gregmcateer":27w8q57d said:
Hi Duncan,
I am about to buy a secondhand Nova 300 DVR and have been concerned about the XP extension not fitting - and no-one seems to sell the old extension anymore.
I just came across your post from a few years ago and THINK you may have given me the answer.
Can I just check with you - your lathe is a 3000 or 3000 DVR, and you have bought an extension for the new DVR XP and your (very clear and detailed instructions and photos) explain how you have bastardised it to work with your old lathe?
Sorry if that is a bit longwinded - I have been researching for what seems a million years!
PS - Are you pleased with the Nova - Would you recommend it?
Many thanks in advance,
Greg (Newbie)
Hi Greg
Yes, my lathe is a DVR3000 and I bought the extension bed for the new DVR XP (half price when Sorby stopped being their agent
). Yes, my post does show how to connect the new bed. I rarely use it but it's fairly easy to mount and dismount and the join isn't a problem.
Teknatool stopped producing the old bed when the new lathe came out but I've seen recently on a forum (can't remember which one though) that their considering making a batch of the old beds.
Am I pleased with the Nova? Yes, but it's my first lathe so I can't compare it to anything else really (except for the small underpowered ones that I used at a night class for a couple of months).
A few issues that I have with the lathe are:
1)the banjo/toolrest flexes a little when extended to is't maximum away from the bed. This is only really a problem when turning large pieces but I find that I sometimes have to use a prop under the banjo. I know of another turner who bought the Oneway banjo for his DVR but that's an expensive solution. There's a similar problem with the outboard rest when used at it's maximum extension. Again, I sometimes use a prop underneath it.
2)dust enters the headstock and sometimes causes the speed sensor to give an error. The solution is to blow air through the headstock vents (I use the exhaust from my Camvac). If this doesn't work you need to remove the back plate of the headstock, indexing wheel and sensor cover and remove the dust manually, which takes less than 5 minutes. I can't remember when I last had the error but it's probably over 2 years ago.
3)there's no large, easy to hit STOP button. Teknatool have just released a wireless magnetic/wrist mounted remote which has go,stop,speed up and speed down. It works with the latest lathe but they are (I think) selling it with a kit to work on the old DVR. I've been using a home made wired remote box with the same funtions plus a daisy-chained foot stop for several years now. The plans for it are on one of the Nova groups online but I can send you a copy if you want. It's fairly easy to make if you have basic soldering skills.
4)if there's a problem with the motor you have to send away the whole headstock for repair and the only people who will deal with it are Record Power. This happened to me once when Sorby were the dealer and I couldn't turn for about a month.
5)Record Power are the dealers and they aren't very good! When I've had issues I've found it better to deal directly with Teknatool.
6)the indexing pin shouldn't be used as a spindle lock for removing chucks and faceplates as it's too weak. The current manual states this but the one that came with mine makes no mention of it and actually implies that you should do that. The indexing on my lathe now has a little play on it.
Stuff I particularly like:
1)it was realtively inexpensive compared to similarly specced lathes.
2)it's sturdy.
3)mine now has the updated firmware (thanks to a new board which I had to buy and fit when I short circuited the main one by not switching off during a cleaning operation). It's fairly pricey.
4)the swivel head with detent positions works well.
5)it's quiet. This is the main reason I bought the lathe as I was concered about too much noise from my shed.
6)it can handle large and unbalanced pieces fairly well and you can select hard mode for roughing - this applies more torque (I think that's the right term) so you can take larger cuts without it stalling.
Would I recommend it? Despite the issues which I mentioned I like the lathe and am happy that I bought it. I'd really like something with more mass as I'm starting to turn more off-centre pieces but my limited space and budget is stopping (me for now). The DVR has handled everything which I've thrown at it. If it starts to vibrate then I can just lower the speed untill the vibration stops. I happily spend whole weekends using the lathe so it sometimes gets a lot of use and it's still going strong.
Our turning club has a DVR and it's performed faultlessly, although it's only used twice a month.
There are several club members who have them and are pleased with their purchases.
Depending on how much you want to spend and what size pieces you want to turn, Teknatool have just announced a larger version of the DVR.
I hope this helps your decision
Duncan
[EDIT]
I forgot to say - some people have had bad experiences with the DVR. Blister had one out of guarantee and when a fault developped the fee for repair was very expensive
