Lathe is a machine tool that is used for various operations including scalping, chiseling, shaping, molding, cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, and more. It is basically a machine that turns the workpiece around a specific axis and you can easily make it work for all the different needs that you might be having. It is a machine that is used for metal and glass fabrication mostly but is also used for a wider range of woodworking needs and requirements as well at the same time.
With all such applications that you can use a lathe for, there is hardly something that you will be missing out on. However, knowing how to make any tool work, especially a lathe holds critical importance and that is not something that you can ignore or make any mistakes on. Usually, there are two centers on the lathe and each craftsman knows them pretty well to make them work towards their own advantage and to use the tools efficiently.
These are the dead center and live center. There are critical differences between them both that one must be aware of if they are looking to enjoy a smoother and better experience since there is not much that you can ignore, and you will definitely need to get the right accuracy out of the lathe as well. So, to understand them both better, here is a brief comparison:
Lathe Dead Center Vs Live Center
Lathe Dead Center
On the lathe, you see a pointy end connected to a shaft. It is used to hold the workpiece in its place and rotate it around the axis so that you can work on it and use any other tools that you might need according to the application that you might have on your mind. That pointy end is in the center and it doesn’t move on its own unless you are rotating the shaft. That center is known as the dead center. It is used for a number of applications, where you need to keep the workpiece steady.
For example, if you are trying to reduce the diameter of a particular workpiece, and you want to get the job done with exemplary accuracy and precision, you can connect it on the dead center and that should be allowing you to enjoy the right perfection and accuracy for sure. The dead center doesn’t move at all, instead, the whole shaft rotates, and that provides you better accuracy to ensure that you can cut through the workpiece evenly and precisely at the same time.
However, the dead center can be moved horizontally if you are looking to reduce the width of your workpiece as well or to keep your blade steady so that you can easily get the work done without having to worry about the accuracy at all.
Lathe Live Center
Live center pretty much looks the same on any lathe and it also has a pointy end that you can use to connect any workpiece on it. However, there are also a few differences that you will be getting and you need to be particularly careful about them so you can use them appropriately for any of the needs that you might be having. The live center has a bearing attached to one end that allows the workpiece and the pointy end to rotating as well.
The pointy end when you rotate it freely while the shaft is stationary allows you to have manual control over the workpiece while you are using it. While it might not be the perfect option to get the accuracy for any of the automated cutting or forming jobs, it is particularly great for all such applications where you would need to make it work out for a better speed such as glass molding or shaping on a lathe.
Moving forward, the live center will also be allowing you to have just the perfect experience in making it work for the crafting and engraving needs if you are looking to control the rotation of the workpiece manually and get just the perfect experience out of it at the same time. All this will definitely be helping you out to get the experience that you have been seeking.