I’m curious about others preferred drive centers.
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Drive centers
- Thread starter Webb Willmott
- Start date
Might be helpful to know the use you have in mind.
I pick different drive centers for different uses.
Turning spindles? Long, short? Lightweight work or massive?
Holding to turn to completion? Holding to cut a tenon to hold in a chuck?
My favorite for spindles are the Steb centers, one of three sizes.
I really like drive centers with spring-loaded center points, more appropriate for hard, exotic woods.
For this type of turning, a #2MT drive center is perfect for me.
My least favorite for most spindles are the 4-prong spur centers with rigid points, but some are removable.
However, the late Brian Horais gave me a tiny 4-prong spur center, maybe 5/8" in diameter, perfect for his specialty, twisted (thermed) turnings. The small center better bites into the angled endgrain as the axis is changed for each step.
Holding an irregular chunk of wood and turning by hand at first then at low speed to find the best position and balance for a bowl or hollow form before cutting a tenon or recess for holding in a chuck? Or initial holding to position a crotch that will be a turned as a winged piece?
A two-pronged drive center can be more useful for an irregular chunk or log than one with four spurs.
For heavy use a center held in a chuck might be more appropriate.
Look at the Oneway Big Bite chuck spur drive.
Nova has one with four tough points instead of four horizontal sharp "blades", also held in a chuck. I haven't tried it.
JKJ
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I have a Oneway big bite, a couple sizes of Steb centers, One Way safety center, and several traditional sizes. All are preferred for different jobs.
I start most all turnings between centers, including irregular large bowl and hf’s. Want to be able to adjust for grain etc.
Large work - Nova Jumbo drive center, direct thread onto spindle, both x-grain and spindle
All but one of the other centers have spring loaded center pins. The small 3/8” 4 prong does not.
Steb centers - 5/8” &1”, spindle work up to 3-4” dia.
1” 4 prong - larger spindle or xgrain work 4 ~8” dia.
Safe center not sure of size, maybe 1-1/2, its a Robust. Hardly used it. I need to give it more use before I throw it under the bus.
Method learned from Lyle Jamieson - instead of pounding a live center into the wood or pre cutting grooves for prongs, locate the work where desired, tighten the ts, lock the spindle, rock the work with hands, tighten ts, rock, tighten, repeat until you have satisfactory engagement. How much engagement is enough? You learn that from experience.
Large work - Nova Jumbo drive center, direct thread onto spindle, both x-grain and spindle
All but one of the other centers have spring loaded center pins. The small 3/8” 4 prong does not.
Steb centers - 5/8” &1”, spindle work up to 3-4” dia.
1” 4 prong - larger spindle or xgrain work 4 ~8” dia.
Safe center not sure of size, maybe 1-1/2, its a Robust. Hardly used it. I need to give it more use before I throw it under the bus.
Method learned from Lyle Jamieson - instead of pounding a live center into the wood or pre cutting grooves for prongs, locate the work where desired, tighten the ts, lock the spindle, rock the work with hands, tighten ts, rock, tighten, repeat until you have satisfactory engagement. How much engagement is enough? You learn that from experience.
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I mostly use a spur drive for bowls and Hollow forms
Mostly use a cup center ( ONEWAY Safe center) to drive spindles
Lots of friction drives too
Sometimes use the tops of the jaws to drive a piece between centers
Mostly use a cup center ( ONEWAY Safe center) to drive spindles
Lots of friction drives too
Sometimes use the tops of the jaws to drive a piece between centers
I love my Robust cup center for both spindles and roughing bowls. But it is a PITA to remove the larger ring from the unit when I want to just use the smaller. I also have another safety center which does not get much use primarily as it will not work in the jaws of a chuck.
his is the one I use the most. As with it I do not have to take off and put back on a chuck. The Nova Spur Center. Runs true and grips well.
I use a (cheapish) 4-prong with spring loaded point on 90% of my turnings. I have a $120 Sorby steb center that I rarely use because I accidentally ordered it in 1/2". I use it for spindles now and then. I haven't attached a faceplate in 2 years.
I use the safety drive center almost always. There are times when I use a step drive, but haven’t used a prong spur drive in years. For spindles up to 2” inches clamp in my O’Donnell jaws.
Can’t add much as the various types are already covered. I do own Elio drives. They have a #2 Morse taper, a sharp center point and 2 hex head screws which are sunk into the blank. I use them mainly when I mount a blank which is oddly shaped rather than flattening that end. They hold securely and are very flexible in use (I have 3 different sizes.) I feel completely safe using but it does take a little longer to get blank mounted. Worth it for me when I have odd shaped blanks and want to get them balanced. I got mine from the Woodturning Tool Store online.
About 8 or 10 years ago I watched a David Ellsworth demo. He was using a Stubby spur drive center with two spurs removed. We had a discussion about it and he believed it was by far the best drive for bowls and hollow forms. Sold me but there was a problem, it was no longer available. (It was reincarnated and now called the Nova Jumbo Drive) I figured I could either find a used one on eBay or make one. No luck finding a used one and to make one would be time consuming even though I have a machine shop. I found an alternative called the Oneway Big Bite but it is sized for Oneway chucks and I run Vicmarc. The seed was planted and this is the result.
Spur drives sized for the Vicmarc 120 and 100. They are made from tool steel and properly heat treated to maintain sharpness and not be brittle. I showed them to David about 5 years ago and he thought I should manufacture them. I think they are better than the original Stubby or the new Nova for one simple reason. I never have to remove the chuck.
Spindle work is mostly done with a cup drive. Robust and Oneway both make good ones, but I made what I think is a better one. Tool steel and a smaller diameter for little spindles. It's a bit longer also. Moveable center and a flange to protect threads on the lathe spindle.
Spur drives sized for the Vicmarc 120 and 100. They are made from tool steel and properly heat treated to maintain sharpness and not be brittle. I showed them to David about 5 years ago and he thought I should manufacture them. I think they are better than the original Stubby or the new Nova for one simple reason. I never have to remove the chuck.
Spindle work is mostly done with a cup drive. Robust and Oneway both make good ones, but I made what I think is a better one. Tool steel and a smaller diameter for little spindles. It's a bit longer also. Moveable center and a flange to protect threads on the lathe spindle.
I unfortunately spent money on the Nova Jumbo Drive a couple of years ago when I was searching for the best way to mount blanks. I was sorry I spent the money. I tried it a few times and just abandoned it; in fact, forgot completely about it until I read this thread. I found it difficult to use and really not as good as the standard spur drive. For me, the spur drive was easier to use and held the blank more firmly once anchored in the wood. I did see recently that Axminster sells something similar to the drive that is shown in the previous post. I recently bought Robust's drive and that works extremely well also.
One thing I forgot to mention about drive (and live) centers, especially for spindle blanks.
After marking each center with a pencil I always drill at least a small hole.
I keep one of these cordless drills on a magnet at the lathe.
A small hole lets me physically hold the alignment at one end of a spindle while visually aligning the other.
If the wood is hard a hole can keep thin blanks and spindles from splitting from points that are not spring-loaded.
I almost always turn dry wood. Soft, wet wood can be different.
JKJ
After marking each center with a pencil I always drill at least a small hole.
I keep one of these cordless drills on a magnet at the lathe.
A small hole lets me physically hold the alignment at one end of a spindle while visually aligning the other.
If the wood is hard a hole can keep thin blanks and spindles from splitting from points that are not spring-loaded.
I almost always turn dry wood. Soft, wet wood can be different.
JKJ
I'm mostly a spindle turner. I used the standard four-spur drive for many years, never had any issues, but now I mostly use the Axminster version of the Steb centre. I first bought the 21mm version, and just bought the 16mm one. I should experiment more with a ring centre/friction centre; lots of people seem to like them. I have experimented a bit, worked fine, but I still reach for the Steb.
That will probably be my next drive center. I have the Robust live center on my tailstock. Do you have/use the bowl drive? I guess that's what you mean about the larger ring.
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@Kent Reisdorph yes, that is the one I have.
Just goes to show the old saying “ask 10 turners the best way to do something and you’ll get 20 answers” is alive and well - for large heavy blanks I would not want to be without the Nova jumbo drive, thing works great for me.
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@Webb Willmott Now we know what that drive was that was in the tailstock,
I use a Steb mostly but also have a Nova Jumbo which I like for larger pieces. I have two Elios but just do not care for them so they sit in the drawer. Guess I pull them out and sell em. While packing for move I even still have the boxes.
I use a Steb mostly but also have a Nova Jumbo which I like for larger pieces. I have two Elios but just do not care for them so they sit in the drawer. Guess I pull them out and sell em. While packing for move I even still have the boxes.
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Every turner should have a birdcage awl. With 4 sharp sides it cuts a hole quickly.
Ah yes, birdcage awl's are very useful. I grind the point with 3 sides, not sure if it is any better but it is easier to grind. I usually put flats on the handle after turning to keep them from rolling on the workbench.
I made the Birdcage Awl in this trio from some key steel. Twisted before shaping just for decoration.
I like the bottom handle best. Very nice all three.
Here's a multi-message discussion board thread at Lumberjocks on how a fella makes birdcage awls from O1 (pronounced "oh-1", O for oil quenched/hardened steel) tool steel. (A2 steel bar should be considered as well. Bit more expensive, but no quench oil required, it's air hardened after bringing up to temp.) I made three of them following this. Well, the steel shafts. And I've not heat treated them yet, nor made handles, but I'm one third of the way through the process!
www.lumberjocks.com
McMaster-Carr is a generally affordable source for O1 steel (and others, A2 comes in good prices, too) in different profiles. May not be as cheap as Amazon (might be cheaper), but their suppliers of steel are far more reputable, esp. with precision ground stock.
www.mcmaster.com
A Simple Bird Cage Awl
Starting with High Quality Steel I like making awls. I have quite few around my shop in various sizes and configurations. A few years ago I decided to make an awl in the bird cage style and it has been my all around favorite ever since. I have no idea why they are called bird cage awls...
www.lumberjocks.com
McMaster-Carr is a generally affordable source for O1 steel (and others, A2 comes in good prices, too) in different profiles. May not be as cheap as Amazon (might be cheaper), but their suppliers of steel are far more reputable, esp. with precision ground stock.
McMaster-Carr
McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.
These three were made using ordinary HSS Drill Bits. I’m now just wondering if the business end could be ground square to make an effective Awl.
Sure, it would still have the flutes in it but who knows? A job for another time perhaps.
Sure, it would still have the flutes in it but who knows? A job for another time perhaps.
The magic of the birdcage is that the tapered flats, and their sharp 90 degree corners, cut the fibers as you poke the hole, like a drill bit. If those twist bits still have flute to the tip, they'll still cut the hole. (The flutes are probably gone at the tip.)
Regular "scratch" awls, with just the needle tip point, shove wood fibers to the side, leaving a raged entry point above the wood surface.
Regular "scratch" awls, with just the needle tip point, shove wood fibers to the side, leaving a raged entry point above the wood surface.
As others have mentioned, the type of drive center really depends on what kind of turning are you working on? Spindles I usually use a cup center. Larger spindles, I use a spur drive. For bowls, especially unround blanks or natural edge blanks, I use a Oneway big bite spur drive. It's especially helpful for adjustments to the tailstock to help even up the rim of natural edge bowls; that is to say if you get one side that's lower than the other, you can release the tailstock and reposition it for a more even edged bowl. Hope my answer helps and doesn't confuse you more.