sell both 16mm (5/8”) and 21mm (13/16”) (16mm out of stock today). I just ordered the 21mm.
www.axminstertools.com
Axminster Woodturning Pro Drives
These centres are safe, secure and offer greater versatility and accuracy than the more common 2 or 4-prong drive centres. Being made entirely of stainless steel they will not rust or corrode when used with green timber or left in an unheated workshop....
www.axminstertools.com
I hope you and John Jordan report back with a review.With shipping and my local sales tax to the USA, it is $12 cheaper buying from Axminster in the UK, but may take 10-13 days to arrive. And they sell both 16mm (5/8”) and 21mm (13/16”) (16mm out of stock today). I just ordered the 21mm.
Axminster Woodturning Pro Drives
These centres are safe, secure and offer greater versatility and accuracy than the more common 2 or 4-prong drive centres. Being made entirely of stainless steel they will not rust or corrode when used with green timber or left in an unheated workshop....
I have two Sorby Stebcenters I use for boxes, they really grip well. I have not had one slip, and yes they are expensive, but the frustrations caused by the cheaper ones is worth the extra cost.
I have steb centers (drive and live) of several diameters, but use the 1/2" almost exclusively, since in recent years I have turned mostly smallish things. From their paint scheme, they would appear to be Sorby but neither actually has the Sorby name etched on them. Bought long ago so they are durable (whether they are Sorby or not). I tend not to tighten them down hard, so they can slip a little. I don't have problems with them 'drilling'.
When I ordered the Axminster Pro Drive, I also ordered this Axminster 4-prong 1" spur drive, $11 US ordered straight from Axminster in England. 2 weeks until arrival. It's $18 US at Woodchuckers.
https://woodchuckers.com/products/ax-woodturning-4-prong-drive-centre-25mm-mt2
My ancient homemade 2-prong spur (I ground down 2 of the spurs) has seen better days so it will be retired and replaced with this 4-prong, which I'll grind down 2 of the spurs. Axminster also sells a 2-prong for about $24 US, but the prong profile looks much less substantial than it does on the 4-prong. And it was twice the price.
Ordered direct from Axminster's website Dec 23, arrived in Minnesota today, Jan 13. No time to play with it, but suffice it to say this drive center is no whimp. Fit and finish are top notch. Teeth are aggressive but not dangerously sharp to rip flesh. Their 21mm dimension is at the tips of the teeth, overall dimension is a weak 25mm/1". And like the Oneway Safety Center, the center pin is spring loaded and user adjustable for compression pre-loading. Playing with the pin, it may have about a thousanth or so of lateral slop, just like the Oneway, which I think for this device's purpose is inconsequential, I'm not worried.
This is my first time with any manufacturer's version of this kind of drive center. Made in the UK. I have nothing similar to compare it to, but this center looks more than up to the task.
Cheaper than a name-brand Steb Center (Sorby), and in all likelihood higher quality than the Chinese version. I think I'll be happy with it. Maybe I'd get the smaller one in the future if necessary.
This is my first time with any manufacturer's version of this kind of drive center. Made in the UK. I have nothing similar to compare it to, but this center looks more than up to the task.
Cheaper than a name-brand Steb Center (Sorby), and in all likelihood higher quality than the Chinese version. I think I'll be happy with it. Maybe I'd get the smaller one in the future if necessary.
I love that Oneway in your last picture. I have two and now use them all the time. I drill a small hole for that spring loaded tip to fit into.
I bought a cheapy chinese one to try and I liked the way it worked but I quickly found a weakness. My knockout bar went thru it since it's hollow all the way thru and knocked out the spring and center pin. Never went back together right.
Since the points are spring-loaded and retract to nothing under pressure, just wondering: what's the point of removing the point? (Small play on words. Humor value extremely low.)
I've never even thought about removing the points. Or was it an accident while trying to do something else?
I had a piece mounting in the lathe for turning and after I was finished I was just trying to get it out of the headstock! You have a point, I don't actually need the point (pun intended).
Yikes, the thru hole is big enough for the standard knockout bar??! Maybe turn a plug.
It's not a standard knockout bar. My hubby made me one. Probably thinner than a standard.