I grew up with my father's Unimat, and still have it, along with many accessories I've made over the years (like a steady rest and large milling table/vise).? My issue with it was it's small size; I was always pushing the envelope of what I could do with it, as my 3/8" endmill holder can attest to.? The poor little thing is still in great shape, which is a testament to its' quality.? I eventually got a Logan 825, and a longbed Clausing 11", which get 98% of the use these days.? That said, I always smile when I need to drag it out for a project.??
Aside: A few years ago, I missed two very cheap Schaublin 102 watchmakers' lathes by a few minutes, but ended up with lots of accessories for them that the buyer completely missed (he obviously wasn't a watchmaker or even a machinist, as they are worth more than the lathes!? I've been looking for another cheap but quality plain lathe I can use the accessories with ever since (I'm half Swiss, so it must be a Swiss lathe!)
-Dave
On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 07:59:30 AM PDT, Aaron Woods <awoods550@...> wrote:
I don't have a Unimat. I'd like one but I already have several small lathes so getting one is simply a want rather than a need.
I became interested in a lathe for model work, and ended up buying a Sherline, since they could be bought new and have a good reputation.?
The topic of small lathes often comes up in modeling circles. I can do a decent comparison between Taig, Sherline and Atlas / Craftsman 6" since I have used them, but have never been hands on with a Unimat.
For somebody in the market for a small lathe, what would you say the major perks of a Unimat are??
Obviously size goes for the SL/SB if someone wants very compact and the various attachments can make it a handy if expensive many in one tool.
With the prices Unimats can ask, I begin to wonder if they are still a good suggestion for a beginner. You can get a new Taig or Sherline for about the same money as the average asking price of a Unimat. As I don't have experience with Unimat that is a question I can't answer.
