AWGB Woodturning Forum
General Category => Tool tips & reviews => Topic started by: Silas on October 28, 2018, 03:36:39 PM
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Hi. This is my first post. I am looking for a new chuck for my nova comet 11 lathe. I am rather drawn to the Sc3/4 as the price seems very good. Are they much different to the Nova G3 and it's big brother? Is it worth getting the larger one?
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I don't have personal experience of either of these, but I would suggest a couple of points. Try to go to a dealer where you can see and handle the chucks, to make a fair comparison. An important issue will be the depth of the jaws...there's a few makes on the market that have internal jaw-depth (and thus need a tenon) of only about 7mm, which in my mind is very limiting. Also, some of the Nova chucks have an infuriating design by which the jaws operate on a left-hand thread' so you tighten the jaws, not in the normal way of winding the chuck key clockwise, but anticlockwise instead....it gets very confusing!
Les
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Have a look at the Tool Posts Versa Chuck, just got one to compliment my Super precision chuck, good value and the ability to use various manufacturers jaws to.
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Hi Silas, on a slightly different track......
I've got the SuperNova 2 and been totally pleased with it,
but the other day, I dropped it onto a hard concrete floor
from shoulder height.
Fearing the worst, I put it on the lathe and tested it
out and it came through with flying colours.
I'm not the most experienced turner yet (hahaha),
but would suggest that, if you get the smaller Nova,
you will soon wish you had the bigger one. Also,
there are a host of Nova accessories at reasonable
prices.
I've also got an older type Record chuck and it
also is of very high quality.
Good luck, regards - Jim
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Hi
I a agree with most that's been written, but first i think you need to decide what size work are you going to turn? That has to influence your choice record power jaws fit Nova Chuck's
And the Robert sorby Patriot chuck.another influence is cost how much money do you want to spend ? Is the lathe you have worth putting a Vicmarc or a oneway chuck on it?
Do you want a direct thread or a insert in your choice of chuck?
A couple of pointers some of the chucks have limiters on the jaws to stop the carriers dropping out and giving you a nasty bump on the head ?
The reason some of the chucks work the opposite way round is a safety issue
On a metal turning lathe the jaws have a tendency to flick open through inertia
Whoever designed these wood turning Chuck's had that in mind or at least knew about it?
If you drop one of these Chuck's on a concrete floor it will bruise the metal but it will not really do a great deal of real damage ps get some rubber matting on the floor.
You have to pay for this chuck whatever one you choose then have to live with your choice
Choose carefully and wisely my friend and good luck
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As a ps to my earlier one,
when I dropped the chuck, I had only gone into the garage
for a few minutes to check on something while the adverts
were on tv.....consequently, I had no shoes or socks on and
was lucky the chuck missed my foot or I would have
been at the hospital !!! .... lesson learned !!!!!
Thanks Redtails for the suggestion of rubber matting,
that sounds a good idea.
Have a nice day all, regards - Jim
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I have been using Novas for years even have a two handled one LOL. The downside of opening and closing the jaws backwards has never really bothered me. They are solid and the only problem I have found is that the keyholes can get burred using the balled hex spanner on them. That could just be me being heavy handed though and 10 years of use.
Pete
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Hi Pete. I bought the lathe second hand and am enormously pleased with it. It came with an early nova chuck that uses Tommy bars but it does not run true. It may well be the insert that is wrong, but rather than buy a new insert and hope, I thought I'd invest in a new chuck.
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I haved the early one like that as well amnd it is not a lot of use as it doesn't grip very well at all. I have used it foe small stuff with the tail stock up but it lies neglected on the shelf most of the time. In my experience it is useful to have more than one chuck if you can anyway.
pete
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Hi
If you have problem with the Nova chuck keys do what i did i bought a good quality t bar
Allen key problem solved.
Concrete floors ugh if your lathe is standing on concrete it may draw moisture in
You don't have to use rubber matting you can use wood in plank or play providing you have a barrier between the concrete and the wood thick plastic sheeting etc.
Kind regards
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It isn't the keys that are the problem is the 'keyhole' which burrs over after a few years of hard usage.
Pete
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Hi
Pete what i understand its the gear that's soft? It should be the other way round bloody Chinese they cock any thing up.
How old is the chuck?
If it's Nova surly it's covered by record power warranty?
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These are the Tecknatool ones. Two are about 8 years old the other, which is fine at the mment is about 12 months old. Originals were made in New Zealand I believe. They have a hexagonal key like an allen key with a ball on the end which I found tends to slip in the keyhole and burrs it.
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Hi
Pete record power used to be the distributer in the UK upon till they started selling there own Chuck's it's only be a couple of years you may still get spares?
I tell you now dealing with Nova is a nightmare.
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Hi
Pete that should was tecknatool not Nova sorry mate
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Tell me about it. I tried to get some new bits and gave up.
Pete
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Silas if your chuck does not run true it may not be the chuck it may be the headstock spindle, it may be bent. A test for that is start it up with nothing attached and lower one end of a spanner to touch the rotating spindle. it it stays smooth the spindle is fine but if it jumps about it may be bent. The you will have other things to consider.
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Hi. I front think it's the spindle. I have already tried your suggestion. I have also fitted a large faceplate to the spindle and that runs true.
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Hi
Silas i would read your last post there is contradiction in your post you have problem with
The spindle ie it's running out ,but when you put a face plate on the spindle it's ok???
Have you got the use of a dial gouge ? If you have set up the gauge on the plain part of the spindle to read zero turn the spindle by hand not by power if it runs out it could be the spindle is bent ?or it could be the front bearing is shot which i would say is more likely than a bent spindle it would take some force to bend a spindle on a wood turning lathe.
It could be the spindle thread has been cut with the spindle running out of true.
To check the front bearing place a block of wood under your chuck and place some kind of lever under the chuck and with the dial gauge set again at zero gentle lift up the lever to detect any movement which will indicate bearing wear if that is the problem then replace both back and front bearing with good quality replacements.
If your chuck has a insert in it unscrew it check the runout of the spindle has described above then check the insert after screwing this on to the spindle this maybe out out of tolerance you will not be able to do this but look at the flats on the top of the threads.
Try moving it on the thread this is a problem with a inserted chuck and may be the cause of your problem.
If your chuck was made in the far East then i would look no further than poor workmanship.
Kind regards and good luck.
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I think my typo may have caused some confusion.im pretty sure the spindle is ok. It runs true with a large faceplate and with the tailstock centre and the feedstock centre lined up exactly it again runs perfectly true.
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Hi Silas - I had a chuck that ran out of true many years ago on my Myford ML7 and couldn't see why until I took it apart and measured it. It turns out that the metalwork teacher in the school it came from was using a bar in the jaws and a lump hammer to remove it from the mandrel !! -- Julian
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And I allways thought that Chucks with reverse operation were those that originated in the southern Hemisphere and operate in the reverse to the Northern Hemishere. Such As Water going down the plughole in the opposite direction to us!
;)
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Such As Water going down the plughole in the opposite direction to us!
;)
Sorry, that is a myth lol.
Pete
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Pretty much decided on the Record SC4,
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Such As Water going down the plughole in the opposite direction to us!
;)
Sorry, that is a myth lol.
Pete
Which part? the Vortex or Oragin?
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Well, I bought a record sc4. It's brilliant. Runs perfectly true and very impressive build quality.
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Hi
With or without the insert?
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Ordered it with a new insert. Very impressed up to now. I also bought some 35mm and some cold jaws.
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Hi
I bought a Nova chuck with a insert when put the chuck on the lathe it ran out .005" so i had a moan got a replacement insert which just about halved the runout so i left it at that .
As somebody said trying to contact the people Nova you might has well had a seance.
When i swopped lathes i bought record power sc4 no problem.
I am glad you got it sorted.