Nova Voyager Drill Press

[grbmds]

Hope you guys have better experiences with the Nova control units that control the operation and speed of the tool. I own a Nova Comet II lathe that is a DVR lathe (in combination with a 3-pulley system). After 2 1/2 years the control unit just died (at least I'm hoping it's the control unit and not the motor). My only choice is to replace the control unit at my cost because the warranty is 2 years. The control unit looks like brand new inside, the fuse is good, and there is no evidence of any type of burn out from surges or other electrical problems. It just basically failed and, because the warranty was up, Nova won't even consider that the unit might have had a problem to begin with. I get it and they don't have to do anything because of the warranty, but it's a $160 part. They just basically didn't even consider circumstances and indicated that it was basically my fault because I didn't have a surge protector for the lathe. (I have no surge protectors in my shop and haven't had a single problem with any tool, electronic or otherwise, in 25 years.) Anyway, I have no faith in their electronics at this point. Hope the control unit in the drill press is a better one.

At the very least you may want to use a surge protector on the drill press or Nova may not stand behind the warranty. That's the indication from them even with a potential warranty issue.

 

[Cheese]

Question -- someone must sell a certified, straight rod to use for testing drill press runout.  I want to run a test but want to make sure what I'm chucking up is absolutely straight.

Just go to the hardware store and purchase a 3/8” diameter dowel pin. They’re centerless ground and the diameter is within .0001”, or it may even be within .0005”.  Grab one say 3” long, cost maybe $1.

 

[Michael Kellough]

At McMaster

I doubt you need something this costly but it suits your request.

 

[rvieceli]

[member=37411]ear3[/member] Edward here are a couple from McMaster-Carr

1/2 x 6
https://www.mcmaster.com/#98381A735

1/2 by 5
https://www.mcmaster.com/#98381A734

Tolerances are from 0.0001 to 0.0003

Use it for the dial indicator and the with spacers to set your distance to the fence or stop. With the 1/2 inch rod chucked the quill center is always 1/4 inch from the outside edge of the rod.

So put a hole 1 inch from the edge, chuck the rod and put a 3/4 inch spacer between the fence and the rod.

There are also metric dowels if you use metric more.

Ron

 

[ear3]

Thanks [member=3192]rvieceli[/member]

[member=37411]ear3[/member] Edward here are a couple from McMaster-Carr

1/2 x 6
https://www.mcmaster.com/#98381A735

1/2 by 5
https://www.mcmaster.com/#98381A734

Tolerances are from 0.0001 to 0.0003

Use it for the dial indicator and the with spacers to set your distance to the fence or stop. With the 1/2 inch rod chucked the quill center is always 1/4 inch from the outside edge of the rod.

So put a hole 1 inch from the edge, chuck the rod and put a 3/4 inch spacer between the fence and the rod.

There are also metric dowels if you use metric more.

Ron

 

[ear3]

Let me just add that I'm a bit surprised about the metal insert in the table that it sits so far below the surface.  I guess I'll just make some of my own wooden ones that are fluesh to the table.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

I noticed that too Edward, and when you remove the screws, you will see the plate is very thin, making the use of wood or MDF difficult as it’s so thin.

I knew I was making a table so no problem but, it’s a good point you’ve made.

 

[Cheese]

Edward, here's how I roll...

A 1/2"Ø dowel pin, an indicator, a magnetic indicator base, a couple of steel parallels and a clamp.

[attachimg=1]

Mount everything and place the indicator base on the parallels. Clamp the parallels down when everything's in position. Zero out the indicator.

[attachimg=2]

Keep your hands and your body from touching the drill press table and slowly rotate the chuck. Result....0025" runout.  [smile]

[attachimg=3]

 

[grbmds]

Just an addition to my previous post and this is something you may already know. In the manual for the drill press, Nova states that a surge protected circuit must be used. They also state that GFI outlets may not be compatible with the variable speed motor.

I have never used surge protectors in my shop and, for the past 20+ years, nothing has ever failed except my Move lathe controller. I am going to use one in the future for that tool, but the others don't seem to require it.

Just cautioning you in case you don't already know Nova's requirements. They appear to hold rigidly to the issue of a surge protected outlet as they made a big deal of that to me.

 

[rst]

Years ago, I learned a poor man's method of squaring the table to  the chuck.  Bend a rod into a Z (not JZ), chuck one end rotating the chuck and observing where the opposite end of the rod touched and did not touch the table, shim the table accordingly.  Pretty sure I learned this trick from a very old copy of Fine Woodworking (I had subscribed form their beginning, when they were still B&W, and the photography was more like art).

 

[Michael Kellough]

Question for the guys who know more about this stuff than me (a large group).
The dowel pin is rated for diameter tolerance but I think Ed was looking for straightness.
Both characteristics are important to test runout so which round piece of metal is most suitable for that?

 

[Michael Kellough]

Years ago, I learned a poor man's method of squaring the table to  the chuck.  Bend a rod into a Z (not JZ), chuck one end rotating the chuck and observing where the opposite end of the rod touched and did not touch the table, shim the table accordingly.  Pretty sure I learned this trick from a very old copy of Fine Woodworking (I had subscribed form their beginning, when they were still B&W, and the photography was more like art).

A lazy L works too, bigger the better.

+1 on the early FWW but I bought it for the articles  [wink]
The text was dense and aimed at professional woodworkers.
Although it was sometimes difficult for me to make sense of,
those puzzling details that stuck in my head became clear with experience.

 

[hdv]

The problem with the old coat hanger trick is that you are measuring two sources of error: is the table exactly perpendicular to the axis of the chuck, and does the chuck have no round out?

 

[rvieceli]

Question for the guys who know more about this stuff than me (a large group).
The dowel pin is rated for diameter tolerance but I think Ed was looking for straightness.
Both characteristics are important to test runout so which round piece of metal is most suitable for that?

Michael I am reasonably certain that these precision ground pins are straighter than I have the equipment and ability to measure

Ron

 

[Cheese]

The dowel pin is rated for diameter tolerance but I think Ed was looking for straightness.
Both characteristics are important to test runout so which round piece of metal is most suitable for that?

Michael, I don't know what the straightness specs are but by virtue of the functionality of the dowel pin, and the method in which it's manufactured, it'd have to be straight by (my guess) .0001" to .0005".

These are hardened slugs of metal so they're not going to bend at all. They're also center less ground to size so that makes the straightness issue a non-issue.  [big grin]

I checked Unbrako and their spec for a 1/2"Ø dowel pin is .5001-.5003" diameter.  So 2 ten-thousandths of an inch. As an aside, Albrecht chucks are held to .0015" runout or 7.5 times greater.

Here's an Unbrako app for Mac's. They also offer one for Android.
https://apps.apple.com/ae/app/unbrako/id508313541

 

[ear3]

Thanks for the setup pics [member=44099]Cheese[/member] -- that's basically how I'm going to do mine, though with a dial indicator that's slightly lower class than Starrett  [embarassed]

One other thing about the insert that I want to grip about.  The mounting holes were not drilled along the exact diameter of the circle, such that the holes do not line up perfectly with the tapped holes of the table.  The thing is, assuming the insert plate was installed by hand, the person doing it must have known this, because one of the mounting screws was still noticeably proud of the plate, as it could not be countrersunk all the way due to the misalignment.  One of the hex head screws was also almost stripped, as if the person installing it labored to get it in.

I ended up filing the hole a bit wider and extending the countersink so that screw is now flush with the plate (and will have to get some new machine screws before the current ones strip completely).  Not a detail that affects the overall function of the machine, but this seems like something even a rudimentary QC should have caught.

Edward, here's how I roll...

A 1/2"Ø dowel pin, an indicator, a magnetic indicator base, a couple of steel parallels and a clamp.

[attachimg=1]

Mount everything and place the indicator base on the parallels. Clamp the parallels down when everything's in position. Zero out the indicator.

[attachimg=2]

Keep your hands and your body from touching the drill press table and slowly rotate the chuck. Result....0025" runout.  [smile]

[attachimg=3]

 

[ear3]

It also says in the manual that you should not use a mobile base with it. Is that a function of the electronics sensitivity, because it otherwise doesn't seem to be more top heavy and unwieldy than my previous floor drill press?

 

[Bob D.]

McMaster-Carr sells drill rod by the foot.

Here's one example, about $6 plus any taxes and shipping.
https://www.mcmaster.com/8893k1

You may be able to find something closer, maybe even check
at your local machine shop and see if you can buy a short length
from them.

 

[Cheese]

One other thing about the insert that I want to gripe about. Not a detail that affects the overall function of the machine, but this seems like something even a rudimentary QC should have caught.

That’s unfortunate Edward, especially on a new piece of equipment.

It could be an opportunity however to make your own aluminum plate and make it flush with the table. Holesaw the inside diameter and jigsaw the outside diameter.  [big grin]

 

[Michael Kellough]

It also says in the manual that you should not use a mobile base with it. Is that a function of the electronics sensitivity, because it otherwise doesn't seem to be more top heavy and unwieldy than my previous floor drill press?

That’s one I’d ignore. I do use a surge protector.