?'s for Nova lathe owners

Carol Reed

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or wannabe Nova lathe owners!;)

I had promised myself a graduation present - that being a new lathe. I have the Jet mini - older, not VS. I thought I wanted a Robust but the price has gone past my budget.

Then I saw the Nova DVR XR. It seems to meet all my requirements - VS, reversible, adaptable with longer beds, plus swing away tail stock. It also allows the head to swivel for outboard turning or just easier on the back angles. It is quite a bit less than the Robust, which allows for extra goodies.

My question of you experienced owners - what disappointed you (nothing's perfect!) What is useless but there anyway? What would you change if you were redesigning it? What do you absolutely love about it? What could you no longer live without?

What ought I know before I pull the trigger?
 
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I don't have the DVR ,but have the 1624 and it does all I could ask.It doesn't have VS,but has just about everything else the DVR has.I have turned 18" bowls with it,with no problem.I just couldn't justify the differance in price.
 
I have the Nova DVR, the older version, NOT the DVR-XP the one you would be buying.

The biggest problem with the DVR is that while it is variable speed, you have to change it by pushing and holding a button, this sucks, If I'm at say 2500 RPM and I want to slow it down for sanding or drilling, I stop the lathe and then stand there with my finger on the button for 30 seconds to slow it down, I know, it does not sound like much, but on some items, when you are going from turning, to sanding and finishing, then back to turning again, it adds up. This very issue was addressed in the last version of the my lathe, with a software upgrade, (mine is too old for the upgrage :( ), so you can preset certain speeds you use a lot, I know the DVR-XP has this function as well.

The lathe is rock solid and well built, and I understand that the guy in the USA, Tim Geist (304) 295 8166 or e-mail: Tvgeistmfg@aol.com has a very good reputation for service, and that means a lot, IMHO.

I used to turn the head stock a lot, but each time you return it to zero, you have to line things up, that became a pain, so I don't do it much, but, I will admit, when I do need it, the function is very good.

I would recommend right out of the box getting the extension bed, this allows you to move the tail stock right to the end of the extension, where it is not in your way, lifting it on and off as it can be in the way when turnings, gets old fast. For you, unless you know a good friend that can fabricate a good stand, I recommend the cast iron legs, they are rock solid, or so I hear (Drew Watson, pick up the white courtesy phone please.....).

All in all, I think it is a very good piece of kit.

That being said, if I were to buy one again, I would seriously look at the >> Vicmarc VL300 Short Bed <<

vl300_l.jpg
yes it is a lot more money about $4500, but it would really be the last lathe you would buy.

Got to run more later :wave:
 
The DVR is an excellent lathe. I don't think I know of any unhappy owners, although some have moved up to bigger machines. One of the things it does not have that my Powermatic does have is the remote switch. I use my remote switch about 90% of the time for my typical on/off cycles. I don't recall if the DVR can be bootleg wired for a remote, but if it can, I'd highly recommend finding a way to add one.
 
...That being said, if I were to buy one again, I would seriously look at the >> Vicmarc VL300 Short Bed <<

View attachment 39852
yes it is a lot more money about $4500, but it would really be the last lathe you would buy...

Can that bed be extended? If not, Carol would probably want to be looking at the longbed version for about $5K. But by then, she'd almost be in Robust territory.
 
The DVR is an excellent lathe. I don't think I know of any unhappy owners, although some have moved up to bigger machines. One of the things it does not have that my Powermatic does have is the remote switch. I use my remote switch about 90% of the time for my typical on/off cycles. I don't recall if the DVR can be bootleg wired for a remote, but if it can, I'd highly recommend finding a way to add one.

A very good point :thumb:

I've seen it done, and there was talk about Teknatools offering it as an option, but it has not happened, IIRC.

I've not done it yet, as you can wreck some expensive parts if you make a mistake, and with shipping etc, it was not high enough on my list of things to bother with it......... yet..... :D

One feature that gets little mention on the DVR is the anti-catch feature............

  • Safety Sensing
Computer control instantly cuts power to the spindle if it senses a chisel dig in, or if the spindle lock is on when wanting to turn the spindle.

This is a VERY nice feature to have :thumb:
 
Hi Carol,

As a new Nova DVRXP owner I can say they are a great lathe. I picked mine up in the October sale and it came with the cast stand and outrigger and a Nova 2 chuck. I did pick up the extension for it at that time as well. The machine is rock solid and is so quiet. Like Stu said the speed settings are a bit of a pain as they value 250, 500 ( default setting) 750, 1020 & 1250, but you can set your own speeds as it is programable. No belts to change and it also has 3 settings for the degree of sensitivity. Just in case you dig a tool into your work it will stop the lathe on a dime, protecting you and your work. The same goes if you leave the spindle lock on and engage the motor. I like that safety feature and have used it inadvetantly more than once. I was concerned with the lathe "walking" and with the weight of it at first. It is quite heavy but with the cast stand it doesn't move at all. Actually even when i wanted to move it it weighs lots. Two person job to set it up.
 
Dare I stir a pot? Dare I instigate a ruckus?

Although I'm impressed with the DVR in general, although it's a very fine machine, I'm afraid I wouldn't own one.

You see... I like to own machines that I can count on for decades. I'm still relatively young (only a little more than fifty) and have a lot of woodworking (including turning) years ahead of me. I don't want to own any machines that won't be usable for the rest of those years.

As said, the DVR is a fine machine... but it's controlled by high-density solid-state electronics. The solid-state speed controller has a finite life, and that life is much shorter than my own. How many years does a computer last? What's the oldest reliably functioning computer in your environment?

When it dies (and it will), how will it be repaired? The controller will be obsolete, having been replaced by the next generation (which won't be compatible with the lathe you own), and any replacement parts will have been manufactured at the same time as the original parts inside your lathe.

Now... solid-state electronic devices' finite lives aren't (if they're designed reasonably well) finite only if they're powered up - they die even if they're resting on a shelf in a blisterpack. Therefore, any NOS replacement controllers for your lathe have already (when your controller dies) existed for most (if not all) of their relatively short lives and can be expected to die soon (f they don't arrive DOA).

The upshot is that a DVR can't be expected to be operable for the rest of my life... and so I won't have it.

In my mind... a production shop is a reasonable place for a DVR because it can be used for all it's worth, and at the end of that short life it can be replaced readily. Production shops, after all, retool fairly often. It makes less sense (in my mind) for an individual who isn't prepared to replace their lathe every ten - or five - or less - years.

The same applies to VFDs attached to three-phase motors - I won't have them in my shop, for the very same reasons.

For me... mechanical speed controls are acceptable and welcome in my shop. When I add electronically controlled variable speed to a machine, it's only with the acknowledgement & expectation that it'll have a short life compared to a comparable mechanical speed control, and it's done only with an eye for mortality and future replacment - it's never done irreversibly.

Ok - I'm ready to duck stones if they come. I've said my piece, my conscience is clear.
 
Tim I heard the same thing years ago when computers first hit the market. "They will not be around for long, They are a passing phase". The Nova is using the state of the art technologies with energy saving that is the way of the future. The older mechanical machines use and waste so much power and electricity. As worded by Nova these are "smart energy efficent motors that are unlike the older " dumb electric" motors. These new electronic motors use only the power required to maintain the set speed. So what are you going to do Tim in this day of energy conservation and the advent of the electric cars and hybrids as the new norm of technologies. You can't stick your head in the sand ignoring and hoping that the old ways will make a come back ( something my kids keep telling me). Global warming is a result of thinking like that. We have to learn to adapt and change our thinking. The Nova is just the first step in this thinking process in the way of lathe development. :thumb:
 
How many of those computers you saw hit the market are still functional? They WEREN'T around for long. Neither are any of the computers from the 1990's... and very few built since Y2K. As integrated-circuit density increases, the MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) decreases.

Sure, these machines RUN beautifully, and PERFORM beautifully... but my mechanical drives will function long after every one of 'em is dead & gone.
 
Here in the Uk a number of people have had problems with the new Novas ever since manufacture transferred to Chaiwanese. Quality control seems a problem. May be different for some reason in the States but personally I would go for the Vicmarc ar the belgian Wivamac. Yo also have some good USA lathes don't you? Back up and support is really necessary when you get into the higher level of lathe IMHO.

Pete
 
Carol,
I'm not going to say do or don't on the Nova... that is a decision only you and your banker can make... This is just my experience.. When I bought my new lathe, I looked at the Nova - I don't remember the model number now ... I liked the looks of it and all of the reviews and write ups... but when I went to Woodcraft to order one, the store owner told me she had sold just one in the entire previous year and it wound up being returned... seems the head stock is a direct drive off the motor and the guy who bought it kept breaking the motor shaft :huh: :dunno: :huh:

Anyway, they didn't have one in stock to look at and I'm a hands on shopper... I like to see big ticket items before I lay out cash... If I could have seen one of Frank's Green Machines, might have gone that way... anyway, Woodcraft/Jet was having a sale on the Jet Machines... so I went with the Jet 1442. Mine is a Reeves speed changer and while it works, I'm thinking it may wear belts faster, and the speed control handle gets in the way at higher speeds... otherwise I like the unit and have no other complaints.
 
Carol I have the Nova DVR XP. I love the lathe and it has met all my expectations. It has handled everything I have thrown at it. I had a 16" 80 lb. block on it and it handled it without a whimper. One thing I do like about it is that you can set it so when you get a catch the lathe will stop which I found when I started turning to be a plus. I bought the swinging tailstock and the outrigger but found I very seldom sell anything larger than 14" to 15" that I really didn't need to buy it so I sold it. I am not a production turner so I don't worry about changing speeds with the buttons. I have most of my turning speeds in the presets and it takes 5 seconds to change speeds.
 
Carol,
I'm not going to say do or don't on the Nova... that is a decision only you and your banker can make... This is just my experience.. When I bought my new lathe, I looked at the Nova - I don't remember the model number now ... I liked the looks of it and all of the reviews and write ups... but when I went to Woodcraft to order one, the store owner told me she had sold just one in the entire previous year and it wound up being returned... seems the head stock is a direct drive off the motor and the guy who bought it kept breaking the motor shaft :huh: :dunno: :huh:

Anyway, they didn't have one in stock to look at and I'm a hands on shopper... I like to see big ticket items before I lay out cash... If I could have seen one of Frank's Green Machines, might have gone that way... anyway, Woodcraft/Jet was having a sale on the Jet Machines... so I went with the Jet 1442. Mine is a Reeves speed changer and while it works, I'm thinking it may wear belts faster, and the speed control handle gets in the way at higher speeds... otherwise I like the unit and have no other complaints.

I'm sorry Chuck, but that sounds like bull feathers to me :) (see the part I highlighted) I've never heard of anyone breaking the motor shaft in a DVR, the DVR the headstock IS the motor, and like Bernie, I've turned some LARGE pieces of very unbalanced wood on it and it has come through without a problem.

Tim, you points on electronics are valid, and I don't have an answer for you, except to say that the Mac stuff I've seen is often over 10 years old and still works fine. For me, if the boards do fry on my DVR, I'll replace them, I'm confident that Nova will have some sort of fix if needed, maybe I'm being naive about that but, the do seem like a very good company.

The DVR-XP is a very good lathe. :thumb:
 
I have a DVR that I built a heavy stand for. About a month ago my club did a day long demo on 5 Powermatic lathes. I turned on a PM all day long and I can say honestly the only thing I have given up is the swing over the bed. In many ways I like the DVR better then the PM. Here is the thread on my lathe and stand. http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12132

The DVR now has speed presets and I do not find the ramping of speeds to be an issue. I do wish it had a remote and I am going to work on that after the first of the year. The only reason I want one is when I am hollowing vessels other than that it is not even really needed.

Good Luck

Alan
 
I have a DVR that I built a heavy stand for. About a month ago my club did a day long demo on 5 Powermatic lathes. I turned on a PM all day long and I can say honestly the only thing I have given up is the swing over the bed. In many ways I like the DVR better then the PM. Here is the thread on my lathe and stand. http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12132

The DVR now has speed presets and I do not find the ramping of speeds to be an issue. I do wish it had a remote and I am going to work on that after the first of the year. The only reason I want one is when I am hollowing vessels other than that it is not even really needed.

Good Luck

Alan

Ya boggled my mind for a moment there, Alan, with that talk of a remote for your lathe... :D

Hollowin', I can see that it might be handy sometimes, though. Or a foot switch, if the DVR remembers its last-used speed when it loses power. If it doesn't, a foot switch wouldn't be as handy. Might not be anyway, since it'd get buried in shavings in under twenty seconds...

Be nice to have a panic switch on one of the rear legs, though, wouldn't it?
 
I'm sorry Chuck, but that sounds like bull feathers to me :) (see the part I highlighted) I've never heard of anyone breaking the motor shaft in a DVR, the DVR the headstock IS the motor, and like Bernie, I've turned some LARGE pieces of very unbalanced wood on it and it has come through without a problem.

The DVR-XP is a very good lathe. :thumb:

Stu,
I was just repeating what the Woodcraft store owner said to me... (may show a level of ignorance on my part if I repeat an ignorant statement?? :dunno:)(You can see from my smilies that the statement made no sense to me either.)

Personally, I liked everything I saw on the Nova and was seriously considering it... but money talks and the Nova would have been a special order, the Jet1442 was available right then and was less money.
 
Stu,
I was just repeating what the Woodcraft store owner said to me... (may show a level of ignorance on my part if I repeat an ignorant statement?? :dunno:)(You can see from my smilies that the statement made no sense to me either.)

Personally, I liked everything I saw on the Nova and was seriously considering it... but money talks and the Nova would have been a special order, the Jet1442 was available right then and was less money.

Chuck, I understood that, I was calling "Bull Feathers" on the Woodcraft store owner. :D :wave:
 
Sorry for chiming in on this one, Please forgive my ignorance on the subject but how on earth could you break the motor shaft on the headstock? Maybe the bolt holding the head stock to the bed is what the sales guy ment. Even then how could that even happen?
 
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