Thread: Nova 1624/44 Woes

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Scott how tight are you making the belt they are supposed to be just enough pressure on them to run the pulley??

Yep, just *enough*, made that mistake the first time.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Are the bearings free when the belts not on?

Bearings are fine.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Yes there are or have been issues with the key way and grub screw from a couple of fellows i know not on here fixes as have been stated above.

About to head out the door to get some loctite

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Forgetting the Indexer is on does not help

Errr, i do that ALL the time, must reprogram brain.

Originally Posted by sjt

Errr, i do that ALL the time, must reprogram brain.

Especially if one does not turn every day.

Make a check list of steps to do before starting lathe & stick up where visible. Do them in order each time. After 10s or hundreds of times it becomes habit.

Do a search of "turning safety" to help with the list. Having a block of timber come out of the lathe because you didn't lock the tailstock, or starting the lathe at too high a speed with an unbalanced blank will make you a believer.

If airline pilots can do a check list every time before starting engines, so can we turners.

Make a check list of steps to do before starting lathe & stick up where visible. Do them in order each time. After 10s or hundreds of times it becomes habit.



That is really excellent advice for all of us - and not just for the lathe. It could apply equally as well to bandsaws, tablesaws etc. etc.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by sjt

Yep, just *enough*, made that mistake the first time.



Bearings are fine.



About to head out the door to get some loctite

Errr, i do that ALL the time, must reprogram brain.

This is possibly whats causing the damage to pulleys and key way also will possibly be enlarging the hole on the index plate.

Not at all familiar with that make fo lathe but it looks like the spindle has an internal thread. Can you use a bolt and washer in that to prevent the pulley from working off until you can find the cause of the problem? Might save you a belt ot two and allow you to get on with turning.

Hi sjt,
I'am wondering why all those Belts have broken.
Is it because of the Pulley slipping on the shaft.
Have you got your belt to tight, which I'am leaning toward.
Like I said in a previous thread, had my Lathe 21 yrs. V belt. Lathe sits on 3000 RPM. most times, & just the weight of Motor controls the Belt Tension.

Sorry sjt, didn't read page 2, as someone has already mentioned that. had to edit this.

Thanks all for your advice. I've spent most of the weekend pulling apart the lathe and reassembling. Issatree is spot on, I had the belt too tight. Secondly the belt was/is slipping over the grooves which had spread. This was fixed by purchasing a new headstock pulley. The index holes were worn as well, this would of been caused by turning on the lathe when the pin was engaged. I would of had to replace the pulley anyway as the previous owner had given it a bash to get it off the shaft. Thankfully the shaft was ok. Lastly I added some loctite to the grub screw and inserted another over the top. This pulley ain't moving now. I've also greased and oiled everything and waxed the rails.

As a result the lathe is humming along beautifully, thanks to the combined responses of everyone here. Thanks once again.