Owners poll-Nova 16/24-44

I have had one for almost two years. I'm very satisfied with it. I do not mind the belt changing, but I do not do production work, just hobby stuff, pens, pendants, small bowls, etc. I have not added any weight to it, and because I have not turned anything large yet, I don't know how necessary it is. I think a person could fill the legs with sand or cement and get quite a bit of extra weight. I don't care much for the tool rest that came with it. It seems pretty soft on the working edge and marks up easily. I have purchased a couple other tool rests. It appears to have plenty of power, but like I say, I haven't turned anything big, so I don't really know. Got mine when they were a little over $800. I don't know how you could get a much better lathe at that price.
 
I've had my 1624-44 since they came out. I love it. The only thing that could make it any better would be the variable speed that the DVR has. However, I have come to like the time it takes me to change the belt position. I find that it gives me time and opportunity to look the work over from different positions. The varying angles often help me to see the flaws in design or curve. Can't tell you how many mistakes I've been able to fix because of walking around the lathe to change the belt position.

The day I finished setting it up, I tossed an oak crotch between centers. My goal was to see how this lathe would handle the out of balance situation that this log would present. I had no problem with the belt in the second position (350 rpm's I think). Very little shake that disappeared quickly as I got this blank started and some of the excess wood knocked off onto the floor.

Would I buy it again? In a heart beat.
 
I am a quite new user of a 1624, but I can tell you what I appreciate most:
- The swinging head, very useful for hollowing and easy to handle
- The tool rest, despite what it seems, adjustable in every direction. At the beginning I was thinking in getting three other ones: one shorter, one de-axed, one curve. now I am thinking of only a curve one.
- Stability, up to now I did not have to add weight, but this can be done easily by adding some hanging weight between legs.
- Speed changing doesn't seem to be a issue, even if electronic control would be a best (btw I don't know if the current motor can support variable speed control with out getting too much heath) I know some projects to change the motor to a three phases to add variable speed.

The only drawback I see at the moment is the short bench, but extension (expensive) exists.

Jean Claude
 
I may not be understanding you but I don't believe I would hang any weight from the bed even though it seems rigid you could end up tweekng your bed by hanging weight from it to ballast the lathe. These lathes are essentially a bench top lathe. If you haven't read the web site or watched any videos there I highly recommend it.

http://www.teknatool.com/products/Lathes/1624/Nova _1624.htm
 
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Bart,
The 1624 is not a bench lathe, the DRV is.
The 1624 comes with heavy steel legs (you can have cast iron base as an option). I already saw someone hanged a box between the legs, filled with concrete blocks. There are two rectangular holes on each of the smaller sides that permit hanging this kind of box. I never try it but if I need I will.

Jean Claude
 
Bart,
The 1624 is not a bench lathe, the DRV is.
The 1624 comes with heavy steel legs (you can have cast iron base as an option). I already saw someone hang a box between the legs, filled with concrete blocks. There are two rectangular holes on each of the smaller sides that permit hanging this kind of box. I never try it but if I need I will.

Jean Claude

Jean,

Sorry if I am reading your post wrong, .... are the holes you mention in the steel legs?

I read Nova's web site & watched the video clips the bed & the tail-stock are the same on both models the head stocks are interchangeable. Both of these lathes have the same bed.The 16/24-44 is a bench lathe with legs attached. Yes it is designed to have legs but every caution they give about setting it up tells me there is some flex in the bed they even recommend making sure your bench top is level-flat or shimming the bed way's so they don't get stressed. I've also heard this from several owners.
If I get this lathe I'll either make a base for it that can be ballasted or weld tab's onto the legs that a cabinet can be bolted to, or as a last resort buy the cast leg set.

I will never hang anything from the bottom of cast iron just to make sure the bed way's don't get stressed.


Maybe some of the cautions about cast iron taught me in machine shop both in high school & college are still sticking with me even though I can't remember them in detail.:)


Making a weight box on the cast iron legs will work ok. But with the way the legs splay on the ("hybrid stand" quote from the Nova web site,) ("you may put extra stress on the cast iron & bed way's. quoting me")

I did see that you could fill the legs with sand,I think lead shot would be better, more weight & less chance to have moisture that would cause rust inside the leg.
 
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I've owned my 1624-44 for about two years. All of the comments above apply.

In the first six months, I had a problem with the Pully; called the Nova repair rep. They sent out a new one and no problem since.

I did not use the leg kit. At 6'3", the feet would be AT THEIR LIMIT. NOT GOOD! So, I already had a special bench made for my Jet 1014. The Nova Fits perfectly! Also, I LOVE the 29" capability.

Bruce

Bruce
 
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