Robert Sorby Stebcentres
These revolutionary wood lathe drives are an essential addition to every turner's toolkit. Their design incorporates not just a spring loaded point in stainless steel but also a set of razor sharp teeth which bite into the workpiece.
For the novice turner this offers added security. By winding in the tail stock the degree of bite can be varied and the centre point firmly located. In the unfortunate case of a dig-in arising the workpiece simply stops revolving rather than kick back the turning chisel. This allows the beginner to use his skew chisel with a degree of confidence.
The degree of bite which the Stebcentre creates allows for much more demanding than would normally be expected from a conventional drive. There is the added benefit for the production turner of allowing the workpiece to be removed without the need to stop and re-start the lathe. Simply wind back the tail stock and the piece can be withdrawn safely.