New Nova Comet II, on its way....

[Jamie Straw]

Engagement Announcement: "Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in turning, speak now or forever hold your peace." Yearning more and more for electronic variable speed, and seeing this on Amazon, [at $529.99, not $560.99] I just pulled the trigger. The only other tempting deal I saw was a PM3520B for about $2800 at the scratch-n-dent place in Auburn, but totally out of my price range. Hope I'm right that the Comet will serve me just as well as the Jet 1236 for small spindles and ~10" bowls, when fastened to a stout cabinet. I figure I have until Sunday night to change my mind and cancel. Comes with a G3 chuck, which will be handy. Thought about the Jet 1221VS, but opted to stay closer $$-wise to what I can get for my Jet.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Engagement Announcement: "Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in turning, speak now or forever hold your peace." Yearning more and more for electronic variable speed, and seeing this on Amazon, [at $529.99, not $560.99] I just pulled the trigger. The only other tempting deal I saw was a PM3520B for about $2800 at the scratch-n-dent place in Auburn, but totally out of my price range. Hope I'm right that the Comet will serve me just as well as the Jet 1236 for small spindles and ~10" bowls, when fastened to a stout cabinet. I figure I have until Sunday night to change my mind and cancel. Comes with a G3 chuck, which will be handy. Thought about the Jet 1221VS, but opted to stay closer $$-wise to what I can get for my Jet.

Tell your financial al advisor that the PM 3520B is an investment and therefore you should take advantage of the opportunity while market conditions are favorable. A sale price of $2800 is a great deal. From what others have said, the cosmetic flaws on scratch-and-sniff items are generally barely noticeable. Besides, it's like a new car, once you get the first inevitable scratch, your angst level goes way down.

 

[hockenbery]

Jamie,
You will get a lot of use from the nova.
I have turned a few bowls on one . It is a nice machine.
The price with a Chuck includes is a good deal..

Enjoy
Al

 

[Jamie Straw]

Tell your financial al advisor that the PM 3520B is an investment and therefore you should take advantage of the opportunity while market conditions are favorable. A sale price of $2800 is a great deal. From what others have said, the cosmetic flaws on scratch-and-sniff items are generally barely noticeable. Besides, it's like a new car, once you get the first inevitable scratch, your angst level goes way down.

My Jet 6" jointer came from the same place, killer deal several years ago and they threw in 2 sets of extra blades. The showroom is next to the Jet warehouse in Auburn. My financial advisor and I are in agreement that now's not the time to "invest" in a big lathe (Long story about a piece of property that's been eating us alive. Tide is turning, but it'll be at least a year before we see results). I opted for the Nova, at $529, thinking that when I do upgrade and sell it, I'll do better $$-wise than selling a used Jet 1221. Having the extra chuck is icing on the cake! though it probably won't take the jaws from my Talon chuck.

I'm usually pretty lucky, so when the time comes for the Powermatic, there will probably be one out there with my name on it.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Jamie,
You will get a lot of use from the nova.
I have turned a few bowls on one . It is a nice machine.
The price with a Chuck includes is a good deal..

Enjoy
Al

Thanks for the reassurance, Al, I'm looking forward to it. Guess I need to get a stand designed and built quickly. Fortunately, I have lots of well-seasoned 2x stock, and a few sheets of Baltic Birch plywood. Such a small lathe, I'm assuming it'll need a stout stand to hold up to green bowl blanks. It was pretty gratifying to see that I got the last one at the $529 price -- it had gone up $40 when I went back later to look at it.

 

[robo hippy]

I bit the bullet years ago to step up to a 3520A. I was selling at the local Saturday Market. It paid for itself 3 times the first year, which means it covered all the accessories that I needed to go with it..... If you aren't selling, then the Nova should be a good lathe.

robo hippy

 

[Odie]

Jamie.....You're going to love the electronic variable speed.

ko

 

[Jamie Straw]

I bit the bullet years ago to step up to a 3520A. I was selling at the local Saturday Market. It paid for itself 3 times the first year, which means it covered all the accessories that I needed to go with it..... If you aren't selling, then the Nova should be a good lathe.

robo hippy

Haven't started selling yet, major reason not to borrow money to buy a big lathe. Once I get things rolling, it'll be a different story. Fortunately, the future doesn't depend on big bowls.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Jamie.....You're going to love the electronic variable speed.

ko

Yep, I've turned on 3 lathes with EVS -- a Oneway, a Powermatic and a Jet mini. Way past infatuation, for sure.

 

[john lucas]

Jamie I had the first Nova Comet when they first introduced them. what a fantastic machine. Mine was single speed but speed changes were easy. Mostly though it was just a great lathe. Very smooth. Everything worked the way it was supposed to I kept it after I bought the Powermatic. It was just a joy to use when turning smaller items. You didn't have to wait for the electronic brake to stop the lathe to inspect the piece. Just turn it off and grab the handwheel and things stopped, inspect the piece and turn it back on and your back in business. quicker than it took the Powermatic to just slow down. In reality the vast majority of things I turn now can be turned on a mini lathe and I really should set my Delta up so I can use it easier. Right now it's kind of stored out of the way to be used by visiting groups or when I take it to Demo's (which I seldom do any more because most places have a good lathe). Although I think you would love the Powermatic you will get so much use and pleasure out of that little comet.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

sometimes I think the manufactors made the reeves drive to keep their service centers busy, but when they cannot provide the parts////////they are very frustrating lathes.....enjoy your comet.....lots can be done with it

 

[Richard Coers]

A 10" bowl on that lathe will be a real test in patience. 3/4 hp will have you taking really fine curls on the outside diameter. Roughing a blank will be no fun at all. A budget of less than $600 really limits your options, but I found a 1 1/2hp Jet 1642 for $1000. That was the third 1642 to sell at that price in my area. I have one, our club another, and my friend James bought one as well. Since you have other lathes, I sure would wait for another deal.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Not that different than the 1236

A 10" bowl on that lathe will be a real test in patience. 3/4 hp will have you taking really fine curls on the outside diameter. Roughing a blank will be no fun at all. A budget of less than $600 really limits your options, but I found a 1 1/2hp Jet 1642 for $1000. That was the third 1642 to sell at that price in my area. I have one, our club another, and my friend James bought one as well. Since you have other lathes, I sure would wait for another deal.

The 3/4HP Comet is the same size motor as the lathe it's replacing, a Jet 1236. I've roughed out bowls that almost max out the 11.5" swing on the 1236 with no problem. Lucky you to find the 1642's for a good price. The vast majority of lathes that have shown up around here in the past year have been like the 1236 (Reeves drive, <1 HP, and generally pretty old), or Crapsman/low-end Grizzlies, mini-Jets (the really small ones) or metal lathes. So far, feedback here and at Sawmill Creek has been very good on the Comet, so I'll see when it gets here!

 

[Jamie Straw]

sometimes I think the manufactors made the reeves drive to keep their service centers busy, but when they cannot provide the parts////////they are very frustrating lathes.....enjoy your comet.....lots can be done with it

Thanks, Charlie, it sounds like a Mighty Mite. Thank heavens I didn't have to take my Jet into a service center, kudos to my pals at OPCAAW. Cost of service would be bad enough, but add onto it two ferry trips, that's another $60 or so. Yuck.

 

[Richard Coers]

sometimes I think the manufactors made the reeves drive to keep their service centers busy, but when they cannot provide the parts////////they are very frustrating lathes.....enjoy your comet.....lots can be done with it

It's not a reeves drive problem Charle, it's a CHEAP reeves drive problem. Large industrial units work effortless for decades. But when you make cheap alloy pulleys on small shafts, you have trouble.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Jamie I had the first Nova Comet when they first introduced them. what a fantastic machine. Mine was single speed but speed changes were easy. Mostly though it was just a great lathe. Very smooth. Everything worked the way it was supposed to I kept it after I bought the Powermatic. It was just a joy to use when turning smaller items. You didn't have to wait for the electronic brake to stop the lathe to inspect the piece. Just turn it off and grab the handwheel and things stopped, inspect the piece and turn it back on and your back in business. quicker than it took the Powermatic to just slow down. In reality the vast majority of things I turn now can be turned on a mini lathe and I really should set my Delta up so I can use it easier. Right now it's kind of stored out of the way to be used by visiting groups or when I take it to Demo's (which I seldom do any more because most places have a good lathe). Although I think you would love the Powermatic you will get so much use and pleasure out of that little comet.

Ah, what a sterling review, thanks John. I'll certainly be doing a lot of spindle stuff, and boxes, which won't need a big lathe. Also, I look forward to a few extra square feet in my shop. Just thinking this morning that, at least temporarily, I could mount the Comet on the Unisaw table -- it's the 54"-fence model, so lots of real estate there! There's a box built into it, beneath the table, to hold saw blades, 2 circular saws, various accessories. Might be heavy enough to keep things stable. As far as bowls go, if I need to I can start one on a friend's Powermatic or the mentor's Oneway, and bring the lighter piece-in-progress home for finishing. Mmmm, this is exciting, I'm encouraged by the responses here!

 

[john lucas]

Jamie I turned bowls for 3 days all day long on a Jet mini with 1/2 hp variable speed motor. . Now that was small bites when roughing and only slightly more when it got round. That DC drive has no power at low speeds. I turned for many years with a 3/4 hp motor on several lathes. Quite workable. Not like taking 3/4" deep passes with the Powermatic but still a lot of fun.

 

[Jamie Straw]

[Snip] Not like taking 3/4" deep passes with the Powermatic but still a lot of fun.

Hah! Well, I'm not quite ready for that anyway, so it won't make me sad.

 

[Jamie Straw]

That DC drive has no power at low speeds.

Is it better when they have 3 belt settings?

 

[chrisdaniels]

I went from a harbor freight lathe to the comet II then to the dvr xp. It is a good lathe for spindle work. I had mine sitting next to my big boy for a few months and all my spindle work was done on the comet. I can say though that I wouldn't recommend trying bowls on it. I have done bowls at about 6" on it but it is very very easy to stall it out. I have tried several types of wood on it for bowls and have little to no success with it but that's the only gripe I had. for stoppers, spindles, smaller stuff it is outstanding. You will find that you really don't use the slowest setting for the belts though, it doesn't have the torque to warrant it so I just left mine on the high speed setting and it worked outstanding. I like to do stoppers and my #1 seller is crochet hooks and it's perfect for that stuff. As long as you don't try to do big bowls I think you'll love it.
Just my opinion

Chris

 

[Jamie Straw]

I went from a harbor freight lathe to the comet II then to the dvr xp. It is a good lathe for spindle work. I had mine sitting next to my big boy for a few months and all my spindle work was done on the comet. I can say though that I wouldn't recommend trying bowls on it. I have done bowls at about 6" on it but it is very very easy to stall it out. I have tried several types of wood on it for bowls and have little to no success with it but that's the only gripe I had. for stoppers, spindles, smaller stuff it is outstanding. You will find that you really don't use the slowest setting for the belts though, it doesn't have the torque to warrant it so I just left mine on the high speed setting and it worked outstanding. I like to do stoppers and my #1 seller is crochet hooks and it's perfect for that stuff. As long as you don't try to do big bowls I think you'll love it.
Just my opinion

Chris

Your experience makes me curious: Considering the motors on the Comet II and my Jet 1236 are essentially the same (3/4HP - yes I know that's not precise), what factor(s) cause the Comet to have trouble? I will confess, I've only rough-turned a couple bowls that were 9+" on the Jet. When I look at the Comet picture, my main concern is weight/mass, but very curious what else might be a drawback compared to my Jet.

 

[hockenbery]

I would say the comet is adequate for bowls to about 10" diameter.
Sharp tools, good bevel riding cuts, and proper belt position - it will do the job.

Our club had a workshop this weekend I helped someone on a comet turn a 9" cut rim maple bowl.
Lathe worked well so did the student. I don't think the student stalled the lathe once.

Nova loaned us comets for a promotion by the local Fox News station for the AAW symposium in TAMPA Airport, 2013.
You can see a 8" natural edge bowl being hollowed at the end on a comet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZjqN34Wq0E

You can see I stall it once or twice. This was the first bowl I turned on a comet and I was still adjusting my technique.
I stall lots of lathes when I demo. I just have to take smaller cuts that I do on my lathe.
A smaller gouge is also a bit better on a smaller lathe.

Obviously a bigger lathe with a 2HP motor lets you take bigger cuts on bigger bowls.
But we work with what we have.

Comet is not a great bowl lathe but you can turn great bowls on it.

Al

 

[Jamie Straw]

I would say the comet is adequate for bowls to about 10" diameter.
Sharp tools, good bevel riding cuts, and proper belt position - it will do the job.

Our club had a workshop this weekend I helped someone on a comet turn a 9" cut rim maple bowl.
Lathe worked well so did the student. I don't think the student stalled the lathe once.

Nova loaned us comets for a promotion by the local Fox News station for the AAW symposium in TAMPA Airport, 2013.
You can see a 8" natural edge bowl being hollowed at the end on a comet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZjqN34Wq0E

You can see I stall it once or twice. This was the first bowl I turned on a comet and I was still adjusting my technique.
I stall lots of lathes when I demo. I just have to take smaller cuts that I do on my lathe.
A smaller gouge is also a bit better on a smaller lathe.

Obviously a bigger lathe with a 2HP motor lets you take bigger cuts on bigger bowls.
But we work with what we have.

Comet is not a great bowl lathe but you can turn great bowls on it.

Al

That's all I need, thanks!! Really looks, from the video, like it'll do just as good a job as the Jet, in a smaller footprint.

 

[Mike Brazeau]

Three years ago, when I was working with the Delta rep to resolve a controller problem on one of our guild's Delta 46-460 VS midis, Delta support cautioned that a lot of controller problems were because users were doing heavy roughing on higher belt positions, when they should be using the lowest pulley position. I think that comment would apply to any of the VS midi lathes.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Three years ago, when I was working with the Delta rep to resolve a controller problem on one of our guild's Delta 46-460 VS midis, Delta support cautioned that a lot of controller problems were because users were doing heavy roughing on higher belt positions, when they should be using the lowest pulley position. I think that comment would apply to any of the VS midi lathes.

I would never be so lazy. Thanks for the info.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Amazon is crazy, LOL!

The little Nova Comet is here, currently doing its "run-in time" for the brushes. Suddenly realized the free G3 chuck was nowhere to be seen, so I called Amazon, expecting there must be a separate tracking# for the chuck, since there's certainly no room in the box for a free chuck. Uhhhhh, nope. Would I like to send the lathe back for an exchange?? Well, no, not at all wanting to do that. Sensible solution, says Jamie, would be for Amazon to send me the Nova 48323 G3 chuck you have listed as a separate item! Break for a supervisor consult: Nope, they can't do that. They can do one of the following:

1. Send me another lathe, I can pull the G3 chuck out, and then send it back (longshot, I say -- chuck's probably not in there)
2. Refund me the amount the chuck sells for and then I can order it.

OK, so I opted for #2, helpfully calculating the amount of tax he needed to add to the $99. Sheesh, that whole thing made no sense to moi!

Sweet little machine. Slight suspicions that 3/4HP might be a stretch for a 5.5 amp motor, but what the heck.

 

[hockenbery]

Jamie,
When you get your Chuck it may have a lot o grease inside.

Nova graciously provides chucks for the youth turning program at the AAW symposium..

We wipe them off with a rag or towel, mount the jaws, put them in the lathe.
The next part is a two person job one holds a ring of paper towel around the Chuck to catch grease being thrown out while a partner turns on the lathe and dials it up to high speed which clears out the grease.

You could just put a small box over the Chuck you could tape in place or hold with one hand.

Al

 

[chrisdaniels]

Jamie you must listen to this!
The Nova G3 has 2 different types. one is the G3 specifically made for the midi lathe. The normal G3 chuck is not, the difference is the threads. The G3 midi is direct threaded for 1x8TPI which is what your comet 2 spindle is. I VERY HIGHLY recommend you get the normal G3 chuck so that you can get the nova insert for your spindle and use it that way. This way you can use the G3 on ANY lathe and all you have to do is change out the thread adapter. You cannot put a thread adapter into the G3 Midi chuck because it does not have the same internal threads as all other nova chucks. Your choice but I would really recommend it, it's either use the chuck on ONLY your comet or have the option of using it on any lathe on down the line!

Chris

 

[Jamie Straw]

Jamie,
When you get your Chuck it may have a lot o grease inside.

Nova graciously provides chucks for the youth turning program at the AAW symposium..

We wipe them off with a rag or towel, mount the jaws, put them in the lathe.
The next part is a two person job one holds a ring of paper towel around the Chuck to catch grease being thrown out while a partner turns on the lathe and dials it up to high speed which clears out the grease.

You could just put a small box over the Chuck you could tape in place or hold with one hand.

Al

Yep, I bought their live center set, and it was thick, thick, thick with cosmoline (or whatever). Thanks for the tip on degreasing technique, I'll go for the box approach. When the lathe came, only the faceplate had gunk on it.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Jamie you must listen to this!
The Nova G3 has 2 different types. one is the G3 specifically made for the midi lathe. The normal G3 chuck is not, the difference is the threads. The G3 midi is direct threaded for 1x8TPI which is what your comet 2 spindle is. I VERY HIGHLY recommend you get the normal G3 chuck so that you can get the nova insert for your spindle and use it that way. This way you can use the G3 on ANY lathe and all you have to do is change out the thread adapter. You cannot put a thread adapter into the G3 Midi chuck because it does not have the same internal threads as all other nova chucks. Your choice but I would really recommend it, it's either use the chuck on ONLY your comet or have the option of using it on any lathe on down the line!

Chris

I kinda waffled on this before I ordered. I have a Oneway Talon chuck that can be adapted to different lathes, so I ordered the G3 midi. I just now cancelled the order. If the cancellation goes through I can think it over and decide. If I look way down the road, I might want to use the G3 chuck on a nice, new Powermatic. They state in the description that the G3 mini can only be used on the NOVA 46000 Comet II Lathe. If it's 1"x8, I don't quite understand that. Also, they tout the fact that the G3 mini has a Reverse Lock feature to keep it locked on the lathe when running in reverse. Is this a big deal? I've heard tell that one doesn't need a specific locking mechanism to keep the chuck on while in reverse. The last question is: Will I be able to use my Talon chuck on the Comet. It snugs up to the shoulder, so I'm not seeing a problem.

 

[Bill Boehme]

..... Also, they tout the fact that the G3 mini has a Reverse Lock feature to keep it locked on the lathe when running in reverse. Is this a big deal? ....

I've only had to catch a few pieces that unscrewed themselves while running in reverse. Not a big deal if you have good reflexes and the piece isn't too heavy and it isn't spinning too fast. Seriously, I don't see it as an issue on a mini or midi lathe as long as you use common sense when running the lathe in reverse.

Personally, I prefer direct thread chucks. I figure that I will always keep my Jet mini so I won't need to swap inserts in all of my chucks.

 

[Jamie Straw]

I've only had to catch a few pieces that unscrewed themselves while running in reverse. Not a big deal if you have good reflexes and the piece isn't too heavy and it isn't spinning too fast. Seriously, I don't see it as an issue on a mini or midi lathe as long as you use common sense when running the lathe in reverse.

Personally, I prefer direct thread chucks. I figure that I will always keep my Jet mini so I won't need to swap inserts in all of my chucks.

Thanks, Bill. I wasn't able to cancel the G3 that's coming tomorrow, and it is "direct thread" designed for the Comet, with the set-screw for reverse lock. Am trying to plan ahead for the day the Powermatic or other larger lathe falls into my lap, hence the thought to get the insert-style (chucks are so expensive!). Have a few days to mull on it. Right now, it's looking like this particular Comet will be going back to Amazon. It has a loud knock that sounds much like a bearing (reminds me of a car that was ready to throw a rod years ago).

 

[Douglas Ladendorf]

The G3 is a nice chuck, not only in use but also at $100 or so it's more replaceable than others. That said, if you are returning the Comet (bummer...) you might as well replace the chick and get what you want.

Doug

 

[chrisdaniels]

it's really easy to drill and tap a hole in any chuck to use a set screw for reverse turning. I've never tightened mine down and never had it come off. I don't like using them because even if you do use the set screw and tighten it down. if you forget to losen it before you try to take the chuck off it can damage the spindle threads on your lathe. My comet knocked for a couple hours of run time before it quit. I just left it on for a few hours and it eventually quit.

 

[Jamie Straw]

it's really easy to drill and tap a hole in any chuck to use a set screw for reverse turning. I've never tightened mine down and never had it come off. I don't like using them because even if you do use the set screw and tighten it down. if you forget to losen it before you try to take the chuck off it can damage the spindle threads on your lathe. My comet knocked for a couple hours of run time before it quit. I just left it on for a few hours and it eventually quit.

That's funny! When I ran mine to let the brushes break in (per instructions, which I read just in time), it didn't knock. Then I played with changing the belt, just to see how that worked, careful not to over-tension. All of a sudden it started knocking. Wha'?? I'll call the company tomorrow and find out what they want me to do. What brand/models of chuck have you used on your Comet?

 

[Bill Boehme]

Maybe I'm backwards, but I bought my mini lathe a couple years after I had owned a full size lathe. The mini is handy for various things like taking to public demos or to mentoring at our club or for just turning pens, small bowls, and other things like that. What made my mini especially handy is when I bought a Harbor Freight hydraulic table for it. I still find it useful for small projects even though I now have a Robust AB.

 

[john lucas]

It's not easy to drill and tap inserts on chucks. At least not all of them. I was trying to drill a 3/8" hole in one insert from an off brand chuck because it uses a large wrench instead of tommy bars. I ruined 2 drill bits drying to drill it. It must have been case hardened or something. I will be trying to drill into my vicmarc chucks at some point. I want to add a set screw that can be set flush or extended to align with a hole I will put in my index wheels so the chucks stay aligned perfectly with the index wheel.
As far as using the chucks in reverse. I find that if you put the chuck on snug, then take your chuck key and give it an extra push to lock the chuck on perfectly it seems to work. I frequently turn in reverse on my hand mirrors and have not had a chuck come off yet. I would definitely consider a set screw to lock it in place if I was doing big bowls in reverse.

 

[hockenbery]

Maybe I'm backwards, but I bought my mini lathe a couple years after I had owned a full size lathe. The mini is handy for various things like taking to public demos or to mentoring at our club or for just turning pens, small bowls, and other things like that. What made my mini especially handy is when I bought a Harbor Freight hydraulic table for it. I still fi,nd it useful for small projects even though I now have a Robust AB.

Mini lathes were rare or none existent when many of us began turning.
12" lathes with 36" beds single speed 3-5 pulleys were common in schools and everywhere used at reasonable prices
There were a few small lathes being made for metal working, jewelry, matchmaking.
Bonnie Klein popularized the small portable lathe in the 90s in with #1 morse tapers. Carbatec marketed a small lathe too
the late 90s ONEWAY introduced the 1018 - luggable lathe
Then soon after Jet, Delta, & Fisch and the Nova got into the mini lathe market - a portable lathe
These little lathes became popular for the sidewalk demos, craft fair booths and starter lathes.
And now the new generation of 12" midi lathes are great small work and entry level lathes
More luggable than the minis.

 

[Bill Boehme]

It's not easy to drill and tap inserts on chucks. At least not all of them. I was trying to drill a 3/8" hole in one insert from an off brand chuck because it uses a large wrench instead of tommy bars. I ruined 2 drill bits drying to drill it. It must have been case hardened or something. I will be trying to drill into my vicmarc chucks at some point. I want to add a set screw that can be set flush or extended to align with a hole I will put in my index wheels so the chucks stay aligned perfectly with the index wheel.....

If you use a drilling/tapping fluid it will make all the difference between grinding powder or actually cutting and producing large chips. Andy Chen said that he drilled and tapped a setscrew hole in a Vicmarc adapter so it shouldn't be too difficult. The groove on the adapter is at just the right location for the hole. Run the drill press at a low to moderate speed and use firm pressure.

What happens when the drill is allowed to spin without cutting is that the metal becomes work hardened which is basically plastic deformation by a microscopic amount where the drill is pressing on the metal. The spinning drill bit creates localized heating which facilitates plastic deformation. Some alloys especially ductile stainless steels will work harden at the drop of a hat.

The purpose of the fluid is to conduct heat away from the work and also flush swarf away. In addition to work hardening, the other problem is that when you get powder it is essentially a grinding compound and it will dull a drill bit as fast as drilling into a grinding wheel.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Easy Fix!

Called the company this morning. Knock came from the upper pulley slipping left. Common problem ("supposed to be fixed in next shipment") -- loosened the set screw, lined the pulleys up and tightened screw, all's quiet. Yeah! I tuned a small apple bowl on it yesterday. Will try a somewhat bigger one today. Spindle turning is great, love the higher speed.