Re: Why Unimat?

Kevin Groenke @ PersonMakeObject

I've been using 2) DB200's for a couple of years for light production of small brass hardware (~2000 pieces to date) for the knives I make.

I've researched and considered many other lathes and equipment that might allow me to produce these parts more quickly, efficiently, safely and/or accurately, but I've concluded that the Unimat is close to ideal. Yes, a full on cnc turning center could knock them out in seconds per piece, but I'm not ever going to pay for such a machine or fit one down my basement stairs. Yes, a Hardinge, Levin, or Shaublin with collet closer and turret could be more accurate and efficient. I would greatly appreciate more rigidity and power that those machines would provide, but the Unimat's limitations also contribute to what makes it good for these parts. For example, I run the Unimat on a momentary foot pedal nearly all the time, and I grab the spinning pulley? to stop the spindle when switching out parts?(notice O-ring grip on large step). Those techniques?speed up processes significantly, but there's no way I'd do them on a bigger lather (even a 7 x X) because of the inherent risk (of course I know the Unimat is capable of hurting?me too). The compact size allows me to roll a stool under the lathe which also increases efficiency, and allows me to have separate machines for each set-up which I wouldn't have room for if bigger machines (so far I just have 1 mill and 1 lathe, but if I had 3 lathes and 2 mills I could produce parts start-to-finish instead of batching processes).

So, YMMV, but for me the answer to "Why Unimat?" is - Because I haven't found anything that would be better for doing what I need done.?

?

Best Regards,

Kevin from PersonMakeObject

?

??????

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On Wed, Apr 12, 2023, 9:59 AM 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.

Re: Why Unimat?

#59830

Bill I too tie flies, my brother taught me when I was 12, I'm 70 ish now.? ?I have taught several to tie.? I have been buying flies in bulk now since I have 2 granddaughters to support. I buy from a Vet in Kentucky, nice quality although not barbless.? ?I catch and release, I will occasionally keep one as the wife likes trout, me not so much.? I don't fish as much as I would like.? ?Want to try ocean fly fishing primarily halibut from shore.? ?I have a saltwater rig, just the water is so dang cold.? 55 year round.? ?

pat?

Re: Quick Change Tool Post and Buddy Bar

Steve Johnson

#59829

I was unable to find the tool posts on Ebay, but was able to track Harry down and inquire about them. He is out of stock on the tool holders at the moment, in the process of making more. He'll let me know when the set is available again and I'll post an update to this thread.

Re: Why Unimat?

#59828

Interesting! I am a fly fisherman and I tie my own flies. I have built a couple of fly rods from kits, and built a fixture which was sort of a lathe to assist. ?I purchased two Sherline tail stocks to build my fixture.

Re: Why Unimat?

#59827

Thanks, Pat
Your friend is very talented. I really admire his talent!
Dick

Re: Why Unimat?

#59826

Some good looking stuff there! I, once upon at time, made my own flies, though I used a commercial fly rod and reel. Didn't actually catch much, but that was the way it worked for me bait fishing, too. ;) What I did with bait was "drowning worms" not fishing. ;) Apparently a side effect of my attention deficit disorder. Got part of one of my grandpa's old bamboo deep-sea fishing rods, which was broken when I got it, and hasn't improved in condition through 40-odd years of rough storage. Would like to restore it, but doubt I'll live long enough, and I'm nowhere near the ocean anymore.?

Bill in OKC

William R. Meyers, MSgt, USAF(Ret.)

Aphorisms to live by:

Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.?

SEMPER GUMBY!

Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.
Physics doesn't care about your schedule.
The only reason I know anything is because I've done it wrong enough times to START to know better.

Expect in one hand, expectorate in the other. See which one gets full first.

On Friday, April 14, 2023 at 11:57:15 AM CDT, pat goodyear <pgoodyear@...> wrote:

?

For those so interested here is Pete's website.?
https://www.renaissanceflyrods.com

Re: Why Unimat?

#59825

?

For those so interested here is Pete's website.?
https://www.renaissanceflyrods.com

Re: Why Unimat?

#59824

Dick, my friend that builds bamboo fly rods uses a Sherline with the extended bed, larger pass-thru on the spindle.? ?He builds rods from raw cane not kits, cuts, shapes, tapers, wraps the rods.? builds the reel seats and handles from scratch, I think the only item he doesn't scratch build are the guides.? ?I have an old glass Fenwick 7weight rod that I had him duplicate the action in bamboo.

He also has done builds in glass and graphite from blanks.? ? ??

Re: Why Unimat?

#59823

开云体育

Hello Herman:

The electromechanical clocks I have seen are quite simple. The coils drive a packaged gear motor that is sealed, so not much to fix there. The motor depends on alternating waves from the coils, so the number of turns isn't critical. How do I know this? I was modifying a clock and drilled a hole through the windings. The clock wouldn't run. So I filled the hole with solder and heated it up with an iron. I must have connected a few of the winding and it was enough to allow the current to flow again. The clock ran fine.

Good luck, Carl.

On 4/14/2023 9:16 AM, Quinn Golden wrote:

Show quoted text

Hello Herman

Pleased to make your acquaintance across the pond.?

I have not yet repaired electromechanical clocks although I own a couple of them. I believe that rewinding the coils would be out of my skill set. Although I certainly believe that with proper fixturing a Unimat would assist.?

I would probably be searching for electromechanical drives and attempt replacement?

?

I’m sorry I cannot be of more help.?

Re: Why Unimat?

#59822

Hello Herman

Pleased to make your acquaintance across the pond.?

I have not yet repaired electromechanical clocks although I own a couple of them. I believe that rewinding the coils would be out of my skill set. Although I certainly believe that with proper fixturing a Unimat would assist.?

I would probably be searching for electromechanical drives and attempt replacement?

?

I’m sorry I cannot be of more help.?

Re: Why Unimat?

#59821

Hi Steve,
I thought one of the comments posted here about using the Unimat to assist in building fly rods was especially interesting. I have had a couple of bamboo fly rods over the years and they were built tapered from butt to tip in segments. I would think the little Unimat would excel in that operation.
Dick

Re: Why Unimat?

Steve Johnson

#59820

Yes, keep them coming! It's really helpful for us "new" owners who are still contemplating configurations, mods, handmade tools/accessories. It's fun hearing about what people are making.

I'm especially intrigued by clock/watch repair (as a lurker, don't see myself doing it), and would love to see some example parts that were made, and hear about how they were made.

Re: Why Unimat?

#59819

Pat,
It is quite interesting to hear how Unimat and other small lathe owners use their machines and what products they produce with them.
Dick

Re: Why Unimat?

#59818

So I have 2 Taig lathes, one mounted on the board and the other mounted on a block of aluminum, I paid $200 for each, I bought the latter to assist the local school in their Steam program.? ?I also have 2 Unimats and SL and a DB the cast iron db is a dedicated mill.? I also have a Clarke 3000 which is a 7x12 model.? ?I go to the Unimat first for small work. I have a large amount of accessories for both the Unimats and the Taigs, and have made many crossover adapters so I can cross over tooling.? ?I have a vertical mill slide for the Taig that I have used on the Unimat sl.? ? I am not a machinist I am an instrument technician by trade.? I first used a Unimat at work to machine bushings for high speed printers.? ??

A friend purchased the sherline lathe with the extended bed for making fly casting rods, he builds them from scratch.? ?

Re: Why Unimat?

#59817

Good dat, Quinn,

I am on the Unimat groups list like you and I read your comment on the Unimat and your current use for it to repair old clocks. Not sure whether you mind my asking if old electro-mechanical clocks like those made by Hammond are included there. I have one of these old Hammond Polo electrical alarm clocks and would like to redo the bushings and rewind the coils. Any advice that you might be willing to share would be highly appreciated.? ?BTW - I live in the Netherlands (Groningen city) and currently have and use 2 Unimat 3 lathes - one for metal work, the other one for sundry jobs.

Looking forward to hopefully hearing from you,

Herman de Leeuw

?

Show quoted text

Op 13-04-2023 15:39 schreef Quinn Golden <quinngolden@...>:

I am a retired machinist/mechanical engineer specialized in mechanical power transmission as in ?speed reducers (gearboxes). I learned about Unimat many decades ago when we were building huge format inkjet printers for the Billboard printing industry. This was prior to digital printing. We used the Unimats to make final tweaks and adjustments to the Jets in the print heads.

Since then I have frequently seen a Unimat in engineering labs and prototype labs.

Now that I am retired I have taken my mechanical skills and started a Clockworks business repairing antique clocks. I rebuilt a Unimat SL specifically to be geared towards manufacturing bushings to repair old clocks. Its versatility also makes it ?a great piece of equipment for repairing pinions and inserting pinion wires. From the Unimat’s versatility perspective it is probably better for this job than a watchmaker’s lathe.?

Re: Why Unimat?

#59816

Hi,
I own two Unimats, one purchased new in the 70s, another older one inherited from a family member.? As others have said, they are great little versatile and well constructed machines.? My thought on the biggest shortcoming is the lack of rigidity due to the parallel bars which form the lathe ways.? Although I have never used a Sherline, I suspect that it is a much more rigid machine.? I think the Unimat is susceptible to chatter.? Also, the motor heats up considerably so you have to be mindful of that (at least on some units, mine included).

My 2 cents...

Greg

Re: Why Unimat?

#59815

I am a retired machinist/mechanical engineer specialized in mechanical power transmission as in ?speed reducers (gearboxes). I learned about Unimat many decades ago when we were building huge format inkjet printers for the Billboard printing industry. This was prior to digital printing. We used the Unimats to make final tweaks and adjustments to the Jets in the print heads.

Since then I have frequently seen a Unimat in engineering labs and prototype labs.

Now that I am retired I have taken my mechanical skills and started a Clockworks business repairing antique clocks. I rebuilt a Unimat SL specifically to be geared towards manufacturing bushings to repair old clocks. Its versatility also makes it ?a great piece of equipment for repairing pinions and inserting pinion wires. From the Unimat’s versatility perspective it is probably better for this job than a watchmaker’s lathe.?

Compound slide with detachable Toolpost

#59814

Does anyone know of options for a compound slide for unimat 3 (or PC), that allows attachment of separate tool post?

Or is this not possible due to the limited height range of unimat??

I have the emco compound slide accessory but it doesn't have a detachable tool post?

Appreciate any ideas!?

Thanks,?
JP

Re: Why Unimat?

#59813

I have been a lifelong Tool and Die maker and the Unimat is the most universal small machine tool I have ever owned. I have used it in many configurations together with my 7x16 minilathe. I can mount the Unimat headstock onto my minilathe and use it as a horizontal boring mill. Occasionally I mount the Unimat on the minilathe cross slide.
“Versatility Versatility Versatility”
Dick

Re: Why Unimat?

#59812

More like 2" more, Chuck, except for the older 7x10, which is closer to 7x8 with the stock 3-jaw chuck installed, and the older style of tailstock. Center to center, they're? closer to 10" for 7x10, and nearly 14" for the 7x12's with the newer offset tailstock. LMS has a sale on the 16" bed upgrade right now, for $199.99, IIRC. Micromark and LMS also have 16" mini-lathes, but I don't have any experience with them. Drooled over the upgrade bed for years with my newer style 7x10. Then I wound up with a 10x24, 10x30, and 12x20 lathes, and the extension bed wasn't looking too good at over $250 for a while, and the Micromark only about $1100 for a bit. I got a good deal for mine, and took it because I have larger machines, too.?

Bill in OKC?

William R. Meyers, MSgt, USAF(Ret.)

Aphorisms to live by:

Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.?

SEMPER GUMBY!

Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.
Physics doesn't care about your schedule.
The only reason I know anything is because I've done it wrong enough times to START to know better.

Expect in one hand, expectorate in the other. See which one gets full first.

IIRC.?

On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 11:45:16 PM CDT, Charles Kinzer <ckinzer@...> wrote:

The Sieg "Baby Lathe" is their C0 model.? I didn't even put it on my list because I feel it is a terrible value.? It is their bottom of the line lathe - and I do mean bottom.? I feel the same about the somewhat larger C1 "Micro Lathe".? For the Chinese lathes, I think the 7xWhatever (Sieg C2 or the similar Real Bull lathes) are the "sweet spot" for smallish Chinese lathes.

As an example of "value", I looked around a bit and found a place selling both a C2 and C0.? The C2 was $775 and the C0 was $545.? I think $545 is money not well spent on the very, very minimal C0 when the C2 provides vastly more for not much more money.? I couldn't easily find a price for a C1 Micro Lathe, but it would fall between the two.

I would certainly recommend an old Unimat over either the C0 or C1.? But not necessarily over the C2.

And if planning to get a C2, there are a myriad of configurations as well as what accessories might be included.? An important one is bed length.? I advocate the longer the better (even though it usually costs more).? Many who are new to machining don't realize, at first, how fast space gets used up by a chuck, work piece in the chuck, drill chuck in the tailstock, and drill in the drill chuck.? (Hint:? It is also nice to be able to slide a tail stock you are not using as far out of the way as possible.)? And there are two tailstock types.? One is sort of T shaped and the other is offset.? The offset style squeezes out a little more space between centers.? And speaking of the, "mini-lathe" lengths aren't really in terms of distance between centers like it is done in the rest of the universe.? They have some marketing hype and most will be about 2 inches less "between centers" than the length claimed.

Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer

On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 09:00:12 PM PDT, Aaron Woods <awoods550@...> wrote:

Thank you for the replies, I completely understand the vintage angle, the Taig and Sherline are among very few tools in my shop made after Y2K. Regarding size, the foot print of a Unimat is only about 2/3 that of the short bed Sherline, and the ability to convert to a mill highlights the small size even more. Of course size is a two sided issue, nice and compact is a plus when space is tight, and leads to cursing when you just need 1/2" more capacity. I think Proxxon is the only company that offers a lathe in the foot print of the Unimat SL.

Charles you are spot on in my thinking. If it were as simple as getting online and ordering a Unimat, I would have far less concern recommending one. Then it is simply a matter of look at what is available, compare budget, needs, etc and buy the one that works for you.
It is the used nature that raises the issue. It does seem like collectability of the Unimat contributes as much to the asking prices as quality / utility of the lathes. Of course deals turn up, but prices seem to run $300-1200 depending on condition and tooling. At the upper end there are many options for other machines, so you kind of need to really need or want specifically what Unimat offers.?

I do find it interesting that so few seem to recommend the very small Sieg "baby" lathes like the Grizzly G0745 which appears to be a near clone of the Unimat 3 at a price new you would be lucky to find a real Unimat for.

I appreciate the responses understanding that I'm just looking for the what makes Unimat special, rather than being any kind of knock on them.?

??