Drive Centers Using a Chuck?

Mike Turner

Member
Messages
361
Location
Laurinburg NC
I have a Jet 1642. A while back I apparently had a small piece of trash etc or I put too pressure on my spindle blank and buggered up the inside of the drive a little....just a little..not bad. I cleaned it up but since then have been a little leery of using a Morse taper driven center... I do but am caution...blow out and use a greeny. Anyhow I am looking for some centers I can use in my G3.

I do have this Big spur one...wiorks good but wanting some smaller type.

http://www.landingcrafts.com/mm5/me...D&Product_Code=N52-3954&Category_Code=CENTERS

Does anyone know of any other? maybe smaller ones???
 
Last edited:
I routinely use my chuck to hold my drive centers, not because the Morse taper in the spindle is buggered up, but because I am lazy and don't want to waste the time of changing back and forth. Having the chuck on there also makes it easier for me to turn a correctly sized spigot as I have the jaws for visual reference.
 
Penn State Industries has at least two that are about 1" in diameter. I know because I had them for my lathe that didn't have a Morse taper o the drive end. I gave them away with the lathe when I sold it, I think. I may have kept one of them, and I will check around the shed later today. One was a four spur centre, and the other was a Steb centre.
 
My reccomendation would be to 'unbugger' that interior of your Morse drive. Morse reamers can be bought. Expensive but better than trashing the machine or having out of round turnings forever. You might be able to borrow one. My club owns a loaner for member use.
 
I've done like Mike and held my spur center in the chuck before. As long as it runs true, I don't see an issue with doing it that way for small blanks. I wouldn't use that method for anything big and heavy, though, since the chuck isn't likely to hold it as firmly as the Morse taper does.
 
Top