Nova 1624-44 A Big Disapointment

[wyngate]

Hi,
I am new to woodturning and new to this forum. I suppose that I've reached that age, y'know, garden sheds, wood, expensive machinery. So, I thought I would give woodturning a go. A decision that I now regret.

I thought that I would buy a lathe, so I went for what I considered to be a good one. Something that would work well and last, A Nova. Here is my experience so far:

I have had my Nova 1624-44 for about 6 weeks. And, I absolutely loath it! OK, I am new to woodturning so perhaps my opinion doesn't count for much.
Although heavy, it was easy to assemble and the instuctions were good. I got 8 legs with mine. Just as well, because 2 of the legs were faulty and unusable. One had a sloppy fitting thead, the other, weld in the thread.

The first test after assembly was of course alignment. I put in the the drive centre and the live tailstock centre and brought them together.

They didn't align. Alignment was out both horizontally and vertically. One can adjust the tailstock for horizontal alignment, which I did. But, there is no adjustment for vertical alignment. The live centre (tailstock), is at least 1mm below the drive centre.

This lathe is also very noisy. There is bearing noise and a slight clicking sound. The motor vibrates, so much so that the studs, which screw into the headstock, to which the motor is fixed, keep coming undone during use.

Belt changing is a nightmare and takes forever. To slacken the belt, you have to pull the motor forward - it works on a large cam which pivots the motor - but when fully pivoted over, the motor shaft locks against the the flimsy tin pulley housing (the pulley guard if you like), now, you cannot turn the motor pulley, making belt changing even harder.

Today I went to a demonstration of lathes. Every one of them was significanly quieter than the heap that I now own.

Nova chucks: my lathe came with a SuperNova2 chuck. It rattles! Shake it and it rattles. Put it on the lathe and of course it rattles like tin can full of nails. It quietens down at high speed, but at low speed it is dreadful.

Toolrest: stupid design. There is a big bulge in the middle where the support shaft is. My hand hits it as I run the chisels along, making turning a real pain. As a consequence, I can't get a parralel cut.

Pros: It looks good.
Cons: All of the above and more.

And to think that I had visions of turning 29 inch bowls on this thing!

I hate the Nova! It was a complete waste of £1000.00. I wish now that I had bought a £200.00 Jet. Or maybe, taken up stamp collecting.

Graham

 

[NeilO]

at six weeks old.....send it back " not fit for purpose"
cant comment on the lathe , but my SuperNova2 chuck (probably 2 years old now) is a gem no rattles of any description.
contact your vendor and see what they have to say.
if its a decent company (which you dont specify) they should/would exchange it without question.
HTH

 

[BMac]

I agree with Neil,

Send it back.

You are the first person I have ever heard complain about this lathe and our US friends rate them very highly indeed - to the point where they are a lathe to aspire to. I think your list of problems is grounds for replacement or refund.

Brendan

 

[boysie39]

hiya Graham and welcome,sorry to hear you are having problems with your Nova 1624-44. I have the very same lathe for about 10 months now and never had a problem with it.
I assume you carrird out the assembley as per the manual,I did find that putting on the metal cover was a little tricky and if the holding screws were not fully tightened you had some rattle. Apart from that I am very pleased with mine, Indeed a few other people I know who bought one after seeing mine are also highly impressed.
As with other items we buy there is always one who slips through the system ,and you may be the unlucky one. As has deen suggested by
Neil,and BMc get in touch with your supplier and take it from there.
Im sure the agent and Nova dont want a tarnished name and will offer you assistance. Let us know how you get on. REgards Boysie 39.

 

[cornucopia]

hello and welcome graham

I echo the above comments- i have read reviews like this onefrom the wooodturning magazine that seems to rate them,
and they are based upon the very popular dvr lathe.

complain and please let us know how you get on, theres nothing worse than problems early on in your turning experience which can unnessecarily put you of what is a very enjoyable hobby.

 

[CHJ]

Sounds like production source moves and/or quality control changes are finding their way through. As has been said, back to Record as the UK distributors to sort it to your satisfaction.

 

[Paul.J]

Hello Graham and welcome
Don't let the lathe put you off turning.Either send it back and get a refund or get it fixed,but now you have had these bad experiences with it,it will probably be best to get a different model.
I had a similar experience with my last lathe,and it was putting me off from doing any turning,as i wanted,but now have a different lathe and am really happy with it,and my turning so far :roll:
Record are usually very good in these circumstances.

 

[dickm]

Have no experience of that lathe, but at one of the shows two or three years ago, I did notice that the small Record lathe that was on display (DML24?) had bad misalignment problems between headstock and tailstock. I suspect this was one of the early ones from overseas, but it sounds like the same problem is occurring on their Nova imports.
Contact them, explain the problem politely, and say that it's not fit for purpose. For the money you've paid, you should expect decent quality control. Hold out for replacement or refund.

 

[stevebuk]

hi
I bought the nova xp not long ago and i'm really chuffed with it, i know this doesn't help your circumstance but just to add they are not all bad, try record and see what happens, if you stick it out for replacment i am sure you will love the next one, they are great machines.

 

[NeilO]

Paul.J wrote

Either send it back and get a refund or get it fixed

get a refund by all means or a replacement , but DONT stand for having it fixed, because you are effectively paying full price for what is a reconditioned unit, and I for one would not be happy about that in your shoes..

As I said before if its a half decent firm a replacement should be on the cards, as I`m sure they would want the business or a refund if theyre not too bothered about the sale.

best of luck which ever way you decide to go..

Off topic of sorts..

Steve, how do youy rate the Nova XP? would you buy it again if you were in the market for a lathe, if you get me?
I`m currently looking for a better lathe, but dont need a massive bed except on a few occasions so was thinking of the Nova XP with a removable ext.
would love to hear your comments on said beastie...

 

[stevebuk]

Steve, how do youy rate the Nova XP? would you buy it again if you were in the market for a lathe, if you get me?
I`m currently looking for a better lathe, but dont need a massive bed except on a few occasions so was thinking of the Nova XP with a removable ext.
would love to hear your comments on said beastie...

Without a doubt mate, i would buy it again tommorow if i had to. I love the way its so easy to change speed with just one finger both up and down, the quietness of it, the size of it, for me its perfect and would not hesitate to recomend it to anyone.
If your near nottingham you can call around and have a play if you wish, let me know.

 

[wyngate]

Hi Guys,
What a great bunch of guys you are. I never expected this response. I feel like I belong

already.

I reported the fault to Record on the next working day, after assembly. So they do know

about the problem. Initially, they suspected the spur drive and sent me a replacement. No

change. Then they said they would send me a new live centre. But, they haven't got any,

they are awaiting a delivery from New Zealand.

And this has been more or less it so far.

But Saturday, I went to a Record show at Bury St. Edmunds. This was an eye opener.

Until then, being a newbie, I had no idea what a good lathe should be like. The lathe I

saw running was the CL4-CAM electronic speed machine. It was so quite. I commented

to the guy who was in charge, he asked which machine I had so I told him. He said that a

Nova should be that quite. My reply was that it was at least ten times the volume of the

CL4.

I found a Nova DVR and a 1624-44 and checked their alignment - perfect. I checked the

1624 belt changing mechanism - surprised to find that when you pivot the motor to loosen

the belt, it actually clicks into position and stays there. Mine does not. It will fall back

down unless I lock it in place. Also, when pivoted forward, the motor did not foul the tin

pulley guard as mine does.

I later found out that the guy I had talked to is Stuart, the Managing director of Record.

He said they would send a replacement machine and take the other away.

Monday morning, a phone call from Alan B. at Record: "can you remove the headstock

and tailstock, pack them and we will send a carrier to collect them. We will then try them

on one of our beds and see what's what".
What happened to the replacement lathe? I am not happy!

I tried the lathe again tonight. With the chuck on, at 180rpm, you have to almost shout to

talk over it, it's that bad, really. Chuck off: much better but still very noisy. A loud

humming noise. You can feel the vibration. It quietens down a little if you put a lot of

pressure on the pully guard.

I tried some centre boring. The drill bit, chuck and the whole tailstock shaft move, from

side to side. The hole seemed to be central though. There is definite play in the tailstock

shaft. None of course if you lock it.

Sunday, I stripped off the pulley guard and motor. Spun the main shaft. There is bearing

noise and a clicking. There is motor bearing noise, not much, but it is not silent. I loctited

the motor support studs into the lathe body to prevent them for keep coming loose. This

has been a major problem.

It looks as though Record have put the ball back in my court. I have to try and find

suitable boxes and packaging. I am going to be without a lathe for God knows how long

whilst they play about. I am in the middle of a project.

As I said before I hate the Nova and I am getting to hate Record. I have to go to Ipswich

tomorrow, so I am going to call into Elmers where I bought it and have word. I want to

compare my Supernova chuck with a new one, to see if it rattles also.
Maybe the chuck is OK. The vibration from the lathe probably makes it rattle. As I said,

at high speed, the chuck quietens down.

I can see this becoming a never ending saga. Maybe I should just buy a sledgehammer

and put paid once and for all to that smirking Nova.

Here is a photo of my misalighnment:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/ ... ashaft.jpg

I hope that the link works.

Thanks guys, you have all been very kind.

Graham.

 

[BMac]

Graham,

The bottom line is that the Managing Director of Record went back on his word. I get the feeling he just wanted to make you smile and go away on the day you met him.

I would be inclined to ask Record to send you a new lathe and, if it is satisfactory, you will return the lathe you have now in the box the new one came in.

I would also insist that Record take responsibility for shipping both ways.

This business of sending parts back for assessment is like the brand new motor car being 'fixed under warranty'. Once you agree to them offering to fix your lathe they can run you about because you agreed to this option.

If Record are unwilling to replace your lathe you can let them know that this issue is being relayed to members, and commented on, in this forum and being watched closely by potential Nova buyers.

As for Record not having a live centre to send you - that's unbelievable!

Good luck.

Brendan

 

[cornucopia]

Graham i agree with brendam's post

in my opinion do not start faffing with bits and pieces being sent back and forth (and definatley do not find a suitable box for them) it can go on for months- go back to stuart the MD and tell him whats going on i.e swapping bits over etc and insist on a new lathe asap or your money back.

heres the link to your pic- they wont work on your account until your up to 5 posts to stop spammmers
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/ ... ashaft.jpg

 

[gandy]

your the customer, you have rights, if you want a brand spanking new lathe to replace one thats not good quality, you should get one, not pack up some parts of your lathe so thay can have a look see. phone them up and tell them what you want doing and take nothing less.

 

[frugal]

your the customer, you have rights, if you want a brand spanking new lathe to replace one thats not good quality, you should get one, not pack up some parts of your lathe so thay can have a look see. phone them up and tell them what you want doing and take nothing less.

Where do you get the idea that your rights as a customer extend to a whole replacement lathe due to problems with some of the parts? The company has an obligation to "make good" the lathe, which may or may not include a complete replacement, but you have no "right" to a complete replacement just because you want one.

If you buy a new car and there is a problem with the engine, you do not get a complete new car, they fix the engine. If you buy a brand new house and teh roof leaks, you do not get to move into the house two doors down. They come and make good the roof.

The other thing to mention is that the first port of call should have been the company that sold the lathe (Elmers) rather than the manufacturor (Record). The sale of goods act states that you should only need to contact the manager when you are unable to get the seller to make it good.

 

[gandy]

goods purchased new must last a while and work well, if not you have the right to ask for a repair or a replacment, the owner of this lathe was told he would get a brand spanking new one but is now be told to send some parts back so they can have a look see, when it could be thers a problem with most major parts, incloding the parts not sent back, now seeing as wood will be turning at what? 700rpm plus??? i would want to know that every part is correct and working well.

a house and car is far from a lathe, so compairing those is a bit on the silly side.

 

[NeilO]

frugal,
I agree with what your saying about "making good" in respect to warranties and customer rights,but at 6 weeks old surely you would not expect a lathe (or any machinery) to develop so many faults. With this lathe in question there seems to be so many faults over several components, surely Record would do better to replace the whole lathe and subsequently sort the problem out with poor manufacturing.

following on I am dumbfounded with Records stand over this, as in the past Record aftersales have been nothing but fantastic with me, replacing the whole tensioning assembly on my BS300 ( which was 3 1/2 years old)with no charge or question a couple of turning chisels that snapped whilst in use (and probably caused by user error than anything) so I am fairly shocked how wyngate? has been treated over this.

I may just hold out on buying my Nova DVR xp for the near future.

wyngate, contact Record customer support and speak to them directly voicing your opinions and what you would wish to happen, you never know.

Stevebuk, thanks for the offer of a "play" on your Nova, but Nottingham is a little out of my travelling I may see if I can get a hands on demo locally.

 

[wyngate]

Hi Guys,
Firstly, thanks for sorting out my picture link.

Well, today I visited Elmers and spoke to Kevin, their lathe expert. I took my Supernava chuck with me. He seemed to think the chuck was OK and that the horendous rattling is being caused by the lathe vibrating. I tend to agree. As I said, at high speed the chuck is not too bad. At 180rpm, when I am drilling, it is Aspirin time.

Now get this:
Kevin immediatley rang Stuart Pickering MD, (Record), mentioned that he (Stuart), had agreed with me on Sat' about a replacement. Stuart confirmed this and, further confirmed to Kevin that this would indeed be so, dispite the call I received from Alan B. on Monday asking me to send the head and tailstock back. As Kevin said to him, no point in sending just the head and tailstock back because the bed might be warped etc.

Kevin's parting words were, "don't worry it is sorted out. Record will ring you later to arrange pick up/delivery".

So, I was a happy bunny!

Until later. 4:30pm. a call from Alan B. "can you pack up the head and tailstock and we will collect them"?

Here we go again. I explained to Alan that Stuart had agreed, not once, but twice, to change the whole lathe. He replied that Stuart had told him to just have the head & tailstock returned.

"So, I am not going to have a lathe at all whilst you play around with it"?
"That's right".
"This could go on for weeks".
"It could, yes".

He then said that it would be too difficult to return the whole lathe and it might get damaged in transit. Well, so could the head and tailstock. And, if they use DHL the whole lot would end up dumped in a ditch somewhere (they lost my hot foil printer which weighed 24kilos.).

So, we left it that Alan would check back with his boss in the morning and then ring me.

I rang Kevin (Elmers), to update him. He was utterly astonished. "He agreed to change it," he said. "He's agreed that twice!"

Well, by the time I had got hold of Kevin it was gone 5pm, too late to do anything. Kevin is going to phone Stuart again in the morning to find out just what the hell is going on.

This is getting good, don't you think. It's a saga, better than East Enders.

I get the feeling that Alan B. has been stringing me along the past six weeks, with tales of waiting for live centres. I had already said to him, if you haven't got one, and you reallty think that is the problem, send me one out of one your demo lathes. All I got was, "can't do that."

But of course, there are the noise/vibration issues, which I was unaware of (I thought it was the norm), until Sat when I went to the show.

I was reading Teknatool's blurb last night: state of the art CNC machines, laser technology for perfect alignment etc. etc. What they didn't mention was the Chinese quality control guy (they are made in China), who is paid half a sack of rice a month, to stick those little quality control stickers on all the parts, without actually checking anything.

Sorry, I am a cynic.

Next thrilling episode tomorrow night.
Thanks for listening guys. It really helps.

Graham

 

[gasmansteve]

Sorry for all the grief you have been having with the lathe Graham, not a very good welcome to the hobby is it?. When I was sussing out a new lathe last year I checked out the Record Maxi lathes at the Harrogate show and was surprised at how much the centres were out of alignment fair enough it might have been hastily put together for the show but a demo model where everyones looking at it??.I have been very happy with a Record bandsaw I bought a year or two ago and always have found Record very helpful if needed so hope they sort it for you. Do keep us informed how it goes.
Steve