Stebcenter Live Center

[Don Stephan]

Since discovering Stebcenter drive centers a year or two ago I use them often (but still use a four prong drive center as well). I'm curious what would be the reason(s) for using a Stebcenter live center. The amount of tailstock pressure on a spindle blank to seat the prongs of a Stebcenter drive center would seem to be the same whether a pin-and-cup or Stebcenter live center was being used in the tailstock. And it would seem neither type of live center would be more or less likely to cause a spindle blank to split at the tailstock.
Curious in Cincinnati.

 

[Mark Hayes]

I use almost exclusively a steb live center. On mine I can adjust the spring tension on the point. There may be an advantage to the steb live center if your blank is not flat on the outboard end.

 

[Josh Mandell]

One advantage is using matched step drive & live centers so that you can reverse the piece and register the steb center prongs in the indentations cleanly. Same could be said for matched cup centers as well.

But otherwise, yeah I think you make a good point about the pressure. I'm curious what other folks have to say about this.

 

[Gregory Hickman]

One advantage is using matched step drive & live centers so that you can reverse the piece and register the steb center prongs in the indentations cleanly.

I'm curious, if you have the teknatool nova live center, can you use a headstock drive center in it? I don't know the depth of it's mt2 opening.

Gregory

 

[Dave Landers]

I like the steb live center sometimes. Sometimes not.
There does seem to be some advantage to being able to reverse a piece into the same indents for teeth.
I like having the spring loaded points on both ends of a piece - lets me spin it and get it centered before engaging the teeth.
I have not looked if the pressure of the point in my Sorby stebcenter can be adjusted, but I feel like as-is, the combined pressure of just the points is a bit much for some thinner spindles (that is, you have to compress both springs before the teeth engage).

 

[Vincent Vogel]

I'm curious, if you have the teknatool nova live center, can you use a headstock drive center in it? I don't know the depth of it's mt2 opening.

Gregory

If I understand your question correctly. The Nova live center has a short mt2 opening, so if you want to put a standard mt2 object into it you will have to cut about 1/2 of the mt2 taper off the end.

 

[Gregory Hickman]

If I understand your question correctly. The Nova live center has a short mt2 opening, so if you want to put a standard mt2 object into it you will have to cut about 1/2 of the mt2 taper off the end.

This is what I thought.

Thanks
Gregory

 

[Bill Blasic]

The Nova Live center if you want to put something in the end that has the short MT2 if it has a thread you can use a draw bar. one of the pieces that comes with is threaded and the stepped cone goes onto. The cone fits the center also when reversed. The MT2 can be used with any wood shape you need with a short MT2 turned on it. In reality the Nova Live Center is the most versatile center available and cost wise one of the most affordable.

 

[Gregory Hickman]

In reality the Nova Live Center is the most versatile center available and cost wise one of the most affordable.

I plan on buying this for that reason. Down the road I'll probably pickup a set of 1/2" live and drive centers, for thin spindles.

Gregory

 

[Bill Alston]

I made a Crown (Steb if you like) centre for my revolving centre and use it a lot. It seems more secure than other types.

 

[John K Jordan]

I'm curious what would be the reason(s) for using a Stebcenter live center.

I like the spring-loaded point of the Steb centers. Some other centers have them but not all. The spring-loading is especially helpfut when turning thin spindles from hard wood such as ebony that might be split by a non-spring loaded point.

On harder woods you can't even seat the ring of the center unless you make a hole in the wood. Without seating the ring tight against the wood, the stability of very thin spindles will be compromised.

JKJ

 

[Gregory Hickman]

Do the Sorby ones have adjustable spiing tension? I've heard some do and think that is a good feature.

Gregory

 

[Michael Bamford]

I have a pair of PSI 2MT Steb centre's. One has been shortened to fit the Nova live centre. It works well and was less expensive than buying a Steb live centre.

 

[Gregory Hickman]

One has been shortened to fit the Nova live centre

Thanks for showing me what this would look like. I assume it was fairly easy to accomplish, with the right tools. Are the PSI centers sprung?

Gregory