# Nova pen jaws...big disappointment



## Dale Allen (Aug 20, 2017)

I guess I'll have to call technatool support and see what can be done.
The same problem I had with the pin jaws.
They sit straight when on the table and they come together straight with nothing clamped.  But, when there is anything clamped in them it only holds at the back and the part can be wiggled around.
I even spent the better part of an hour taking the chuck apart and cleaning everything.
Since the same problem shows up on either jaws then I'm going to guess there is something wrong with the chuck.


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## SteveG (Aug 20, 2017)

These jaws (Pen Jaws) have a history of this exact problem. The tecs at Teknatool are helpful to resolve the issue, which is to replace defective jaws. Since you have same issue with other jaws, it could be the chuck. Call 'em.


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## MRDucks2 (Aug 21, 2017)

I installed a set of the pen plus jaws tonight expecting problems. At first alignment looked a little off but I was able to back them off, loosen the screws, realign and retighten. Everything lined up well and they worked great. Happy I ended up with a good set. The machining was rather coarse compared to other Nova parts and pieces, though. 


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app


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## aj r (Aug 21, 2017)

I've pretty much given up on Nova products.

16-24 lathe -  Straight out of the box it was unusable. Runout isn't a strong enough word for what it did. You could chuck up a pencil and draw good sized circles/ovals with it. 

16-24 lathe tailstock - Base is machined too short, luckily pieces of a pop can used as shims under it bring it up level.   

SuperNova 2 chuck - Not bad, no problems yet.

Pen jaws - Same problem as most everyone else

Cole jaws -  One is slightly different from the others, the other 3 sit flush and even, but one sticks out just enough to cause problems. 

Customer service -  Abysmal


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## Dale Allen (Aug 21, 2017)

Well, I know we are supposed to 'read the manual first'.  Right...I almost never do.:biggrin:
Hehe, when I looked at the front of the manual, it says 'Beta test March 2013'
Gee thanks amazon.  You are selling old stock and beta test product as well.:beat-up:


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## eharri446 (Aug 21, 2017)

When you say pen jaws, are you referring to the Pen Plus jaws? The jaws are 1 1/2 inch long or are you referring to the shorter ones that Nova calls pen jaws?

I have been using the pen plus jaws almost since I started turning, and I have used the same pair of pen plus jaws on two different G3 chucks with out any issues. I bought a fairly pricey brilling jig for drilling on the drill press and had terrible results with it. That was when I went to the G3 chuck with the Pen Plus jaws.


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## rd_ab_penman (Aug 21, 2017)

No problems with these.

Les


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## Swagopenturner (Aug 21, 2017)

No problems with any of my Nova chucks or jaws.  The Tech support people are always very helpful whenever I call.  They seem to want to solve any problem you may have any way they can.  Call them.


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## Dale Allen (Aug 21, 2017)

Thanks all.
I filled out an Teknatool online form and got an email today.
They are going to take care of this.
A fine company to work with.

Dale


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## TattooedTurner (Aug 21, 2017)

I guess it's the luck of the draw. I have a Nova chuck, 2 sets of cole jaws, the pen jaws, and 3 other sets of jaws. I've never had a problem with any of them.


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## aj r (Aug 22, 2017)

Dale Allen said:


> Thanks all.
> I filled out an Teknatool online form and got an email today.
> They are going to take care of this.
> A fine company to work with.
> ...



Maybe they have worked on their customer service. 

When I got my lathe from them, I noticed the massive spindle wobble/runout as soon as I turned it on, also, the faceplate would not even screw on due the the poor machining of the spindle. It was that bad.  I filled out the online ticket and waited two weeks with no response.  So I called their customer service and they told me that they would not warranty anything that was not electrical on the late. After questioning this for about 15 minutes and being repeatedly told that there was nothing that they could do, I finally was transferred to someone higher up.  He finally told me that it was a misunderstanding and that they do in fact warranty everything and would take care of it.  

I had the option of dismantling the lathe and sending the headstock in, or them shipping me the parts to fix it myself.  I opted to fix it myself. However they sent me a severely used spindle that was so gouged and marred that I had to clean it up with emery cloth to just get the new bearings to slide on.  I had to use that spindle because when I emailed them pictures of the spindle, the only response was "I don't know why we would have sent you a used spindle." That was the last email I got from them. So, after repeated emails to them went unanswered asking for a new spindle for my brand new lathe, I gave up and put on the beat up spindle.  

The lathe I was sent had also been recalled due to the forward/reverse switch being wired incorrectly. They remedied this by sending me a sticker with the forward/reverse labeling switched around. 

I didn't even bother asking about the tailstock being machined so far off, with the way the handled the spindle, I figured they would just send me a "new' one that was rusted up and looked like it fell off a truck. 

Hopefully they have fixed their customer service problems. But it is too little too late for me, they have lost a customer here for sure.


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## Marmotjr (Aug 23, 2017)

rd_ab_penman said:


> No problems with these.
> 
> Les



I have a love/hate relationship with those.  They're my goto pen blank chuck, but I usually expect a failure somewhere.  Either It wobbles it self loose, or the blank just doesn't sit right or something goes wrong with it.  But that's my expectations.  I probably had a bad run of not being aggressive enough early on when I was new, and I never tightened it down enough, nor mounted the blank correctly.   So now, in the back of my mind, I'm always expecting a failure.  But I think I haven't had any problems with them recently.  

The only real 'issue' I have with those is that if I have to mount the blank offset a bit from the base of the chuck for some reason, the blank will tend to settle down onto the chuck base when drilling.  I know, it's obvious, but I always forget to check, and then I can't figure out why my planned drill depth is off.  But once I account for it, it's fine.  

So I guess I have a love/hate relationship with my brain more than that chuck.


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## Woodchipper (Aug 24, 2017)

I have used the pen jaws before an didn't notice any gaps or problems of any kind.  I have the Cole jaws- need to finish my pens and check them out.


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## Dale Allen (Aug 25, 2017)

Well, new jaws and same problem

The same problem exists in that the jaw clamps onto the stock at the  inner end but the outer end is not clamped.
 It seems to me that the problem may be the jaw slides.  I get a .057”  movement at the end of the jaw when it is NOT clamped.
 So, that leads me to think that the slides are too loose(wobbly) within the  slide track.  
 When the jaws are clamped they may be tilting the jaw beyond the 90 degree  mark from the chuck body.
 I checked the retainer clip on the scroll plate and it is in position and  the chuck adjusts normally with no binding.  Also, there has not been any abuse of the chuck and there is no reason to suspect the slides can wear that much with regular use.


 Could I impose on one or more who have this G3 chuck and see how much wobble you have in the slides?
I see this problem has plagued many for more than a year as I was reviewing some old IAP threads about it.
Short of buying a new chuck body, my next step may be to shim the outer screw to make them sit correctly.  That would be far easier than trying to mill out the centers.

Thank all for any help.

Dale


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## Marmotjr (Aug 25, 2017)

A few months ago, I believe there was a very in depth thread on this.  I think some people reported getting multiple sets of replacement jaws before they found one that worked.  Check that thread for more details.  

But my Nova jaws do wobble a bit, but when tightened down, there is no wobble.  I cannot speak for the jaws as I do not have those.


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## Dale Allen (Aug 25, 2017)

Well, the jaw slides have to have some wobble, otherwise they would not slide in the channel. If that was not factored into the design of the jaws, them it stands to reason that they would be off from 90 degrees of the chuck body when pressure is applied.
If using dovetail jaws or cole jaws that difference would never be noticed.
On these and my pin jaws, it is a factor.
I had some brass shim washers from a router bit set that I put under the outside screws.  It is a marked improvement but could be just a bit thicker.
I plan to measure them tomorrow and see if I can find some shim stock to use.  Preferably stainless steel.


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## Dale Allen (Aug 25, 2017)

Thad;  I have read up on many of those old threads.  On thing I found interesting is that Warren White even got a new chuck body and it still had the same problem.  What I'd like to see is someone from Nova address this issue with action other then sending out parts.  With so many cases there has to be a reason and it seems to be the wobble in the slides.  The scroll plate cannot be tight enough to keep the slides from wobbling or it would not rotate.  Both sets of jaws I have sit perfectly aligned when they are sitting on a flat surface and not mounted.  And, they come together perfectly with no pressure on them.  When I run them together I can see about a 1/16" gap that is consistent all the way along the length.  When I press the ends together they touch at the ends but not at the base.  When I pull them apart the opposite is apparent.
One other thing to note is that the inside screw head obstructs the lower part on the channel so you should not try to mount something all the way into the jaws.  I have put marks on mine that are about 1/2" out from the chuck body and that seems to work best.
But, even with the shims I cannot get a straight machined 7/16" rod to rotate evenly about the center.


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## Dale Allen (Aug 26, 2017)

OK, so this issue is apparently just my bad luck.
I checked a new G3 at Hartville hardware and there is practically no noticeable wobble in the slides.  Not sure how long these are supposed to last but mine is 4 years old and it does not get used every day.
I may look around and see if I can get just the chuck body.


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## Dale Allen (Sep 6, 2017)

*Update.......*

Another email discussion with the folks at Teknatool and I find out there was an issue with some of the chuck bodies not being machined correctly.
This error apparently resulted in the slides being too wobbly in the channels and that causes the jaws to move as well.  I explained to them that I could see a .020" movement side-to-side on each of the pen plus jaws with no pressure on the chuck.
So, they sent me a new G3 chuck.
I first put the pen jaws on the new body and I could hardly detect any wobble...that's a real good sign!
I installed the chuck on the lathe and again it was difficult to detect any movement.  I set my dial indicator on it and, with some force, I could move it .005".  Now we're talkin!
I tried several round blanks and a straight piece of tubing and in nearly every case the stock turned centered, within the .002" runout I have on the headstock.
So, I'm real pleased with this chuck now.
However, it still bothers me that such an issue was not corrected before the product got to the customers.
And, I think Nova is missing an opportunity to sell more chucks.
At one point during this issue I was tempted to buy another G3 just to see if that solved the problem.  However, you cannot buy the chuck body alone.  If I wanted another one or say I wanted a second one as a spare or to keep different jaws on it, I would have to buy one with the same 2" dovetail jaws.  I don't need another set of 2" jaws.  Why not allow the customer to buy the chuck body and then be able to buy whatever jaw set is needed?


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## eharri446 (Sep 6, 2017)

Woodcraft has the G3 chuck on sale for $150 which has the 50mm jaws, the mini cole jaws, the 35mm jaws, and the small pen jaws (not the pen plus jaws).

It is normally $300.


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## mmayo (Sep 13, 2017)

I guess I must not be as fussy or I got lucky with my original G3 chuck and pens plus jaws.  I use them daily and drill almost perfect holes every time in acrylic, wood, burl etc.  Some woods, especially laminated spectra ply cause me some issues as the drill follows the glue lines or something every once in a while.

I short, I love the pens plus jaws and would not hesitate to buy them again or recommend them to a friend.


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## Ragen (Sep 13, 2017)

I like this site already! As part of my tooling up to make pens I ordered a set of Pen Plus jaws from Amazon. I haven't used them yet as I'm still in the learning and setup mode. After reading this thread I pulled out my Nova Pen Plus jaws and mounted them into my G3 chuck. To my surprise they are off. As Dave Allen posted the jaws meet at the base but then angle out towards the top. I've readjusted/recalibrated them and even rotated the mounting positons on the chuck. Still the same issue. Looking at the box and the manual I see they are marked Beta Test March 2013. Nice of Amazon to sell up-to-date items...  I'll be contacting Teknatool via their website tomorrow. Thanks Dave for pointing this out.


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## wsoucy2 (Sep 14, 2017)

*great tool*



rd_ab_penman said:


> No problems with these.
> 
> Les



I love my set of these, especially since I bought a set of split ring pliers so I can disassemble and clean.


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