- Joined
- Dec 25, 2011
- Messages
- 10,552
JR,
I assume that the reason that all of these offsetting centers I've seen either drawings of or photos of (If I recall correctly, there was in DOWNLOADS a probably 1940's magazine article on making one, but I've no idea what the file name was) use dead centers is that at least for 2MT and 3MT, the ball bearing head on a live center tends to make the live center about an inch longer than the same size dead center. The offsetting center is already longer than a dead center. And if you add a live center to it, it will be longer yet. something like two or three inches of the gadget hanging out in front of the tailstock ram. Which might not be desirable.
I assume that the reason that all of these offsetting centers I've seen either drawings of or photos of (If I recall correctly, there was in DOWNLOADS a probably 1940's magazine article on making one, but I've no idea what the file name was) use dead centers is that at least for 2MT and 3MT, the ball bearing head on a live center tends to make the live center about an inch longer than the same size dead center. The offsetting center is already longer than a dead center. And if you add a live center to it, it will be longer yet. something like two or three inches of the gadget hanging out in front of the tailstock ram. Which might not be desirable.