NOVA LATHES: AN OVERVIEW

We’ve been making lathes & woodturning accessories for over 27 years, and were the first company to introduce one of the biggest innovations for woodturners; the 4 jaw self centering chuck, with the NOVA chuck back in 1988. This chuck revolutionised how work was held in Woodturning. We continue this proud tradition of innovation, quality and best value in modern NOVA products today.

Today, we have currently 2 lathes in the NOVA Product Family:

• NOVA DVR XP

• NOVA 1624

All accessories are interchangeable between our lathe models. NOVA are the only lathe manufacturers to offer this flexible and money saving feature – you can confidently invest in accessories to further adapt your lathe product to suit your needs, whilst knowing that if you ever wanted to upgrade your lathe options, your accessories won’t have to be changed, too.

All of our lathes are the result of many, many hours of input from woodturners, engineers and mechanical specialists, not to mention over 27 years of lathe manufacturing experience.

At Teknatool International, we firmly believe in, and try to adopt, best value in every product, including the lathes. This means finding the best possible mix between quality, features and price for you, the user of our products.

This approach was recently vindicated, with Fine Woodworking Magazine awarding the NOVA lathes the BEST VALUE in the heavy duty lathe test in April of this year, going up against machines which were many of thousands of dollars more expensive.

WHICH LATHE?

The following factors should be considered when choosing which NOVA lathe best suits your needs: 

• Ease of use and power

• Size of wood/project

• Price

• Extra features required (ie computerised control)  

FEATURES COMMON TO ALL OUR NOVA LATHES  

Quality materials

Solid Cast Iron throughout, with high grade cast iron used, with solid section thickness and CAD generated gussets at critical points along the lathe bed, designed to withstand extremely high stresses with practically no distortion.  The graphite in the grain provides lubrication and wear resistance.

Heavy duty quality bearings used. Sealed for life and have  a very high load rating in both static and dynamic applications.

Heavy duty K1045 carbon steel used in spindles, locks, toolrest stems, and wherever steel is used on the lathe.

Precision Manufacturing

We use state of the art CNC machines to manufacture the lathes.

Laser alignment is used to ensure precise alignment between the headstock and the tailstock.

Headstock & Tailstock spindles are precision machined in one operation from a solid steel block for high accuracy. Made from high quality K1045 medium tensile machine steel for optimum strength and wear.

Stationary lathe capabilities in a compact workspace. 

Incredible power in a compact working space, great for those who need all the workshop space they can get!  The swivel head and articulated Outrigger Accessory means that turning even large bowls (29”) you are still turning in the same compact working envelope.  The strong Extendable Bed Accessory means you can temporarily grow your lathe spindle capacity to match project requirements as you need it.

Strong 2 Morse Taper spindles

A taper is a simple and convenient way of removing and installing centres. A lathe with a 2MT will have a wide variety of accessories available worldwide. 

NOVA smart accessories

Lathe accessories are common between the models, meaning any money invested in the accessories isn’t wasted if you upgrade your NOVA lathe.

Fully 360° Swivel head

Position work where you want it, makes your turning more comfortable and saves you workshop space.

Most woodturners after they have used a swivel head lathe do not want to go back to a fixed head machine.  Here’s why:

• Ergonomics.  Traditional fixed head lathes require you to hunch uncomfortably over the bed.  Swivelling the head allows you to turn in a more comfortable position.  This eases back strain – a common turning complaint. Also allows you to position the turning to give clear visual of the cutting face.  Tool handles are unobstructed away from the bed of the lathe. You can even turn the head away from you to back turn bowls.
• Space Saving.  Fixed head lathes require a lot of space away from the wall to allow for outboard turning.  The swivel head lathe turned 90 degrees to the bed allows all the outboard turning to be done in front of the lathe – this is clear workshop space where the operator stands anyway.  This allows the swivel head lathe to be positioned close to the wall and take up minimum workshop space.  With the trend to smaller workshops this is an important consideration.
• Same Fixtures.  With fixed head lathes you need to duplicate all your thread fixtures – faceplates, chucks etc for a left hand thread.  This can be quite an extra expense. A swivel head lathe uses all the same fixtures for larger outboard work.
• Same technique.  Fixed head lathes require you to learn and use a different Left hand cutting technique.  With a swivel head lathe you use the same inboard cutting technique and tools.

You save your back – save workshop space – save on extra chucks & faceplates – use same techniques – why wouldn’t you want a swivel head lathe?

All swivel head lathes offer these advantages but not all swivel head lathes are created equal. The Nova 1624-44 & the Nova DVR XP offers the best Swivel Head options on the market, here’s why:

• Precision swivel head – locks back to precise center alignment to the bed.

• Many swivel head lathes do not have precise alignment.

• Easy to swivel – just undo the lock pin and depress the detent pin lever.

• Some swivel head lathes have an awkward or inaccessible swivel lever.

• Can lock the head at any position.  Many swivel head lathes can only be locked at the 90 degree position.

• Detent Pin lock for extra security and precision.  You can lock the head at 22.5, 45 and 90 degrees for heavy work.

Safety

With robust guarding, intelligent control on the DVR XP, and smart NOVA features like clever speed range, and sturdy construction, the NOVA lathes are a safe choice for your workshop.

Heavy duty construction, large drive and tailstock centres, solid bearings and other features, NOVA lathes have the features to handle their large capacities.   

Long reach toolslides

Designed to take advantage for the extra capacity the NOVA lathes offer.

Solid ToolRests

Cast Iron and K1045 tensile carbon steel. Substantial design to match the large capacities the NOVA lathes offer, with a 300mm/12” length and a 25mm/1” solid steel stem. Toolrests are essential on the lathe, so the chisel can be supported and moved along the length of the job. The 300mm/12” Toolrest standard with the NOVA lathes is a really useful, all purpose length that will satisfy most project requirements.

Extendable Beds

Make your lathe as long as your project requires, without having permanently taking up workshop room! (Additional Accessory item)

Quick Action Cam Controls

Precisely adjust to your requirements, fast.

Large Capacities

400mm/16” diameter swing over bed, and up to 740mm/29” diameter swing (using Optional Outrigger Accessory)

600mm/24” between centres, and extendable in 510mm/20” increments to as long as you need (using Optional Bed Extension Accessory)

Great Speed Range

The NOVA lathes boast a great speed range, giving the ability to cope with very large, out of balance work right through to small fine pieces like pens.

Comprehensive Instructions

All NOVA products come with comprehensive support and instructions to enable to you get the most out of your investment.

Comprehensive Warranty

All NOVA products come with a comprehensive, no quibble warranty.