Axminster Pro Drive Center

Safer, Faster, More Accurate Than a Prong Drive

The Pro Drive is safer, more versatile, and more accurate than the common 2- or 4-prong drive centers. A sharp toothed outer ring provides the drive, while a spring-loaded stainless steel center point keeps the work centered. Unique to the Pro Drive: the spring tension is adjustable, so you can dial in compression to suit the workpiece.

Reposition the work and it returns to the same place every time. Reduce tailstock pressure and the work stops rotating — useful for inspection without switching off the lathe, and safer in a dig-in (the work simply stops revolving instead of grabbing). In production, unload and reload by unwinding the tailstock without stopping the lathe. For eccentric turning, the center still drives even when only part of its diameter contacts the work.

All-stainless construction throughout — won't rust or corrode when used with green timber or stored in an unheated shop. Select your taper and head size at the top of the page.

Key Features

• Toothed Drive Ring: Drives the work without splitting or pre-marking.
• Adjustable Spring-Loaded Center Point: Unique to the Pro Drive — dial in compression to suit the work.
• Slips Before It Splits: Reduce tailstock pressure and the work stops revolving, safer in a dig-in.
• Built for Production: Reload between cuts without stopping the lathe; work returns to position every time.
• Versatile for Eccentric Turning: Drives even with only partial diameter contact.
• All Stainless Steel: Won't rust on green wood or in an unheated shop.
• British Made: Designed and manufactured by Axminster Tools in Axminster, Devon, UK.

Accuracy and Versatility for Your Turning

The Axminster Pro Drive replaces the common 2-prong and 4-prong drive centers with a sharp, toothed outer ring and a spring-loaded stainless steel center point — safer under a dig-in, more accurate at repositioning, and more versatile in eccentric work.

All stainless. Won't rust or corrode in green wood or an unheated shop. Available in 1MT or 2MT.

Excellent Grip and Drive

The driving force comes from teeth on the outer rim. As pressure builds from the tailstock, the teeth bite into the workpiece and drive the piece for turning — no separate prong alignment, no pre-marking required.

Adjustable, Spring-Loaded Center Point

The stainless center point is spring-loaded with adjustable tension — it acts as a centering pin, then retracts under tailstock pressure to engage the outer drive teeth. Tune the tension to the work.

Built for Production Work

Reload between cuts without stopping the lathe — back off the tailstock, swap the piece, retighten, and you're cutting again. The work returns to the same position every time.

Safer Under a Dig-In

When tailstock pressure drops — deliberately or because of a catch — the work simply stops revolving. That built-in slip behavior protects both the operator and the workpiece.

All Stainless, All-Climate

Solid stainless construction means no rust on green-wood projects, no corrosion in an unheated shop, and no plating to wear off. Built to last.

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In Detail

Conventional 2- and 4-prong drive centers work, but they have limitations: they can't slip under a dig-in, they leave a fixed pattern in the work, and reloading means stopping the lathe. The Pro Drive solves all three. The toothed outer ring provides the drive; the spring-loaded center point adjusts to the workpiece. Reduce tailstock pressure and the work stops — useful for inspection between cuts, safer in a catch, and faster for production reload.

Pairs with the Pro Live Center at the tailstock for a matched stainless setup: same construction, same head profile, so you can flip the work end-for-end with the registration intact.

Note: head diameter is measured from the points of the teeth where the drive engages.

What's Included

• 1 qty. Axminster Pro Drive Center (taper and head size as selected)

Compatibility

• Available Tapers: 1MT, 2MT
• Available Head Diameters: Multiple sizes — select at the top of the page

Specifications

• Package Dimensions: 14 x 3 x 3 cm (5.51" x 1.18" x 1.18")
• Package Weight: 0.2 kg (0.4 lbs)
• Country of Origin: United Kingdom
• Warranty: Backed by the Axminster product guarantee. Distributed in the U.S. by TSO Products.

Choose your taper and head size at the top of the page — then turn safer, faster, and more accurately on the headstock.

Proudly British Made

Designed and manufactured by Axminster Tools in Axminster, Devon, UK. Distributed in the United States by TSO Products.