Jaws for Nova3 Chuck

[Bope]

I got the pen turning Nova 3 kit for Christmas. One thing I was hoping to do with it was drill project kits like pepper mills. For this I need to be able to hold 2.5"-3" square blanks. Are there any jaws for the Nova G3 check that can hold these blanks?

 

[Edgar]

I have a NOVA DVR XP lathe & I have both a G3 and a Super Nova 2 Chuck. In general, large jaws for 2.5" to 3" spindles are only recommended for the SN2 chuck. The G3 is primarily intended for smaller stock & mini/midi lathes.

While I don't know of a G3 chuck that can handle 2.5" of larger spindles, I can't say that there aren't any.

 

[Bope]

Looking around more on their website it looks like the 100mm jaws are compatible with the G3 chuck. It is the largest jaws they recommend for the G3. It looks like it should be able to just barely hold 3" square blanks.

 

[Edgar]

Looking around more on their website it looks like the 100mm jaws are compatible with the G3 chuck. It is the largest jaws they recommend for the G3. It looks like it should be able to just barely hold 3" square blanks.

I presume you mean the JS100N jaws? They are not recommended for spindle turning. Those jaws (as well as the 5" version) have dovetail tapers and are designed to hold bowl blanks. Spindle turning with those jaws would not be stable or safe.

 

[Dannv]

Remember, for square you can grip them in a smaller chuck with the corners in the gaps between jaws or you turn a tenon (better method) on the end and then grip the tenon, you can do that for a 2 or 3 inch chuck depending on your blank size.

I really like my Nova G3.

 

[Bope]

I was planning on holding the blank like Dan suggested. What i am wanting to do with the larger blanks is to try drilling with the lathe. Once I have them drilled I can use a jam chuck to do the actual turning.

 

[Edgar]

I was planning on holding the blank like Dan suggested. What i am wanting to do with the larger blanks is to try drilling with the lathe. Once I have them drilled I can use a jam chuck to do the actual turning.

Gripping a tenon is probably the best way to do it with a G3. NOVA has larger jaws for 3-4" spindles, but they are only for the larger chucks like Super Nova 2.

 

[Curly]

I would say it is possible but you would need to turn the blank between centres so it is balanced, chuck it (use the centre to align while tightening the chuck) and then drill it turning slowly. Then with the hole temporally plugged or with a big conical centre for support, turn to shape and finish.

 

[Bope]

There really is no reason not to turn it round first on centers and turn a tenon to hold it while drilling if that would be better.

 

[monophoto]

There really is no reason not to turn it round first on centers and turn a tenon to hold it while drilling if that would be better.

Agree,. But no matter how careful you are, it is still possible for a spindle to end up very slightly off center, so its a good idea to true it up after remounding the tenon in a chuck. All it takes is a light skim to remove any subtle high spots.