***IMPORTANT: This article does not apply to Comet MIDI lathes due to a different bearing system***
Q: What is the maximum weight of a work piece that can be mounted on a NOVA Lathe (supported by tailstock or unsupported)?
A: NOVA lathes use high quality 6207VV bearings in a triple bearing system. Each one of the 3 bearings in a DVR headstock is rated at nearly 6000 lbs for dynamic load capacity (definition of this term is below). Users should not worry about a work piece weighing too much for a NOVA headstock or even significantly reducing the life of the bearings, as long as proper wood turning methods of mounting and balancing are used.
The BASIC DYNAMIC LOAD RATING, C, or "dynamic capacity," for a ball bearing is that calculated, constant radial load at which a group of apparently identical bearings with a stationary outer ring can statistically endure one million revolutions of the inner ring.