# Do I need Nova or Oneway Live center?



## alexkuzn (Nov 24, 2008)

I am looking for an advise on whether it's worth buying a Nova or Oneway Live Center vs. regular good quality live center. 
Do extra inserts that come with Nova and Oneway are really useful and worth extra money? 

Nova Live center cost only $69 since they manufacture them in China. 
I wonder if anyone knows if Chinese version of Nova  still comparable in quality with Oneway?

Thanks,
Alex


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## talbot (Nov 24, 2008)

If you buy a live centre kit you'll initially look for things to turn to utilise the various components, this sort of justifies the outlay, but you'll soon be turning 90% plus of your stuff using only the regular 60 deg point.
They're both nice kits however and its your money so enjoy.
regards, Bill


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## ranchonodinero (Nov 24, 2008)

If you are on a budget, the Nova is the center for you.  It is relatively inexpensive and comes with several attachments.  The oneway is MORE expensive-about double unless a large woodworking supply has a coupon.  I have both and cannot honestly tell a performance difference.  The fit/finish on the Oneway is superior.  I find myself using both during some of my turning projects.  Get the Nova now  and the Oneway later as your skills and needs improve.


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## hstudio (Nov 24, 2008)

For the extra $$$$, buy the Oneway.....If you buy good tools, you won't have to buy it again. In the long run, if you buy the cheaper Nova, then decide to upgrade to a Oneway, you will have spent money on 2 live centers...(not to mention potential cost increases in the future).....So it may very well cost double of just buying the Oneway center and be done with it......Just my way of seeing the situation.

Also, I'd rather buy from our Canadian neighbors (and a family run operation to boot!) than any overseas product.....It is getting harder everyday to find things that don't have a "made in China" sticker on the box!


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## Rifleman1776 (Nov 24, 2008)

Aside from the bigotry issue, you can get just fine live centers from other sources for a lot less money. This one: http://www.grizzlyindustrial.com/products/Live-Center-MT2/H3408
is what I use. I'm sure it will outlast me. There simply is no need to spend your money for a high fashion label.


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## hstudio (Nov 24, 2008)

Rifleman1776 said:


> Aside from the bigotry issue.....



How did the word "bigotry" creep into this thread?????

Somehow, I never figured for that word and "live center" to ever collide in the same sentence.


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## holmqer (Nov 24, 2008)

One benefit of the Nova over the Oneway is that the Nova allows one to use a 5/16 lamp auger if one wants to make lamps.


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## hstudio (Nov 24, 2008)

holmqer...I have the Nova live center to which you refer and have used it with the lamp auger. My Nova is about 15 years old and the bearings are about "to give up the ghost". It has served me well, but since I got my big Oneway, the live center from the "Great White North" can take whatever I can throw at it. BTW...I am turning mostly very large sculpture with the blanks weighing several hundred pounds, and I need all the extra heft that I can get.


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## GBusardo (Nov 24, 2008)

hstudio said:


> How did the word "bigotry" creep into this thread?????
> 
> Somehow, I never figured for that word and "live center" to ever collide in the same sentence.



 I don't think Frank meant it in a bad way. Although I am trying to stay away from Chinese products, I Unfortunately, I don't have the money to even spend $70 on a live center.  I got mine from The Little Machine Shop and it works for me.  I believe a lot of the turners on this forum use either one of the ones from the link or the Griz. 

http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_search.php?critFast=live+center

By the way, the MT2 short will work on any lathe if you dont mind having to knock it out with a rod.


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## GBusardo (Nov 24, 2008)

By the way, If you have the money to buy one of the "premium" tools,  good for you!  I didn't mean they weren't worth the money, I just wouldn't know.


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## Daniel (Nov 24, 2008)

I don't know about the Oneway Live center. But I do have the Little machine shop one for several years now. That was after going through 2 Craftsman live centers in very short period of time. Learned that The craftsman ones are meant for wood and not metal use. The live center does not care what you are turning it matters what it is touching. So they where not very happy.


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## el_d (Nov 24, 2008)

Got both of my centers from Little machine shop too....


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## marcruby (Nov 24, 2008)

I seem to accumulate live centers.  Part of the reason is that I have two that came with each lathe, the 60 centers I picked up inexpensively for pen stuff, and the 70 buck Woodcraft set the I use most of the time.  The latter is convenient because on of the tips allows me to stick a dowel in it and turn it to a dull point - I use that to steady bowls while I'm finishing the bottoms.  I just happened to look at the nova today and it seems well made.  And I've used the Oneway a number of times - it's good, expensive, and a bit limited.

I don't like the Grizzly version Rifleman cited, it has a single bearing course, but they do sell solider ones as well.

http://www.grizzlyindustrial.com/products/Live-Center-MT2/G5686


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## NI Joe (Nov 24, 2008)

I have both the Grizzly mentioned and PSI heavy duty.  Both work but the PSI is quite a bit heavier and has become my regular.
http://www.amazon.com/PSI-LCENTLT2-...ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1227583916&sr=1-1

Cheers,   Joe


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## amosfella (Nov 25, 2008)

Oneway is my favorite as it runs the coolest.  It is the best machined and most accurate.  If you have the extra, I think it would be worth it.


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## hstudio (Nov 25, 2008)

GBusardo said:


> Although I am trying to stay away from Chinese products, I Unfortunately, I don't have the money to even spend $70 on a live center.  I got mine from The Little Machine Shop and it works for me.



It is getting harder and harder to buy American. 2 years ago I needed a large metal lathe for my shop. The American lathe that I was considering was @$16-20,000 depending on features. A comparable Jet made in China was less than $5000. I got the Jet.

30 seconds into testing all the functions, there was a loud bang and I new something was drastically wrong(obviously!)......Long story short.....After tearing down the entire machine, I found a chewed-up 10mm nut at the bottom of the carriage in the lubricant.....This nut didn't belong anywhere in the machine. Where it came from, I'll never know. It had been washed into and caught up in several gears through the churning of the lubrication. Basically it was a little time bomb waiting to go off in my shop, rendering the lathe useless for 6 months. Obtaining the parts from China was an ordeal in itself.....Even through the dealer!

BTW.....only about 30% of the replacement parts that I received under warrant fit correctly with out minor modifications.

If you can possible afford the better tooling, it is to your advantage to do so. The quality control in overseas manufacturing has a lot left to be desired.

Cheers!
Greg


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## NewLondon88 (Nov 26, 2008)

Daniel said:


> That was after going through 2 Craftsman live centers in very short period of time. Learned that The craftsman ones are meant for wood and not metal use. The live center does not care what you are turning it matters what it is touching. So they where not very happy.



I found this, too. I went through three live centers from a tool supplier that
got chewed up by mandrel shafts. You wouldn't think it would matter with a
'live' center.  Dead center, sure.. but the live center should be moving. They
got shredded. I finally got one here from Victor and I'll be trying that out
this weekend. 

These were cheaper .. but only on the day they were purchased. Quickly got
to be three times the price of a good center.


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## hstudio (Nov 26, 2008)

Rifleman1776 said:


> Aside from the bigotry issue, you can get just fine live centers from other sources for a lot less money. This one: http://www.grizzlyindustrial.com/products/Live-Center-MT2/H3408
> is what I use. I'm sure it will outlast me. There simply is no need to spend your money for a high fashion label.



Dude.....PM sent


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## workinforwood (Nov 26, 2008)

I have the oneway, but that's mostly because it was on sale last month at woodcraft.  The extra ends are a nice bonus and they change out in only a second.  What matters though is that the 60 is solid hard steel.  You dont wan't cheap soft metal or hollow metal.  A mandrel will eat the end of a cheap center, even just spinning the tubes for finishing ate grooves in my old cheapo live center.  Now, this being said, the oneway live center kit specifically advertises that it can handle the abuse of a pen mandrel..which I don't personally use a mandrel, but if you guarantee it won't get chewed up by a pen mandrel, that's a solid statement of quality!  I don't doubt there are other great quality live centers to choose from, but will they replace the center if a mandrel chews it up?  Oneway says they will.


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## Wildman (Nov 27, 2008)

I don’t have either the Oneway or Nova centers. From what I’ve heard the Nova center might be a tad smaller that the Oneway.  Not all MT-2’s are the same. Depending upon your lathe either on might work just fine. Am partial to the Oneway.

Think  center on my Jet has been called a Oneway clone, not so impressed with it. It’s okay!  Still like the single point Grizzly G1293 center  bought several years ago for $29.95 + $4.95  shipping.  Won’t find that in their catalog today. It’s has served me well on both an old Delta, & Jet mini lathes. Tends to scream a little on bigger Jet.  

Looking at both live centers from Grizzly & Little Machine Shop, cited in previous post seems they’re made by the same company.  Bought a H3408 from Grizzly to turn pens,  which looks the same as one from Little Machine Shop. The H3408 & H5789 drive center are too soft.  If were buying from Grizzly would look at G9361 live center & H7967 drive center. Only because they are harder than the others, and shipping might be cheaper than Little Machine Shop. 

If you want to look else where might have a look live centers from MSC direct or Enco
They sell both single and multi point centers.


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## Rudy Vey (Nov 28, 2008)

If you can afford it, get the Oneway - its in my opinion the best you can buy.


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## dmann (Nov 30, 2008)

I picked up a Nova Live Center last week. If you are looking for a comprehensive review of the NLC there is one posted here: http://www.morewoodturning.net/NLC.pdf


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