On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 14:16:02 -0700, R.H. wrote:

On my web site someone posted this comment concerning lathe centers:

"I may be wrong but I was taught years ago that the difference between a
live center and a dead center was whether there was power to it. A center
is a center. Calling a ball bearing center a "live" center, I was taught
is not correct. The headstock center is a live center, the tailstock
center is a dead center, ball bearings or not. Anybody have a better take
on this?"

"The Lathe Book" by Ernie Conover says "There are two types of tailstock
centers: dead centers and live centers".

He then goes on to to describe and explain the differences and
advantages/disadvantages of each.

The "drive center" goes in the headstock and is different from dead
centers and live centers.

-Doug

--
"It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among
[my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between
political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person,
the hatred they bore to his political opinions." --Thomas Jefferson