What to do with old lathe

[David Bolson]

I have a Nova 2024 and I fried the motor. Teknatool has no replacement 2024 headstocks, so I need to get a new lathe.


My question is what can I do with the Nova parts? Salvageable parts, I suppose are the outrigger, the tailstock, the legs and an extension. I’m not sure anyone would want any of those things enough to pay shipping for such heavy items. The headstock is useless, unless someone wants an extra mainboard or control panel. And it’s very heavy.


I could make a heavy table with the legs, but they’re not “fashionable” legs. Make an industrial looking lamp with the outrigger?


So, lots of heavy metal. I don’t even know how to discard it. Any ideas? Thanks.

David

[Chris A Lawrence]

If your going to just get rid of it find a scrap yard if you have one near you. It will not make you rich but they might give you enough to cover the gas and lunch. Alternatively get a 3/4 inch sheet of plywood cut it down and double it up. Bolt it to the top of the ways to make a sturdy work bench. If your banjo fits the ways of your new lathe a second banjo comes in handy. I used the banjo off my old lathe to attach a shop made capture ring for my hollower to my new lathe.

[John K Jordan]

...My question is what can I do with the Nova parts? Salvageable parts, I suppose are the outrigger, the tailstock, the legs and an extension. I’m not sure anyone would want any of those things enough to pay shipping for such heavy items. ...So, lots of heavy metal. I don’t even know how to discard it. Any ideas? Thanks.
]

You might list where you live in your profile so it will be displayed with your messages. Perhaps someone nearby would buy it for parts.

JKJ

[Kevin Jenness]

Can the motor be rewound?

Seems like a lame design that consigns the entire machine to the scrapyard due to motor failure, plus poor support from the manufacturer.

[David Bolson]

I'm sure the ways will be different, but if I change the hardware that holds it onto the ways, maybe that will work? I was also thinking that maybe I could adapt the outrigger to the new lathe somehow.

I live in Northern New Jersey.

I enjoyed the lathe and it served me well, but the proprietary Nova system is frustrating. The 2024 was discontinued quite a while ago, and they have no headstocks left. I asked about fixing or replacing the motor and was told no - "the headstock IS the motor", inseparably.

[Kevin Jenness]

It may be worth your while to take the headstock to a motor repair shop for assessment.

[Chris A Lawrence]

I'm sure the ways will be different, but if I change the hardware that holds it onto the ways, maybe that will work? I was also thinking that maybe I could adapt the outrigger to the new lathe somehow.

I live in Northern New Jersey.

I enjoyed the lathe and it served me well, but the proprietary Nova system is frustrating. The 2024 was discontinued quite a while ago, and they have no headstocks left. I asked about fixing or replacing the motor and was told no - "the headstock IS the motor", inseparably.

Don't be so sure until you check. My old lathe was a 12 inch harbor freight i upgraded to a grizzly G0766 much larger. The gap between the ways was still the same and it fit without modification. As for the motor you might be able to get it repaired but being its built into the headstock and not bolted to the outside it might be time consuming for a repair guy to get it out to diagnose it.

[Earl McLain]

It may be worth your while to take the headstock to a motor repair shop for assessment.

Even if it's the controller board instead of the motor itself--motor shop may have line on a rebuilder of encoders. I've had a few simple ones rebuilt by a client's shop, but he retired a few years ago and i don't have access locally any more. While the board may be proprietary, the components are sourced from somewhere.
earl

[Reed Gray]

I am not familiar with that lathe, but if it isn't the DVR motor, you should be able to find a replacement for it. I believe mounting holes would be the only problem. Finding a comparable powered motor should not be difficult. Talk to a local tool repair shop.

robo hippy

[David Bolson]

I am not familiar with that lathe, but if it isn't the DVR motor, you should be able to find a replacement for it.
robo hippy

It is a DVR motor. I keep looking at it trying to think of something, but the way it's built, I can't even access the motor.

[Richard Casey]

It is a DVR motor. I keep looking at it trying to think of something, but the way it's built, I can't even access the motor.

I just did a Google search and there is tons of articles about fixing them, changing bearings etc. Not knowing your skills or the equipment you have, if it is fried I would have a go at pulling it apart and see if you can mount another motor behind it with a VFD or offer it to someone else who can. Just a thought, better than being scrapped.
Rgds,
Richard.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

heck for something that size, I would slap a huge belt pulley on the outboard side and jury rig a motor to it. might not be pretty but would work. Where in New Jersey? I am 2.5 hours west of Phillipsburg.

[Robert D Evans]

Like Perry said, if you could attach a pulley on the outboard spindle side, you could get a motor and turn it into a buffing / disc sanding rig. It would be one speed but you could set the speed with the size of the pulleys. I have an old Rockwell Delta lathe that I did that to and it's very convenient.

[Brice Rogers]

As several others have said, take it to a qualified motor rebuilding shop. All motors share some common characteristics. When they built the lathe they had to assemble it. So, it can be disassembled too. The rebuilding shop should be able to tell you if the motor is fried or the controller is toast. The motor can (most likely) be rewound and you may be able to find an aftermarket controller.

Also, you mention that the motor is "fried". I'm wondering if you made that conclusion because it got really hot and you could smell the motor varnish. If it just stopped working and no smoke/odor, then it could be a variety of other things. If it stopped with heat, smoke, odor, then you are likely correct in your assessment. But the motor could still be rewound.

I wouldn't throw in the towel just yet.