TMX slim live center

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Ischgl99

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Has anyone tried one of these TMX slim extended spindle live centers? I need a smaller live center and am deciding between a cnc type and one of these. It looks like it will give similar clearance for the tooling, but with the bearings smaller, I’m wondering if there are any performance or reliability differences. This will be on 12x36 lathe and anything I turn should be well under the load limits, but I figured I should check before buying one. I have a Skoda extended nose live center, but it has too big a diameter to use with many of my turning tools for smaller work pieces, so if I have something on the heavy side, could use that one instead of a slimmer design.

www.smalltools.com

TMX 3 MT Slim Casing Live Center Extended Spindle 3-561-003P

TMX 3 MT Slim Casing Live Center Extended Spindle 3-561-003P
www.smalltools.com www.smalltools.com
 
I would suggest looking at more of a CNC extended tip style if for smaller work. If you are using something like CCMT inserts the tooling will hit the live center unless there is a smaller elongated tip. I also look for a smaller body as that can sometimes interfere with the tool post.

You might have a look at the Shar's one below which is in the same price range, Shar's these days carries better built items as well as low priced items. This particular live center is what I recommended to a few others and they seem to be happy with it, also note that the center support runs the full length of the MT taper with a bearing in the back, the TMX is shorter support shaft but looks like it uses two radial needle bearings. Pricing of Shar's products are often less in their eBay listings.
www.shars.com

3 MT Morse Taper Long Nose High Performance Heavy Duty CNC Live Center

www.shars.com www.shars.com
www.ebay.com

MT 3 MORSE TAPER CNC EXTENDED NOSE LIVE CENTER HEAVY DUTY 770LB 4500 RPM M[ | eBay

SHARS CNC 3MT. 0002" EXTENDED NOSE LIVE CENTER HEAVY DUTY 770LB 4500 RPM MT3 NEW. The live center has a combination of needle roller bearing, P5 class ball thrust bearing, and deep groove ball bearing from NSK bearing from Japan.
www.ebay.com
 
mksj said:
I would suggest looking at more of a CNC extended tip style if for smaller work. If you are using something like CCMT inserts the tooling will hit the live center unless there is a smaller elongated tip. I also look for a smaller body as that can sometimes interfere with the tool post.

You might have a look at the Shar's one below which is in the same price range, Shar's these days carries better built items as well as low priced items. This particular live center is what I recommended to a few others and they seem to be happy with it, also note that the center support runs the full length of the MT taper with a bearing in the back, the TMX is shorter support shaft but looks like it uses two radial needle bearings. Pricing of Shar's products are often less in their eBay listings.
www.shars.com

3 MT Morse Taper Long Nose High Performance Heavy Duty CNC Live Center

www.shars.com www.shars.com
www.ebay.com

MT 3 MORSE TAPER CNC EXTENDED NOSE LIVE CENTER HEAVY DUTY 770LB 4500 RPM M[ | eBay

SHARS CNC 3MT. 0002" EXTENDED NOSE LIVE CENTER HEAVY DUTY 770LB 4500 RPM MT3 NEW. The live center has a combination of needle roller bearing, P5 class ball thrust bearing, and deep groove ball bearing from NSK bearing from Japan.
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for your feedback, I had the Shars on my list of possibilities and saw you recommended that in previous posts when I did a search for the TMX. I did notice the spindle on the TMX was not the full length like the CNC style, that was part of my concern about that one.

I have a variety of tooling I have collected over the years, but I am working towards going with CCMT tooling. I currently have a 3/8” turning toolholder that is causing problems with my current center, and if I added a 1/2” holder, would make things worse. I also have some triangular insert holders that would benefit from a live center with better clearance. I bought a DCMT toolholder to get me better access, as well as for other reasons, but it would be nice not having to change tools, as well as having the stronger insert style available to use.

What got me intrigued about the TMX is it looks like it has the same clearance as the Shars high performance center, but has a smaller body. While looking in the catalog, I realized I could get a 2 MT center instead of a 3 MT and get better clearance, but at a lower capacity that I probably would not need anyways for the type of work this would likely be used on. I see their Ultra Precision live center has an even smaller tip than the high performance, but at twice the cost. Decision, decisions lol
 
I will say the nice thing about this is I can get close in on cutting at the face, or threading without running into the dead center. But that's what the longer noses do as well, but this does it with less stick out of the center.
 
Ischgl99 said:
Thanks for your feedback, I had the Shars on my list of possibilities and saw you recommended that in previous posts when I did a search for the TMX. I did notice the spindle on the TMX was not the full length like the CNC style, that was part of my concern about that one.

I have a variety of tooling I have collected over the years, but I am working towards going with CCMT tooling. I currently have a 3/8” turning toolholder that is causing problems with my current center, and if I added a 1/2” holder, would make things worse. I also have some triangular insert holders that would benefit from a live center with better clearance. I bought a DCMT toolholder to get me better access, as well as for other reasons, but it would be nice not having to change tools, as well as having the stronger insert style available to use.

What got me intrigued about the TMX is it looks like it has the same clearance as the Shars high performance center, but has a smaller body. While looking in the catalog, I realized I could get a 2 MT center instead of a 3 MT and get better clearance, but at a lower capacity that I probably would not need anyways for the type of work this would likely be used on. I see their Ultra Precision live center has an even smaller tip than the high performance, but at twice the cost. Decision, decisions lol
Click to expand...
BTW, give the DCMT a try for cutting in close. They are good for getting in tight spots. I see that you bought it, but are you giving it a real try.
 
woodchucker said:
BTW, give the DCMT a try for cutting in close. They are good for getting in tight spots. I see that you bought it, but are you giving it a real try.
Click to expand...
Yes, I use it every time I need to get close to the live center. It works pretty well, I only had H01 inserts for aluminum to start and they seemed to chip a bit easier then the CCGT inserts in steel, could be me not using the right speeds and feeds, but I recently got some DCMT inserts for steel and am giving them a try. So far it looks promising, so maybe I can avoid getting a new live center. But, with prices rising so quickly, I have been buying what I expect to need in the near future before further increases. The price at Small Tools for the center I posted looks like they have might not have put in a price increase yet since the same one is $200 at Penn Tools, so if that one would work, I thought I would snag it while I still can.
 
Consider a half center,also.
 
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