Nova 2024 Tool Slide

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

John C Lucas

There is a nut on the bottom of the banjo that probably needs to be adjusted. It doesnt take much. Adjust it until the locking lever goes about 1/2 to 2/3 of the wat down. If it locks up before the 1/2 it comes loose too easily. If it goes all the way down then of course it just wont lock at all

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

Jeff Rich

Thanks! I will give that a try.

I know the screw that fits up into the locking cradle thru the locking plate has a different angle than what is ground on the locking plate, which leads to very little contact between the screw and the plate.

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

Dave Paine

I have the DCR 1624. Does your locking plate look like this?

I have not removed my screw. A friend with the same model removed his screw and found the adjustment issue John mentioned.

Can you post a picture of the plate and the screw? Perhaps I can machine the plate to match the screw head for you.

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

Jeff Rich

Yes, this is the same style as the 2024.

I am also wondering if the slide is not level on the bottom.

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

Dave Paine

I think no need to wonder. I just looked at mine for the first time. If yours is like mine it is not level.

I think Teknatool decided to save some pennies and did not machine the locking plate. I can see marks from use. I can imagine if the casting is too uneven this will contribute to locking problems.

I will now need to remove my plate and take it to my friend with a mill to machine some decent flat edges.

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

walta

In my photo the white arrow points to the bolt you need to tighten.

The red arrow points to the hidden locking set screw you must loosen before the white bolt will turn.

Once you get the correct adjustment tighten the red screw to lock it in position.

Please note both the Allen wrenches are metric sizes.

If anyone has forced the white bolt and damaged it I had to buy a bag of 50 to get the one I needed. If anyone needs one it is yours for the cost of shipping.

Walta

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

Jeff Rich

thanks!

I will take a look at this as well!

I am wondering if the set screw is loose if that would make the other screw work loose?

I have noticed that the banjo rocks just the slightest on the ways.

I am going to take it and flatten it today at my parents.

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

Dave Paine

I just removed my set screw to check. In my lathe the big screw did not come loose. I did not try and remove the big screw at this time.

FYI the set screw is 3mm hex key. The large screw is 8 mm hex key.

If your banjo is not flat, this needs to be lapped or this may still cause problems even if other issues are resolved.

A flat surface like heavy glass, MDF or a granite block with a couple of sheet of abrasive to get desired length should get the banjo flat fast. Similar to lapping the sole of a No. 7 bench plane.

Start with 80 grit then work up. If you start with finer grits, it will just take longer but you should still be able to get the banjo flat.

When I remove my locking plate to take it to a friend to machine the sides flat I will use Loctite blue on the big and set screws when re-installing. This will prevent either coming loose. Loctite blue bond can be broken with a wrench. I will not use Loctite Red since this bond requires high heat, e.g., 500-600 deg to break the bond.

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

walta

How are you going to “flatten” the banjo?

If I thought my banjo was twisted I would disassemble the banjo to a bare casting. Then place it on a piece of plate glass and see of it rocks and try inserting feeler gauges between the glass and the banjo.

If the gauges go under then I would look at having the banjo ground on a surface grinder. Or flatten it like it was a hand plane.

If your banjo is flat and wants to rock on the bed of the lathe. I think the first place to look is weather the bed of the lathe level. Front to back at both ends and left to right.

Back to the adjustment, if my handle points

At 1 o’clock the banjo is free and can be repositioned

At 3 o’clock the banjo the cam play has been taken up.

At 5 o’clock the banjo is locked firmly.

Walta

Re: Nova 2024 Tool Slide

Jeff Rich

Yesterday I spent 3 hours lapping the toolslide casting to get it flat.

Yes, 3 hours.

I now have a toolslide that will lock to the bed and stay in place.

Known design issue / hazard

Geoff Whaling

Turners in NZ have been onto Teknatool/Nova for years to fix the banjo design and to increase the width of the bed ways. Both suggestions have been on their wish lists for years.

The main issue with the banjo is the narrow sectional width of the casting where it meets with the bed ways. The popular opinion from very knowledgeable turners is that the contact area is too small so there are insufficient frictional forces to resist the banjo creep in towards the spinning blank. This occurs particularly when roughing despite an incredible amount of force being applied to the banjo clamp handle. Once the shaft in the cam lock mechanism in the banjo is bent from to much applied force it only gets worse.

Nova3k

Steven Antonucci

My tailstock had a habit of creeping, so I put some adhesive backed sandpaper on the metal locking plate and it fixed the issue.

Paper sits on top of plate and grips under the ways.

S

Re: Nova3k

John K Jordan

>My tailstock had a habit of creeping, so I put some...

The tailstock on one of my small lathes was creepy until I quit waxing the bed. Duh.

JKJ

Re: Nova3k

Steven Antonucci

I purposely don't clean the ways to get them a little more grippy.