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Nova Chuck Newbie

S

Steven Jones

Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
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Location
Orlando
I finally got my first Nova Chuck and have a few questions because the instructions suck that come with it.

1. What is the wormwood screw for?
2. The grub screw is what locks everyone in place once you have your piece set?
3. How long does that fiber washer last on the grub screw.
4. How often and what kind of lube
5. Any major does and donts?

Thanks for the help.
 
Steven Jones said:
I finally got my first Nova Chuck and have a few questions because the instructions suck that come with it.

1. What is the wormwood screw for?
2. The grub screw is what locks everyone in place once you have your piece set?
3. How long does that fiber washer last on the grub screw.
4. How often and what kind of lube
5. Any major does and donts?

Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

My first scroll chuck was a nova.
1The worm screw is for holding blanks with a hole drilled into the face grain screwed on to it. Usually bowl blanks.

2 not sure which screw this might be. Some nova chucks have a set screw to lock the lathe thread insert in place so that it does not unscrew from the chuck body.

4. I have never lubed any of my chucks. I blow the out the body with compressed air about twice a year.

5. I sand the leading edge of the jaws to knock off the sharp corners. You don't want to touch any moving part of the chuck. You also don't want to get cut if you should.
Chuck jaws are more likely to grab jewelry, clothing, hair than most things.
Don't open the jaws too wide. Don't make the tenon too long.
Have fun
Al
 
Last edited:
Grub screws

There are two grub screws and fiber washers that I can think of. One set is to lock the threaded insert to the chuck body. (if you have an insert) The other is in the chuck body itself and kind of acts like a drag, it give some tension between the body and the scroll and is not used to “lock†things down, just snugged a bit. I have two, about 5 or 6 years old that I use on my traveling lathe and the little washers are still good. As for lube, I break them down once or twice a year, blow out, spray with Balistall and wipe off as much as I can.( Lube is a dust magnet. )

cc
 
I have 2 and now andagain when i fell the need it i take the jaw slides out and bolw it all clean then wash in kerosen and let dry this leaves a dry film on the parts my newer one is 15yrs old and as good as newlook after them they will last ,give them a dry blow out often make sure you replace the jaw slides starting with no1 or they wont open and close evenly.

Ian
 
Corrrect.

One set screw (small one) is for securing the insert to the chuck body once the adapter is FULLY seated.

The other is to keep the chuck from unscrewing itself when running the lathe in reverse (don't need it if you never do that). It is NOT intended to hep seat the chuck on the spindle.

The insert should fit so that the chuck will sit nice and tight aganst the tailstock (assuming that the insert is installed coorectly, and you havn't cross threaded anything).
 
The insert should fit so that the chuck will sit nice and tight aganst the tailstock (assuming that the insert is installed coorectly, and you havn't cross threaded anything).[/QUOTE]

I think you meant snug up against the headstock spindle, not tailstock. 🙂
 
Jeff Gilfor said:
Corrrect.

One set screw (small one) is for securing the insert to the chuck body once the adapter is FULLY seated.

The other is to keep the chuck from unscrewing itself when running the lathe in reverse (don't need it if you never do that). It is NOT intended to hep seat the chuck on the spindle.

The insert should fit so that the chuck will sit nice and tight aganst the tailstock (assuming that the insert is installed coorectly, and you havn't cross threaded anything).
Click to expand...

Not fully seated if it seats against a wire edge. Clean up the leading edge so it can snug up flat into the rear of the chuck. You may even have to back out an eighth to get the setscrew to fit in the groove. As long as it runs true, who cares.

The locking grubscrew in the "L" insert should, in my opinion, be a brass one from Grainger, especially if you have a non-Nova lathe and have to secure it in the threaded portion of your brand.
 
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