Keep a variety of lathe center points on hand so you always have the right tool for the job. These sets include at least four different points, as well as a lathe center body and a point extractor. Use the point extractor to remove a point from the body and swap in another. You can replace bodies, points, and extractors individually if they become worn or damaged.

Live centers sit in the tailstock to support the end of a workpiece. They spin with the workpiece to reduce friction between the tip and the material. For smooth rotation, these centers turn on lubricated bearings. The bearings are sealed to protect against chips and liquid, which extends the life of the tool. Precision live centers wobble less than standard live centers for three to five times greater accuracy as they spin.

Use dead centers in your headstock to support a workpiece when machining between centers. When friction isn’t a concern, you can also use them in the tailstock to support the end of a workpiece. Dead centers don’t spin freely, so they provide a fixed point that stabilizes your workpiece. They can handle heavier loads than live centers. However, under high pressure, they can become lodged in the tailstock. To remove them without damaging your equipment, tighten a hex nut (sold separately) onto the threaded end. Use a wrench to turn the nut against the tailstock and push the center out.

Standard points provide tool clearance for CNC applications, making it easier to machine complex shapes and features. Bull-nose points have a wide head for holding hollow workpieces with large diameters. They’re often used with pipes and tubes. Cup points are designed to grip the outer diameter of a workpiece—instead of a tip, they have a cup-shaped recess. They’re also known as female points. Flat knurled points sit flush against workpieces for a tight grip. Their knurls create friction that keeps your workpiece from slipping. Half points are cut away on one side to hold shafts with keyways, flats, or irregular shapes. They’re used only in dead centers. Extended-tip points are shaped to provide more tool clearance than standard points without adding much length. They’re also used for machining complex shapes and features.

Carbide-tipped points are more wear resistant than hardened steel points. They're a good choice for high-volume operations and for holding hard or highly abrasive materials.

TIR (total indicated runout) is a measure of rotational smoothness. The lower the value, the less wobble a rotating tool will have and the more accurate it will be.