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 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?
>I have an older model DVR and the only thing I woudl change is the speed control. On mine you press a button and the speed moves up in 10 rpm increments. I would rather have a speed contol knob like on the Powermatic or Oneway. I also converted mine to 220 and it seems to have much better low end torque. There is an article in Moore Woodturning that tells how to do the conversion. Other than that I have no complaints and I have had mine about 5 years.
I have used a DVR XP for 3 or 4 years now and I love it.
I like the electronic speed control and feel that a gradual buildup of rpms instead of using the pre set function takes me safely
to exactly the ideal speed.
I use that moment it takes to accelerate or slow down to think and plan my next move.
It is also an excellent feature if you are turning large and off balance pieces.
It runs quiet enough that I can listen to music while I work
or carry on a conversation and still hear and feel the piece on
the machine.
Something I don't like is that the index pin is not supposed to be used as a spindle lock. I use it to center workpieces and line things up but if there is resistance (i.e. a stuck faceplate) I use a bash bar thru a hole in the handwheel.
A great safety feature is the power disengages with a bad catch
or if you happen to not release the index pin.
There are audio prompts for various functions such as "power on", "power off"
reverse or forward spinning, etc. The various tones are somewhat annoying but I suppose I have gotten used to them.
And it does make things safer.
A wiseguy friend that visited one night as I was turning shouted
"Hats off for the New Zealand national anthem!"
I have not needed it but have seen others comment on the outstanding
customer service here in the US.
This link will take you to an Australian turning forum.
>I've had my DVR xp for about 13 months. The only things about it I would change if I could is to have a vernier knob for speed changes rather than the membrane switch push buttons. BTW, the newer xp model varies the speed in 5 rpm increments. The 5 preset speeds help get around the slowness of speed changes the buttons provide. I've set mine to 200, 500 (power-up default), 1000, 1500, and 2000 rpms. Operation is a quick 2-button press to step up or down thru the presets.
The other item that I would change it to make the on/off control panel moveable to the right end of the ways. As it now stands, you must move to the headstock (left) end of the machine to get out of the line-of-fire when pressing the "ON" button. I would rather move to the right.
When I bought my lathe from Woodcraft during their sale last year I went whole hog - I added the cast iron leg set, the extension ways, and the hinge. I'm very satisfied with the machine, except for the two items listed above.
I've had my DVR since 2004 and when I first got it I searched high and low for info on how to add a knob for speed control. Since I could not find any info I used it as is and have never looked back. I have four lathes in the shop and the other three have variable speed with knobs but it bothers me not to use the buttons on the DVR. It is now second nature to use them without thought. The fact that the on/off button is on the left side is a non issue for me as all of the lathes in the shop have the on/off switches on the left side of the lathe. When MSN dropped their forums the Nova forum went in two different venues, one to yahoo groups (which drove me to distraction) and I asked the owner of the original if I could use it on the MyFamily site. On the Teknatool home page is the link as to how to get to the Nova Owners Group.
>Carol I wonder why you are not considering the Powermatic 3520B. I owned a nova3000 certainly looked at the DVR when it came out. My main complaint was the proprietary motor/headstock. I've watched a lot of lathes and companies come and go over the years and it concerned me that 5 or 10 years down the line they might not even have this lathe and getting the motor or bearings replaced would be difficult or impossible.
I went with the powermatic for 2 reasons. One was the motor issue. There isn't anything in the powermatic that can't be replaced with aftermarket pieces except for the spindle which could easily be built by a machinist. The other was simply the mass. it's heavier than the DVR.
Even though I don't enjoy doing large bowls I do turn offcenter and sometimes rectangular pieces. The extra swing and the extra weight is really beneficial here.
The sliding headstock is good and bad. It lets you stand at the end of the lathe which is great for hollowing. However it is a little cumbersome to move (and may require moving your lights and dust collector) and requires more space at the end of the lathe to work. The swinging headstock solves some of these problems but then must be realigned properly to go back to turning between centers.
I don't know if they've improved the outboard tool rest on the Nova but the old one was a joke. You got way to much vibration from it and sometimes had to remove the work from the spindle to readjust the tool rest if you needed to work on the backside of the bowl or platter. The 3520B with it's bed extension is very solid for larger diameter turnings but could get in the way if you want to turn a small bowl off the end.
I haven't priced the DVR lately but it's not very far from a new Powermatic.
>Overall, I am pretty happy with my DVR. I love the swivel headstock and the fact that if you get a huge catch, it stops. Things I would change: Don't care for the membrane controls, but I quickly got used to them so it's no biggie. Mass...you have to provide the mass in whatever stand you choose to build or buy. Spindle lock...not really a spindle lock - it's just the indexing pin. Need to always use the knockout bar through the handwheel to lock the spindle if you are using any force to remove a chuck or faceplate. Indexing...only has 24 stops. Lowest speed is 100...would like to be able to go lower on very rare occasion, but that's not a biggie. The cheesy handles on the banjo and TS. The lack of clearance beneath the ways and the bench (you need to account for that when you set it up by using blocks, otherwise clearing shavings is a real annoyance...the XP is even worse in that respect) BUT...having said all that, would I recommend the lathe? Yes. As for the outrigger...I have one but it serves only as an expensive addition to hold my Vac Chuck control panel, air hose and various tools.
>I have an older DVR. (2002) There are a few things I would change.
The speed change thing. How spoiled can we get? In the old days we had to open the head stock, Loosen the belt, Move it to different pulleys, Pinch your fingers, get some dirt on them, tighten the belt and lock it, put the cover back on and turn the lathe back on. You had about four speeds. Now, I have to put my finger on the button and wait a few seconds. Mine does not have the presets. So, its slow, but compared to what? I really like the fact that I can tweak the speed ten rpm's. Very useful for finding that speed that does not vibrate. And, if you get a piece that chattered, change the speed ten or twenty rpm's and take another pass.
I do wish they had put it on a tether so you could move it to the other end. Its bad to have to run out the end door and come back into the side door to hit the switch before something flies away.
I made a couple of minor modifications to mine. I filed a notch into the knob for the spindle lock. Lock the spindle and file a notch in a "known" position. That way you can lock and unlock the shaft without looking at it. Tactile, very useful.
I put a rubber sticky dot on the off switch. Tactile again. Can find it quickly without looking.
I converted mine to 220. Technatool has an excellent pictorial on their site on how to do it. Better low end power, not a lot, but better, this might be a low priority.
Buy a bed extension. I bought one later. Now I can turn table legs. Originally I was limited to about two feet.
I did not know they had a tip away for the tail stock. I made one out of walnut and scraps of aluminum and it worked well, but now that I have the longer bed, I don't need it anymore.
>I have a newer DVR XP (2 months now) and really like it for my purposes. It handles just about anything I put on it sized from lathe capacity down to miniature. I am also learning to core with McNaughtons and the lathe seems fine with that even with my skill deficit. The swivel headstock is a definite asset for me. I have a very small shop with only 110vac and the DVR works great with that. If I build a shop or rewire then I can convert to 220.
Like others have said... Membrane button rather than knob for speed control. However with the speed presets it's simple and quick for me to change speed in major increments and refine if I want. I'd really like to have a wired remote I could place to the right.
The bed is really designed for leg mounting and has no clearance underneath the rails. My DVR is mounted on risers on my homemade stand to allow for cleaning underneath.
>I have one of the early DVRs, serial #250. My lathe has been used many hours and other than having to clean the sensors once, I have had no problems. I did change tool rests and modified the lock down handles. I highly recommend Nova DVR lathes.
>I have one and am very happy with it. I bought a DVR from Woodcraft about 2 months before the XP was available. I had a problem were the controls stopped working - customer service was excellent, they were going to replace it. I traded up to the XP at Woodcraft instead.
Switched to 220 (easy and many have done this)
Nits:
Outrigger tool rest vibrates too much, simple fix for this would be to add an adjustable post to the floor or just use/make your own free standing one.
Realigning the headstock after swiveling it. I do a fair amount of precision work and found the swivel detent too sloppy. I fixed this by getting the headstock perfect and then drilling and tapering a hole between the headstock casting and base. I can now use a pin to line it up perfect every time.
All the other stuff is minor - personally I like the speed control and the ability to change the presets. Somewhere I read about a project to make the control a tethered control so you could move it. I thought Nova offered this but no one else mentioned it. You can always put a kill switch at the tailstock end. Add weight.
I built a small 'hobby' shop for the mini lathe when I got home last summer. It needed a home and I needed a place to play. The likelihood that I would have to move once I was assigned was high.
As it turned out, I got assigned right where I am! Now my 'hobby' shop is too small for my anticipated graduation present, but I can't build anything bigger on this lot.
The 3520 is too big for my 'hobby' shop. That's why the swivel head and the tail stock swing-away features are attractive.
So what I got out of your responses is that I will get used to the membrane switches, don't use the indexing feature as a spindle lock, switch to 220V, add mass, and provide for room to clean out from underneath the bed.
I will go look for the user forum(s) and see what other little tips are worthy of consideration.
Thanks, all!
I have a rather large flat work commission to finish and deliver. Then sufficient jingle ought to be in the pocket.
>I bought an alignment tool (Can't remember where). It has a #2 Morse taper on each end. It seems to do a good job of aligning the head stock with the tail stock after swiveling the head.
>Carol, if you can spring for the Nova cast iron legs you will not need the other additional weight and also most all chips will fall thru the ways to the floor.
For those who want a safety switch on the right end (110V) buy a switched multi outlet and fasten it to the front right leg. Plug the lathe's power cord into that. Also provides handy outlets for sanders, etc.
>... only add about 100 pounds to the 200 pound machine. The extension ways and hinge add a few more pounds, but the whole rig is still pretty light. That's why I bolted mine to the concrete floor.
>I made a cabinet for mine. There is a vertical box under the head stock fill with sand. There is a toe kick under the drawers filled with sand. I have forgotten, but it is about four hundred pounds of sand, plus an oak butcher block top plus the cabinet and all the junk in them. I found a roll of lead they used to use for shower pans and laid it on the top behind the ways. About 85 pounds. That helped.
>The hole for the pin in the indexing knob is in the head stock and it is drilled all the way through into the interior. The pin is in the under side of the knob, looking down. (This is not the actual indexing pin itself, but the pin that controls whether the knob is engaged or not.) The flaw is that it is upside down. I have had sawdust fall through the hole into the headstock. The pin should have been pressed into the head stock looking up, sealing the hole to keep the dust out. The hole would then be in the underside of the knob, looking down and not subject to filling up with dust.
I also don't like those giant headed cap screws they used to hold the end plate on. Good place to leave some skin and blood when you are using the knockout bar to lock the hand wheel. Some sort of round head screws would have been better.
