SuperNova chuck now working!

My nut came on Friday! I was so excited I almost had to go pee.

Let me back up and explain.

So the lathe I'm using is a Nova 1624-44 from Teknatool. I knew I was interested in learning to turn some bowls, so that means I need a chuck to grip the bowl from one side only, as opposed to a "spindle" which can be turned between two centers.

So a few weeks ago, I got a SuperNova^2 chuck from teknatool. Same manufacturer; has Nova in the title -- so of course it'll fit, right?

Well, you'd think so, but you'd be wrong.

Turns out the SuperNova has a 50 MM inner diameter thread, and the Nova lathe has a smaller 1.25" spindle.

Now, it's not the end of the world by any stretch... the SuperNova is intended to work with pretty much all lathes, you just have to buy the right insert to make them fit.

Once I read the back of the box, that was clear enough, but let's be honest -- most of us shop online for at least half if not more of what we buy... and that tiny insignificant bit of incredibly important info was nowhere in the description when I was shopping for this chuck online!

Long story short, I figured out which adapter I needed, and sent in an order for what is essentially a $23 nut. A precisely machined, heavy, threaded on the inside and outside nut.

Here's the adapter on the right: a nice little piece, but it's set me back 2 weeks in my plan to try turning a bowl!

Ah well, now that it's here all is well again in my world.

So what's my point?

1) Just because the names match doesn't mean the pieces will play well together.

2) People who run mail-order sites would serve their customers better by making sure that all important info is listed in the product description. Heck; why not scan all sides of the product box and post that as well -- or the manufacturer could do the same and provide those pics to online merchants.

3) I can't believe how excited I was to get a giant nut in the mail. Off to the shop!