I will preface this with the fact that I am not an expert in the Powermatic Lathe nor have I played on on TV. I came in this morning to find a Jet live center in the tail stock of the Powermatic (second time in the last month I have seen this)
Backing the quill out will not remove the Jet live center. I tried. I believe it won’t back out on a Powermatic because the Jet Live centers are a lot shorter than the Oneway Live center.
I have no problems removing the Oneway live center by backing out the quill.
Removing the Jet live centers is difficult and involves prying it out. If you use pliers to grip the live center the cover comes off leaving the rest of the Jet live center in the tail stock. Eventually the Jet live center will get ruined if it is pried off many times. Does any one know of a better way to get a Jet live center off the Powermatic tail stock? Or should we not be using Jet live centers on the Powermatic? @IanLee – I would be glad to add a sign next to the Powermatic “Do not use Jet live centers on the Powermatic (with a picture of a Jet live center)”, if appropriate and if you want me to.
Note: It might be that the appropriate live center to for a Powermatic is missing and hence turners are using the only other live center they can find. I bring my own live center. I did not check to see of there was a live center for the Powermatic. I will look next time I am at DMS.
There’s a long hex screwdriver near the lathe. If I understand what you’re asking, pop that through the hole in the tail stock and when it hits the back of the live center tap it with a open palm or lightly with a hammer. The center should pop right out.
For those of us with older home Lathes this is a standard procedure to remove tools from the tail stock. I have a section of dowel rod and a mallet near the lathe just for this purpose.
My powermatic lathe came with a 2ish foot long cold rolled steel rod with a round knob on one end. It is used to knock a spur center or jacobs Chuck out of the headstock. You dont need a mallet, it is heavy enough that a few taps will knock out whatever you want to take out.
Unfortunately the Powermatic and the one way knock out bars are too big to fit in the tailstock. They do fit in the headstock, but this is a tailstock problem.
I tried the jet knock out rod but it is too short (by about 2-3 inches). I found a very long screwdriver that is 0.250” in diameter that is long enough but not thick enough to knock out a jet live center. It just goes though the entire live center. Note the Jet knock out rod is 0.250 hex shaft.
Good news: We do have a live center for the Powermatic. Here is a picture of the oneway live center (it is an MT3 taper) (bottom). The Powermatic is the mid size one in the middle (MT2) and the jet is the small one at top of picture (it’s a short version of an MT2).
Note that the center point on the Powermatic is missing. We are also missing almost all of the centerpoints on the jet live centers (I counted 4 missing and one with a center point. i didn’t see any loose ones but I did not search all cabinets. I suspect people see the center point on the Powermatic missing and substitute the jet live center that has the center point. I do not know of the size of the center points for the Jet and the Powermatic are the same. I know eReplacements (and probably lots of other places) have center points for jet live centers. We should probably order some. While we are at it can we order a locking handle for the Powermatic? https://www.ereplacementparts.com/locking-handle-p-438372.html It has gone missing and someone put a bolt as a jury rig that works but requires a wrench to loosen and tighten. While the proper part does not need a wrench to loosen or tighten
So four options (up to Ian and the woodshop comm to decide):
I can probably get ¼ hex rod at Metals for U and make a custom knock out rod for the Powermatic to knock out jet live centers. It’s probably <$5. I’ll cover the cost. However, I won’t be going there for another month or so.
Prohibit the use of jet live centers on the Powermatic.
We can do #2 until #1 is built. I’ll be glad to put up a temp sign early next week.
Do nothing and continue to pry off the jet live centers. I fear they will eventually be ruined or worse one will get stuck, the cover and the bearing will slide off when prying and the tailstock will be not be usable for some period of time.
Other options?
Question: Is it a good idea to use a Jet live center on a Powermatic – are the jet live centers beefy enough to handle larger/heavier objects and the extra power that the Powermatic has?
the center point for the powermatic live center is under the cone center. There is a small pin in one of the tool chests, stick it through the hole near the base of the live center to keep it from turning and unscrew the cone.
