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12-02-2016, 06:54 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-05-2016, 08:18 PM by Christopher Dopp.
Edit Reason: fix sentence.
)
I did exactly what you are contemplating. I had the older green rikon mini lathe and upgraded to a Nova 1624-44 (the original version 1).
I bought it used locally from someone else who was upgrading (to a robust lathe!). It came with the outboard turning attachment as well.
I have been very happy with it. Sometimes I wish for the DVR version so I wouldn't have to switch the belt and could quickly dial in speeds, but it is really easy to change the belt once you do so a few times. (Technically you can purchase a DVR motor upgrade later on for the 1624-44 but its not cheap.) It's plenty powerful and allows for turning good sized objects (especially with the outboard turning attachment)
I purchased a bed extension and the swing-away hinge. Later on I built a plywood box and added 5 x 60lb bags of sand to give the lathe some additional weight.
I think it is a good lathe and it will work for me until I decide to go bigger in the future.
![[Image: lathe_on_stand%20Large_zpsne1tzxe9.jpg]](http://i1310.photobucket.com/albums/s654/cdopp/lathe_on_stand%20Large_zpsne1tzxe9.jpg)
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Well I pulled the trigger Saturday morning. I'm typically skeptical when retailers/manufacturers say that you need help when lifting and assembling their products, but in this case it was definitely warranted! Luckily my brother was in town for a visit. The box easily fit in the back of my Subaru Outback, but the weight was very apparent as soon as I started to drive; it weighs almost as much as the sailboat I tow!
We got it together in a couple of hours. Compared to my little Rikon, it is a dramatic difference. Overall I am very pleased. The fit and finish is fine with a couple of minor quibbles: The tool rest is about as smooth as the surface of the moon. I will probably take my angle grinder with some 80 grit abrasive and smooth it down. The tailstock was about 1mm out of alignment with the headstock, but that was really easy to adjust via some set screws underneath. The hinged motor guard door won't stay open, so changing the belts is slightly more annoying than it should be. The instruction manual could use some editing, but coming from a professional writer, that shouldn't surprise anyone!
I threw on a small 4x4 piece of douglas fir (it was the only scrap nearby that didn't need to be glued up) just to say that I turned something. Of course, D-fir does not appear to be a good species for turning. Later, I cut a 7X7" piece of 8/4 mesquite and started a bowl. My conclusion? I have a LOT to learn about turning. But the needle is in my arm, so let the addiction begin.
--Mike
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(12-05-2016, 12:09 PM)MoMan Wrote: The tool rest is about as smooth as the surface of the moon. I will probably take my angle grinder with some 80 grit abrasive and smooth it down.
--Mike
I highly recommend you don't use power tools for that job. Take your sandpaper and use a scrap piece of wood or something rigid and flat as a sanding block. Using an angle grinder risks you getting an uneven surface. Your sanding block should be as long as the tool rest. I'd go all the way to 320 grit. The smoother the tool rest, the kinder it will be on your tools.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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Good advice. I appreciate that.
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Better to follow the leader than the pack. Less to step in.
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One of the first upgrades you'll end up thinking about is a tool rest with a hardened rod. Nova makes their own now which I have and like much more than the cast iron rest. I was constantly filing that SOB. COngrats on the new lathe!
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(12-05-2016, 08:22 PM)ACP Wrote: One of the first upgrades you'll end up thinking about is a tool rest with a hardened rod. Nova makes their own now which I have and like much more than the cast iron rest. I was constantly filing that SOB. COngrats on the new lathe!
I filed out the previous owner's dings when I got my 3000. Dozen years, never again. Are you using an overhand grip? If the tool can't drop and bash, but only press the rest, everything stays nice.
Better to follow the leader than the pack. Less to step in.
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Overhand and underhand, but when I rolled my bedan or some of my other tools with sharp corners it would invariably dig. I eventually rounded all my sharp corners down and it helped, but I really like the hardened steel bar on these and Robust rests, and some other brands. Caveat! - I'm not the best turner in the world.
