Well, Nova didn't make it easy to adapt the Comet to a shop-built stand, but I think this will work. The only "mounting holes" are where the supplied rubber feet screw in, tabs on the tailstock end and straight into the body on the headstock end. Not compatible with the quick and dirty design (well dirty, anyway -- took longer than it should have) I had in mind, and kinda puny (8mm). Stand is simple, and there's really no joinery, so we'll see how long it lasts.
Used Spax construction screws to fasten the plywood, and ran a 1/4" bolt through each end of the feet. Double-lock poly casters. Still need to add weight. Pics below show how the lathe was fastened to the stand -- using bolts into accessory holes provided in the lathe for goodies Nova sells. Used washers as shims on the tailstock end, making a flat spot on the washer edges for fit. The pads that the lathe actually rests on (darker wood) are very old, very tight, quarter-sawn oak from a stash.
The headstock end was easy, plenty of room inside to put on lock-washers and nuts. The tailstock end was a royal pain -- zero room inside to fit a nut on, and couldn't reverse the bolts (inside-out) for the same reason, no room for the heads. Tried to use the tabs on that end, but that wouldn't work either.
So I just put two bolts in where a bed extension would fasten, using blue Locktite. Hope for the best and check tightness frequently! Oh, for those of you eagle-eyes who see the extra-long bolt in the right front foot -- Ace only had 15 2-inch bolts, so I had to improvise. Sometime this month, they'll get them back in. Wow, I had forgotten how soft construction 2x stock is, yuck. And this stuff was 6 years old, so it wasn't green, for sure. Wish me luck! Just hoping it doesn't collapse in mid-spin.
Used Spax construction screws to fasten the plywood, and ran a 1/4" bolt through each end of the feet. Double-lock poly casters. Still need to add weight. Pics below show how the lathe was fastened to the stand -- using bolts into accessory holes provided in the lathe for goodies Nova sells. Used washers as shims on the tailstock end, making a flat spot on the washer edges for fit. The pads that the lathe actually rests on (darker wood) are very old, very tight, quarter-sawn oak from a stash.
The headstock end was easy, plenty of room inside to put on lock-washers and nuts. The tailstock end was a royal pain -- zero room inside to fit a nut on, and couldn't reverse the bolts (inside-out) for the same reason, no room for the heads. Tried to use the tabs on that end, but that wouldn't work either.
So I just put two bolts in where a bed extension would fasten, using blue Locktite. Hope for the best and check tightness frequently! Oh, for those of you eagle-eyes who see the extra-long bolt in the right front foot -- Ace only had 15 2-inch bolts, so I had to improvise. Sometime this month, they'll get them back in. Wow, I had forgotten how soft construction 2x stock is, yuck. And this stuff was 6 years old, so it wasn't green, for sure. Wish me luck! Just hoping it doesn't collapse in mid-spin.
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