disgust with Nova 3000
Howard Pixley
I just had my second Leeson motor break a main shaft...I can't believe
this..up to this point Woodcraft has been very good about patching this
thing up but I can only say,this is very disappointing...
In less than one year I will have replaced the motor twice,the
faceplate, the tailstock,and two belts...Supposedly this comes with a 4
year warranty,I wonder what the chances are of giving this back and
upgrading to the new Delta...Anyone familiar enough with these two to
make a fair comparison?...The motor with the controller is about $500.So
far Woodcraft has honored the warranty but I worry about down the
road...
I'm sure they are tired of hearing from me but I can't afford the
maintenance this thing will need....tia
Thanks,Rick
ri...@rickfrazier.com
How did you manage to break the shaft of a Leeson motor? Even if the
spindle were mounted directly to it you shouldn't be able to put enough
force on it to break the motor shaft....
As I have several machines (none of them a Nova) that have Leeson motors,
and I'm not really known for taking it easy on my machines, I'm wondering
what happened to the two Leeson motors...
Thanks
--
Rick
Leif O. Thorvaldson
Bill Shakespeare) *G*
"Howard Pixley" <HRPi...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:7272-3C0...@storefull-287.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
Ruth
Howard,
Is it possible you just got a "lemon"?
Since it's not just the motor, possibly the guy on the assembly line was
getting divorced, his mother-in-law ordered a warrant for his arrest,
his son cracked up his car and his dog bit the mailman. So, when your
machine came by, well, you get the picture.
"There's only two kinds of lathes; those that run and those that don't"
(an old Ukranian saying I just made up).
<<< Leif wrote: "See! Ruth was right! Aggressive turning will always
out! (apologies to Bill Shakespeare) *G* ">>>
Leif, this thought did go through my mind, but there was No Way I was
going to open THAT can ! <BG>
Ruth
Jeremy K
I wonder what you are doing to these things. I personally would
take it back and try the Delta. I was going to recommend getting a
full refund for the motor and using a Baldor but after all the other
problems you are experiencing I would take the entire lathe back for a
refund.
Jeremy
HRPi...@webtv.net (Howard Pixley) wrote in message news:<7272-3C0...@storefull-287.iap.bryant.webtv.net>...
Arch
operated for years without the problems that disgust you. I'm not sure
what you mean by the "main" shaft of the motor? I would think to bend or
fracture the pulley end of a Leeson armature shaft takes some doing.
Replacing two belts raises the question of excess tension or
misalignment instead of bad belts. We need more info re having to
replace the tailstock, tho I can't relate that to breaking a 'main'
motor shaft. What happened to the face plate? I would think that somehow
the N3K was misused except that dealers don't usually replace for
breakage by improper use.
Anyway, you certainly have my sympathy. Please give us specific details,
as I believe this is an unusual situation of interest to many of us.
Regards, Arch
Fortiter,
Howard Pixley
development) has offered another replacemet, or even a full refund..Tim
says there is no way this motor shaft should snap...Tim also says this
is the second person he's seen to experience this phenomenon..The good
news was with that the other person 3 times was a charm..I'll give it
one more shot..He also is an aggressive turner(how else can you do it
when working in the rough),such as Lyn and myself..
Just for the curious,the belt was not overtightened,the pulleys are in
alignment,and this one broke at almost exactly the same as the
first,flush with the face of the motor.I was turning a slightly out of
balance blank earlier in the day and I fear this to be the Nova/Leeson's
weakness..We'll see..I spoke with several local electric motor rebuild
shops and the answer is the same,they are now expensive boat
anchors...Let's hope the saga ends here as I figure I'm wearing out my
welcome with Woodcraft...btw,never heard a word from the Nova folks....
Thanks,Rick
Lyn J. Mangiameli
regularly do really big wood (at least relative to the Nova) and am not
noted for my gentle technique, yet have never broken a shaft (thus far). I
suspect you are the victim of a most unfortunate but random defect in the
motor shafts (even statistically, someone occasionally comes up repeatedly
with tails). But look on the bright side, if you do it again, by then you
will probably be able to get a DVR headstock upgrade. :-)
Lyn
Kip055
>balance blank earlier in the day and I fear this to be the Nova/Leeson's
>weakness..
I have my doubts that this is the problem: I have had a Nova TL 1500
(predecesor of the 3K) with a 1 HP Leeson for several years and have turned
many unbalanced blanks w/o any problem of this sort. Wish I had some
constructive ideas to suggest. Good Luck!
Kip Powers
Rogers, AR
Bruce
problems I have seen and complaints by people more experienced than myself
have removed the Nova from my want list.
If I spend that kind of money, I would be expecting the thing to work, and
work correctly.
"Howard Pixley" <HRPi...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:7272-3C0...@storefull-287.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
Derek Andrews
>Never the less, being a newbie turner who is considering an upgrade, the
>problems I have seen and complaints by people more experienced than myself
>have removed the Nova from my want list.
Whoa! I would be interested to know what problems you are basing this
on. On the whole, I have never seen anything but minor niggles about
this lathe. I am certainly very happy with mine, which has been in
production use for two years or more.
As for the problem that was reported at the start of this thread, I am
still awaiting a reply to Arch's request for more information. My bet
is that the motor bearing has failed due to excess tightening of the
belt. I just can't believe that the motor shaft has 'broken'.
Derek Andrews Sunrise Woodcrafts
http://www.sunrisewoodcrafts.ns.ca
Woodturning instruction. Fine gifts made of wood.
http://www.sunrisetrail.ca
Visit Nova Scotia's scenic Sunrise Trail this summer.
Arch
lathe, Maybe I lucked out and got a good one since my N3K has done all
that its class issupposed to do.Yep, I have criticized it for not being
a $3K machine, but mostly as one that feels free to criticize someone or
some thing that actually they like a lot. I suppose many turners outgrow
their N3Ks as they progress in the craft. Then make adverse comments
about the Nova from the heights of their new 'whatever'. I don't know
what lathe you use now, but if you are upgrading 'to' instead of 'from'
a lathe in the N3K's class don't rule it out based on complaints posted
here. Of course, I don't know what problems you have seen, but, as you
know, no machine is without some drawback and compromise. Even the color
it's painted can favor a lathe, but there are two sides to even a barn
door. I'm writing this and wasting bandwidth to convince myself that I
made a smart buy. :-) Arch
Fortiter,
Fred Holder
3000 lathes in use, these few failures that are mentioned should not deter the
purchase of a new one. I would not hesitate for a minute to purchase a new Nova
3000 if my budget was in the less than $1500 range, and it is. There are much
better lathes than the Nova 3000, but they cost a great deal more. After using
mine for several years, I do not believe that there is a better lathe for the
money on the market. It is not a OneWay or a Stubby, but it doesn't cost $5,000
either. It is a fine lathe and does not deserve the bad knocks that some have
given it.
The problem with the Leeson motor shafts breaking is not a problem with the Nova
3000, but with Leeson. I do not believe that Teknatool furnishes these motors
with the lathes. The lathe is made to accept the Leeson motor. Mine does have
the 1 horsepower motor. Most of the problems seem to have been with the 1-1/2 hp
motor, which is much heavier.
I have no connection with Teknatool, I'm just a satisfied Nova 3000 user.
Fred Holder
<http://www.fholder.com/>
In article <3c0f6...@skycache-news.fidnet.com>, "Bruce" says...
Howard Pixley
shaft broke,NOT A BEARING FAILURE),
a tailstock from the factory with way too much play and titebonded
making it impossible to adjust,a faceplate that is a total joke,and a
partridge in a pear tree...All in one year..
As I previously stated,Woodcraft admitted there was a problem with
"some" Leeson motors...Once again,believe it, the mainshaft did break
and the belt did not..btw,the motors still run quietly..I Feel better
for venting,current frustrated non turner..
Thanks,Rick
Howard Pixley
narrowed to the dc motors....I agree that when all is all the late is a
joy to use..Maybe that's why I get so frustrated when all is not well..
Thanks,Rick
James Barley
DC motor break on me, I also recieved a service notice from KMS tools
stating there was a problem with motor shaft breakage with the newer style
motor mount, which centers around the cam-style belt tightener.
I no longer have this lathe, but I've heard through the grapevine, that this
machine has suffered another Baldour motor shaft failure.
My point being, that it is not just a Leeson problem.
Better WoodTurning through "Common Sense" .
Regards.
James Barley.
http://members.shaw.ca/jamesbarley
"Fred Holder" <fr...@fholder.com> wrote in message
Some snipped >>>
m...@ci.juneau.ak.us
bundles the motor w/the lathe, not Teknatool. If you buy one in NZ
you'll get a completely different motor. Heck, if you buy one from
Craft Supplies in Utah you get a different motor. I don't dispute going
through two motors is a pain, but it's independent of the lathe. Heck,
you can buy the lathe w/o a motor at all and get whatever brand you
want, as well. The tailstock is a shortcoming but as Arch? noted, its
not a $3000 lathe. Mine was about $750 plus another $350 or so for the
motor. I haven't seen any other $750 lathes that can come close to
it...
...Kevin
Arch
shafts? I wonder if where they snapped, the metal was somehow hardened
and brittle enough that a small nick along with excessive belt
tightening. or conversely left loose causing a percussion hammer effect
broke the shafts. I make hollowing tools by nicking tool bits then
breaking into short pieces with a sharp hammer blow. Or maybe that
d..... partridge
did it, and is smiling to herself up in that tree. Pear turns nicely.
Cut the tree down and turn something. :-) Arch
Fortiter,
Gary Withrow
i bought mine about a year ago and put a marathon 1 hp from ENCO on it and
within about 4 or 5 hrs of use the shaft broke behind the bearing. ENCO
replaced it no questions asked. in retrospect i believe that the cam action
mount enables you to put a great deal of strain on the motor shaft. i am
very careful when tightening it now and have had no problems
gary
"James Barley" <james...@excite.com> wrote in message
news:rAOP7.26516$%B6.75...@news2.rdc1.bc.home.com...
gmccoy
"Ruth" <rfn...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:5836-3C...@storefull-125.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
Don Evans
Did the shaft break near the motor housing, as opposed to mid way the shaft?
Were you using the smaller diameter portions of the motor pulley, say one of
the 3 smallest?
I'm suspicious that this problem may trace to improper tightening of the self
locking nuts that hold the motor pivot bracket, or the studs that these nuts
are screwed onto are loose when under great pressure. My first suspect would be
the one closes to the front of the lathe. If this nut isn't tightened down
enough or the stud is loose in the headstock housing then there is the
potential of tremendous pressure being applied to the motor shaft during heavy
turning.
Either of these conditions would show up when a heavy blank is being roughed
out, the belt would have a tendency to "S" during heavy load, the stud gives
and moves, then the load lessens due to motor movement. This causes the motor
to want to race and it's circuits kick in to equalize this slowing it down,
then the motor moves back to it's proper position, the result is the load is
instantly put back on the belt with the motor probably somewhere near 1750 rpm
and "snap".
I'm really suspicious of the stud more than an improperly tightened nut because
you have changed the motor once since the original installation.
I can think of other things but this one I think is most likely. I've seen stud
such as this fool repairmen even when checking them as they can seem fine when
not under a load. Also realize I don't know if these are threaded studs or
knurled. This is more likely if they are knurled that they will seem fine now
with no load, a threaded one, loose is loose and should be easy to find, but I
don't see a threaded one loose having enough play to cause this problem.
Thoughts at 3am are subject to many miswordings and I'm not gonna proof read
this, so take it or leave it as is.
Don
Brad Thomas
Unfortunatrly this is not the first time I have heard this sad tale on the
Nova 3000. As well I know one tuner who had sucess for years, but still
upgraded to a Vicmarc 300 long bed. Vicmarc has a model VL175 that
incorporates a swivel head that is absolutely beautiful, and would compare
in price to the delta. You can get info on the Vicmarc's fromk the guys at
www.blackforestwood.com out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The exchange rate
these days offers great value if you are in the USA.
Regards,
Brad Thomas