• The forum upgrades have been completed. These were moderate security fixes from our software vendor and it looks like everything is working well. If you see any problems please post in the Forum Technical Support forum or email us at forum_moderator (at) aawforum.org. Thank you
  • February 2026 Turning Challenge: Cookie Jar! (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Matt Carvalho for "Red Mallee Folded Form" being selected as Turning of the Week for February 9, 2026 (click here for details)
  • AAW Symposium demonstrators announced - If the 2026 AAW International Woodturning Symposium is not on your calendar, now is the time to register. And there are discounts available if you sign up early, by Feb. 28. Early Bird pricing gives you the best rate for our 40th Anniversary Symposium in Raleigh, North Carolina, June 4–7, 2026. (There are discounts for AAW chapter members too) For more information vist the discussion thread here or the AAW registration page
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Need help finding a live center

Joined
Jun 25, 2011
Messages
2
Likes
0
Location
wisconsin
I have an old Rockwell lathe that doesn't have a morris taper tailstock, but is threaded to accept a dead center or jacobs chuck. The threading is 3/8"X 24tpi. Any suggestions? How are the tapers attached to the bearing centers, and can the tapered part be removed from the bearing part?
 
I have an old Rockwell lathe that doesn't have a morris taper tailstock, but is threaded to accept a dead center or jacobs chuck. The threading is 3/8"X 24tpi. Any suggestions? How are the tapers attached to the bearing centers, and can the tapered part be removed from the bearing part?

Is the ⅜” X 24 TPI male or female thread ??
Amazon has this mini live center with a straight arbor from Little Machine Shop, the straight arbor could be threaded to ⅜” X 24 TPI if yours is a female thread, if male thread you’d need a sleeve to go over the arbor with the ⅜” x 24 TPI female thread in it.

I would take contact with Little Machine Shop and see it they are willing to accommodate your need, either way, or else get a local machine shop to do it for you.

live center.jpg
 
That is my plan. Ordered the center. I've been using a jacobs chuck for years for holding drill bits. Asked because I was thinking of chucking in a center with a morse taper, but didn't know if it would hold. Thanks, Leo for the lead on the center
 
Back
Top