Nova Orein Lath

[Chris Payne]

Fixing to retire and think I want to doo a little turning. Thinking serious about buying the Nova Orein Lath from what I have been seeing this is a fairly good lath. Do you think it is better then the Jet or the Ricon?

[David Walser]

Chris -- I believe the Nova Orion is a fine lathe. Is it better than the Rikon or Jet? Both companies make a number of different lathes. Rikon doesn't make a lathe that is size comparable with the Nova Orion. Rikon's full-size lathe, the 70-3040, is simply a more substantial machine than the Orion. If both are in your budget, I'd pick the Rikon. But, that's like saying I prefer a Ford F250 over a Chevy 1500. It's not a fair comparison. An F250 is simply more truck than a Chevy 1500 (or a Ford F150, for that matter). There's a place for a Chevy 1500 and lots of reasons to pick it over a Chevy 2500 (or Ford F250), but the two trucks are simply in different categories. That's true of the Orion and the Rikon.

The Jet JWL-1840EVS is a better comparison to the Orion. The two lathes have similar capacities and capabilities. The Jet is a more traditional lathe design. Many like Nova's direct drive headstock. Unlike most modern lathes, that use a standard electric motor and sophisticated electronics to drive the spindle via a belt and pulleys, the Nova's spindle is mated directly with its motor. There are advantages to both approaches and you can do excellent work with each. One thing to consider is the repairability of both designs. If something happens to the Nova's electronics, you may need to replace the entire headstock and the only place to get parts is from Nova directly. If something goes wrong with the Jet, you may be able to fix the lathe using third-party parts sourced locally.

I'm NOT saying that the Nova is unreliable! All three brands you mentioned have good reputations. None are considered a premium brand, but they aren't cut-rate, either.

HTH

[Chris Payne]

David I didn't know about the Nova's direct drive another one I have been looking at is the Oneway the 1224 I think it is priced about $2900.00. How would you rate this one in comparison to the other ones I mentioned. Thanks I appreciate your input.

[tom lucas]

The Oneway is a nice lathe, no doubt. But after turning for a while I've realized that a sliding headstock is important for bowl turning. Being able to turn off the end of the lathe is a real back saver. With that in mind, you might also consider the powermatic 2014. Standard bed length might be a bit short, depending on your intended uses. But the extension is reasonably priced. I also like that it's 1 1/4" head stock, making it more compatible with full size accessories.

[Joe Bradshaw]

Chris, I have the Oneway 1224 lathe and it is my favorite of the 5 lathes that I own. I do have the Oneway2436 with a bed extension. Almost everything that I currently turn can be done on the 1224. Hope that this helps.
Joe

[David Walser]

Chris -- Oneway is a premium brand of lathes. From that standpoint, the Oneway 1224 is "better" than any of the other lathes we've been discussing. It's also a less capable machine -- just because it's smaller. The Oneway 1224 has a 12" swing, meaning that the largest diameter it can turn is 12". The Nova Orion has an 18" swing, and, with it's pivoting headstock can turn items over 30" in diameter. The Rikon has a 30" swing and the Jet has an 18" swing. So, while the Oneway might be thought of as a higher quality lathe than these others, it's not as capable.

My advice is for you to think about the kinds of things you want to be able to turn. At first, it might be smaller items like pens or pepper mills. Or, at first, it might be bowls and platters. But, try to imagine what kinds of things you might want to turn occasionally. For example, most of my turning projects are smaller items. For such things, the Oneway 1224 would be perfect. However, occasionally, my wife asks me to turn a lamp base for one of her stained-glass lampshades. I also, occasionally, turn a large bowl or large hollow form. For these occasional projects, I would find the Oneway 1224 limiting. So, I went with a full-sized lathe even though most of my turning could be done on something much smaller.

Once you've determined what kinds of projects you think you'd like your lathe to be able to turn, we can help you look for one that might fit your budget. There are lots of good brands available in today's market.

[Chris Payne]

Yes David I see what you mean. I may be leaning toward the 1640EVS mainly because of the 110V. I have 220V. in the shop but I would have to run a new hook up for it. Which really wouldn't be a real big deal. I'm guessing that you would think it would be worth the extra work. Is it that much difference in the 2 other then being a extra 2" higher and a larger motor ?

[Chris Payne]

Joe After giving that a little thought I believe I would like the swivel head stock.

[David Walser]

Chris -- When I first started turning, a pivoting headstock was a very common feature. There is a reason why that feature has all-but died out. A pivoting headstock has two primary purposes. First, it makes it easier to turn 'outboard', which effectively increases the swing of the lathe. Second, it can be more comfortable to turn bowls with the headstock pivoted, as this prevents the need to bend over the ways of the lathe when hollowing a bowl. A sliding headstock provides both these benefits without any of the potential drawbacks of a pivoting headstock. That is, by sliding the headstock down to the other end of the lathe, you can easily turn 'outboard' with out the need to bend over the ways when hollowing a bowl.

What are the drawbacks of a pivoting headstock? There are three primary concerns. First, when turning with the head pivoted, the mass of the spinning work is no longer over the ways of the lathe. Which means that the weight and turning forces are no longer centered between the legs of the lathe. This can increase the amount of felt vibration, which is the enemy of good turning. Second, to turn outboard, you need someway to hold your tool rest out in front of your work. Most lathes with a pivoting head address this issue by providing a pivoting arm that can be installed in the banjo. The arm can then be pivoted out and around your work, with the tool rest mounted at the end of the arm. Your tool rest might be 18" away from the banjo, suspended by a metal arm. It's a little like trying to use a diving board to support your tool rest. Let's just say it can introduce a little bit of 'bounce' into the equation. Finally, after you are through turning outboard, you'll want to pivot the headstock back to its 'home' position. With some lathes, this can introduce an alignment problem with the tailstock.

None of these drawbacks cannot be overcome by good design and quality workmanship. Vicmarc appears to have done this with their pivoting headstock lathe. But, note, the Vicmarc is beefier than the Nova lathes. It also costs a lot more. Does the Nova lathe suffer from all these drawbacks? Opinions may vary, but I don't think so. I don't believe it has an alignment issue. But, I've turned on one outboard. Not my favorite experience.

[David Walser]

Jet's 1640EVS is a fine lathe. I think you'd be happy with it. Most people prefer it in its 220v configuration. But, you can do really good work with it wired for 110v. You just might need to take slightly lighter cuts. Only you can answer whether 16" of swing will suffice. I turned on a 16" swing lathe for close to 20 years before recently upgrading to a 20" swing lathe (the PM 3520C). But, I didn't upgrade for the increased swing. I did it because my 16" lathe had a short bed. This made it great for turning bowls, but not so great for some of the hollow forms I wanted to turn (no room for my hollowing rig).

HTH

[Chris Payne]

I been looking at the Jet 1840 EVS. Does it have a reverse on it I can't seem to see it anywhere in the specs.

[David Walser]

Yes, the Jet 1840 EVS runs in forward and reverse. Here's a link to an overview of the lathe's features from Craft Supplies USA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLHHU-RQr8A

[Reed Gray]

As far as pivoting headstocks go, I own a Vicmark 240 which is their version of a pivoting headstock. It is my favorite bowl lathe, even with an American Beauty in the house. It pivots from 0, which is in line with the lathe bed, to 30 and 90 degrees. The standard banjo on the lathe easily handles the 30 degree position, and the weight of the machine more then compensates for any rough shaped bowl blank. You have to pull a very close fitting pin to pivot the headstock. When returning to zero, the pin inserts again for spot on positioning. There is a set screw on the base of the pivoting mechanism that you use for the pivoted positions. The lathe has 3 speed ranges, which I consider a huge advantage, and will go down to almost zero before turning off. This is essential for sanding my warped bowls. If you move to the 90 degree position, you need an auxillary tool rest that goes down to the ground. I do not consider that good for daily work, but if you have a huge piece you want to turn, it will handle it. Mostly this is because it is rather awkward to move around. Oh, it does run on 220 volt. When I first set up my wood shop about 30 years ago, every single book I read said any motor 1 hp and above, should run on 220. They just work better. Only lathe I found that runs on 110 well and keeps the torque was the Nova DVR. There is another lathe from Record, can't remember the name, that has a nice pivoting head stock set up. So, yes, there were some problems with the early pivoting headstocks, but the lathe companies, for the most part, paid attention. The early Nova lathes on sheet metal stands, and a Jet version with a 2 part banjo 'extender' were some of the worst examples.

As for lathes, I do not like turning bowls on a long bed lathe. You either have to bend over at the waist to get into proper position, which bothers any body's back if you do enough of it. The other way around that is to use the Stuart Batty method where your arms are extended out away from your body, which I could learn, but didn't because I got one of the very early Powermatic 3520A lathes with the sliding headstock. Slide the headstock down to the end and you can stand up straight and keep your arms in close to your body. It drives me nuts to see people turning bowls on a lathe and not use the sliding headstock option. Some people don't have room to turn off the end of their lathes due to cramped shops. This is where the pivoting headstock lathes are a huge back saver.

robo hippy