Lathe Centers

Lathe centers keep workpieces accurately centered between a lathe\'s headstock and tailstock to ensure concentric machining. They are used to support workpieces at both ends and can help minimize deflection from cutting forces when machining long workpieces. Their tapered end mounts to the lathe and their conical point fits into a hole on the end of a workpiece. Dead centers have a fixed point that supports workpieces in low-speed milling operations and other applications where friction is not a concern. Live centers have a point that rotates with workpieces as they are turned in a lathe, which minimizes friction between the centers and the workpieces during high-speed turning applications.