Wood lathe drive center

**Christophe Mineau** · Jan 19, 2015, 05:02 PM

Here is a small diameter drive center I have made for my wood lathe, for driving small diameter pieces with a small and not too deep print in the wood.

It's made with a standard morse taper MT2 cone, sold for holding a drill chuck.
I had to drill at its end, and it's hardened steel. I managed to drill an 8 mm hole using a carbide bit made for drilling glass and tiles. I did that on the metal lathe, with lubricant.

Then I adapted a little toothed crown I found in one of those kits sold for fixing tap seat issues.
This is the idea, these crowns are ideal for driving the wood, and they are not too aggressive but hold it very well.
The center has a threaded hole, you can even change them as you wish, as there are several sizes.

**DIYer** · Jan 19, 2015, 07:13 PM

Very nice, Christophe!

**kbalch** · Jan 20, 2015, 12:58 PM

Thanks Christophe! I've added your Wood Lathe Drive Center to our Wood Lathes and Workholding categories, as well as to your builder page: Christophe Mineau's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Wood Lathe Drive Center by Christophe Mineau

tags: lathe, metalworking

**Doc** · Jan 20, 2015, 02:34 PM

Nice work.

Doc

**Paul Jones** · Jan 21, 2015, 10:44 AM

Christophe,
Very nice adaptation (mashup) with your choice of a faucet seat tool. I am now encourage to modify my hardened morse taper MT2 adaptors for other purposes using your drilling advice.
Thanks for sharing, Paul

**Christophe Mineau** · Jan 22, 2015, 12:36 AM

Thanks Paul,
It's my good friend Bob Strawn who actually showed here how he drilled HSS with a concrete drill bit. as I had one of these glass carbide bits, I gave it a try. The cutting edge is better than a concrete bit, though it may be more fragile. But with lubricant and not too fast speed, it did the job.