Common usage. Simple as that. By convention the "dead" center is the one
you soap, the "live" the one with bearings.

I'm pretty old, and the convention has been in force since I remember.
Frank Pain, one of the Worshipful Order of Woodturners and a piecemaker in
High Wycombe refers to "driving centres and "tail-stock centres" in his
1956 classic The Practical Woodturner.

"R.H." wrote in message
om...
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?"


I was hoping someone here might be able to answer this, I don't think
too many people browse the comments in old posts on my site so I
figured I would post it to the group.

Then if you don't mind I'll post the answer on my site or you could
post it there yourself:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/2004/09/130.html

Thanks,
Rob