live lathe center

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

I have a 2 morse taper live center, ie. has bearings and rotates. It has a small amount of side play now. Does anyone have an idea how to dismantle it? There is a black coloured plug in the outer end, I've tried tapping round with punch but no movement. I realise there are probably a lot of different models, mine is a cheap but good one. Any ideas welcome before I get out the torch and big hammer.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Some unscrew
Some are just drifted in
Some are blind at narrow end.

If you need it apart and there is nothing to loose…
Try kettle of hot water…or simmer …this might breakdown any thread lock…with caution incase the thing has no breather….
But yes sometime you will need to just grab it and twist…
If the plug defo seperate maybe a reverse ( left hand) drill to either drill out or unscrew…
Maybe saw off plug and remake.. ( I fear this is where you may end up. So maybe go there first)

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

As is a little M2… it might be all assembled from front…

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

As is a little M2… it might be all assembled from front…

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Thanks for that. On further cleaning and looking there are two very shallow dimples on the face that may have been used to screw in the plug, but no good for removing. So will try drilling deeper and boiling to release threadlock. Nothing to loose, have ordered new one and will convert this one for holding tube.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Two allen keys “crossed”..is a good temp key.
Had to strip/clean many of these. . (About five a month. ..)…until I changed the “grease” screw with a nipple and gave each a shot of oil daily ( like it says to)…
Oil washes suds and crud out of frount seal…and extends the life wonderfully. .
But then we were using these 20 hrs a day at 2-3 thousand rpm……
But seriously never wore out bearings when lubed but let suds wash the oil or grease out and you can kiss them bearings goodbye.

Edited By jason udall on 18/11/2014 18:26:53

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Gordon, I use Skoda live centres. To disassemble it, at the front there are 2 screws , the large one for grease, and the small one right at the front is a grub screw locking the threaded bearing holder, undo this, and using a simple key unscrew the front ring, every thing will fall out. Unfortunately, with these centres, size 1, 2, 3 are uneconomic to repair, it's cheaper to buy new than the price of the bearings, so I'v got one good one, and one that needs a bearing at the back end(all the balls fell out.

Ian S C

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Mine is simply pressed in, all you can see is the shank going straight into a bearing which is itself pressed into the body. I have no idea of internal construction, but it is shake free. I can't see how you could get it apart without butchering the shank so you can pull it out.

Neil

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Mine is just a basic one, no screws or grease nipples. But it has done a fair bit of work, so no complaints. Wife is away this weekend so will give it a boil-up and try unscrewing then general butchery.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Those skoda..centers if the same as we used are the as I described above…
Front screw/oilseal/ 2-3 mm needle rollers/ thrust race./ and at little end single row ball race..held onto shoulder with “e” clip..as you say they cost little more than the cost of good bearings replacing those…but used to wear well if kept suds free with lube..

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Jason, that's the one, for my use the Skoda ones are spot on for my use, although at times when doing some heavy work, I wish that I had 3 MT in the tailstock, but we all would like a $10000 lathe.

Ian S C

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Good value those skoda centers.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Nice sectional view of the Gepy construction, here.

They are things of great beauty, especially the female of the species.

MichaelG.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Re Gepy…
Now theres a center…
From the stable that sells on detail of construction ..not price..not spec…but detail…

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