Re: Jig saw and sabre saw db200
I've never had the earlier version for the cast iron Unimat so cannot comment but I have the later attachment for the SL1000.
It does work, and quite well too. However it's much less convenient than a standalone machine.
Blades are just regular plain ended type and are still available. The thin ones you mention are probably just jeweller's saw blades.
You might be interested in this video:
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Jig saw and sabre saw db200
Morning all,
Does anyone use their jig and sabre saw attachment on their unimat if so;
1. Is it functional or just a novelty??
2. Are blades available? I presume the normal jigsaw blades will work for the sabre saw but the thin blades look very different and most likely unavailable.
Some thought from owners and users would be much appreciated
Dave
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Nice job on the motor-to-milling column adaptor. ? Still, at least from the photos, it doesn’t look like the intent is to use the U3’’s bed as the milling table. So, just wondering, isn’t the use of a toothed belt and pully somehow inconsistent with the lack of rigidity introduced by mounting the column via an aluminum flange onto a wood plank? ? Alan ?
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Hello
Richard:
Adjusted
for British inflation ?33 is worth ?780 today, or $975. Plus
you can't buy a new Unimat anymore.
Thanks
for publishing the Advert, always fun to read and dream.
Carl.
On 4/29/2023 5:36 AM, Richard Jones via
groups.io wrote:
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Hi,
Here's an advert? from the June 1964 Railway Modeller for the
unimat as being sold by Beatties of London...
best wishes
Richard
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I guess that’s part of the attraction of the machine in nostalgic reminiscence. ?Childhood trips up to London to visit Colonel Beattie’s business and Hamblings too, with a scrap of paper listing all my frugal pocket-money wants (gleaned from a well thumbed old Railway Modeller or similar) for a half baked project to hack some scrap model into a crude approximation of some other model, only to find that half the critical bits were out of stock. ?Ogling the grown-ups’ toys like the Unimat SL that belonged to some distant nirvana of envied model making perfection. ?And now in my latter days able to possess all those things I coveted of my seniors’ workbenches, and which sat in the background of photos of master modellers at work. ?The kudos of doing it the hard way is still there in spite of the fact that off the shelf models now are at least as good and accurate as the best old masterpieces.
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On 29 Apr 2023, at 10:36, Richard Jones via groups.io <randhjones@...> wrote:
?Hi, Here's an advert? from the June 1964 Railway Modeller for the unimat as being sold by Beatties of London... best wishes Richard
<Scan_20230429 _3_.jpg>
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Hi,
Here's an advert? from the June 1964 Railway Modeller for the unimat as being sold by Beatties of London...
best wishes
Richard
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I’ve never had a unimat show up on my doorstep, but lots of other equipment has, so I guess I shouldn’t feel left out!
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On Apr 27, 2023, at 5:06 AM, OldToolmaker via groups.io <old_toolmaker@...> wrote:
?Hi Steve,
The first one showed up on my doorstep about 23 years ago. The second Unimat made its appearance about 12 years ago, so they haven’t exactly been plentiful.
Dick
--
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Hi Steve,
The first one showed up on my doorstep about 23 years ago. The second Unimat made its appearance about 12 years ago, so they haven’t exactly been plentiful.
Dick
--
http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/?OFF-SET-tailstock-center-65965#post105972
?SMALL TURRET TOOL POST PLANS?
?LARGE TURRET TOOL POST PLANS
?MINI-LATHE CARRIAGE LOCK PLANS
?SMALL QC TOOL POST PLANS?
?QUICK CHANGE LATHE TURRET
?MINI LATHE COMPOUND PIVOT MODIFICATION
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I wish I knew how to replicate your talent of attracting Unimats at your doorstep!
Maybe wear a necklace made of sections of aluminum/brass rod?
?
I'm actually feeling very lucky to have the 1.75x Unimats. I'll soon have 2 machines setup, one as a lathe, the other as a mill, likely with optional CNC control.
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Thanks, Kevin
I was given a fully tooled up Cast Iron DB200 with all the bells, whistles and tooling in very good condition. ?I also have a cast iron DB200 lathe bed in good condition. I hope to be able to fill in the missing parts for this second machine. My brother gave me a complete SL1000 a few years back. It seems that when people find out I am interested in Unimats the machines seem to find me.
Dick
--
http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/?OFF-SET-tailstock-center-65965#post105972
?SMALL TURRET TOOL POST PLANS?
?LARGE TURRET TOOL POST PLANS
?MINI-LATHE CARRIAGE LOCK PLANS
?SMALL QC TOOL POST PLANS?
?QUICK CHANGE LATHE TURRET
?MINI LATHE COMPOUND PIVOT MODIFICATION
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If the SL1000 comes with the U100 motor, it's the best - no duty cycle worries.
-Dave
On Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 05:20:09 AM PDT, OldToolmaker via groups.io <old_toolmaker@...> wrote:
Opinions please! Which is better and why?
DB200 or SL1000?
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?SMALL TURRET TOOL POST PLANS?
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?SMALL QC TOOL POST PLANS?
?QUICK CHANGE LATHE TURRET
?MINI LATHE COMPOUND PIVOT MODIFICATION
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Kevin Groenke @ PersonMakeObject
Early variations of identical models were labeled as DB200 in the USA, and SL1000 in Europe so it isn't such a simple question. But, the early Unimats with cast iron beds are better because they have more mass and rigidity. Other than the milling column, I think all other accessories are interchangable.?
"bed trays were made first of cast iron, then a heavy zinc "ZAMAK" alloy and, finally, a much lighter grade of ZAMAK. To discover which model you have found, invert the machine and look at the underside of the bed: a single large "X-shaped" stiffening web denotes cast iron, while multiple X-shaped webs indicate a bed in ZAMAK. To distinguish between the lighter and heaver ZAMAK versions (unless you have both together and can pick them up), examine the area where the milling post comes through - on the lighter version there are six bracing ribs around the hole and on the heavier just one round boss, in the middle of a rib, towards the front; on a light base five of the six ribs have round bosses while the 6th, towards the tailstock, does not. The heavier base, having a much higher zinc content (hence the weight), meant that it could be subjected to "plastic cold flow" if left under constant stress. Owners have seen this phenomena exhibited in a Unimat left in the vertical mode for many years where the hole in the base was so deformed that the column was no longer truly vertical."
---------- Forwarded message --------- From: OldToolmaker via <old_toolmaker=[email protected]>Date: Wed, Apr 26, 2023, 7:20 AM Subject: [Unimat] DB200 vs SL1000 To: < [email protected]> Opinions please! Which is better and why? DB200 or SL1000? -- forum/ ?OFF-SET-tailstock-center-65965#post105972?SMALL TURRET TOOL POST PLANS??LARGE TURRET TOOL POST PLANS?MINI-LATHE CARRIAGE LOCK PLANS?SMALL QC TOOL POST PLANS??QUICK CHANGE LATHE TURRET?MINI LATHE COMPOUND PIVOT MODIFICATION
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In lathe mode I prefer the cast Iron DB200, the Mass helps dampen vibration.
in Mill mode I like the SL1000’s larger vertical post adapter which provides wider support to the spindle head.
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Opinions please! Which is better and why?
DB200 or SL1000?
--
http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/?OFF-SET-tailstock-center-65965#post105972
?SMALL TURRET TOOL POST PLANS?
?LARGE TURRET TOOL POST PLANS
?MINI-LATHE CARRIAGE LOCK PLANS
?SMALL QC TOOL POST PLANS?
?QUICK CHANGE LATHE TURRET
?MINI LATHE COMPOUND PIVOT MODIFICATION
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Re: Unimat 3 alignment problem?
Hello, Carl
The advice you gave is spot on. I remember machining a test bar in trade school in the same manner. It is never fail advice!
Dick
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?MINI-LATHE CARRIAGE LOCK PLANS
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?QUICK CHANGE LATHE TURRET
?MINI LATHE COMPOUND PIVOT MODIFICATION
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Re: Unimat 3 alignment problem?
Hello
JHM:
There
is yet another option that doesn't use a test bar. Mount an
indicator to the headstock spindle and rotate it about the
tailstock center. This will tell you if they are in alignment,
at this location. You could also extend the indicator so the
tailstock is more in its usual location.
When
you get your new test bar, be sure to check its accuracy. Both
ends should be the same diameter and spin without any run out.
Carl.
On 4/23/2023 3:04 PM, Elliot Nesterman
wrote:
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If you have a decent dial indicator a 10mm bar will be fine.
Remember,
the drilled centers don't have to be perfect as you will be
turning the
test bar between centers anyway.
On 4/23/23 2:00 PM, Julius Henry Marx wrote:
Hello:
Mr. Pete ...? ... has two videos on making test bars ...
Indeed ...
I am a /huge/ fan of Mr. Pete and I have seen both videos. 8^)
He explains everything very well.
That said, most if not all of Mr. Pete's videos are directed at
enthusiasts who have or work with a range of tools well outside
of what
the Unimat 3 is and can do.
He has only mentioned the Unimat 3 once, in the context of a
"Buying a
lathe" video and "/... only to show you that lathes come in many
different sizes/".
In the first video you linked to, he shows a bar much like the
one I
will purchase next week but don't have a granite surface plate
to check
it. (yet)
The U3 cannot pass a 20mm bar and even if I chose to get a 10mm
one
instead, attempting to make the centers on my 4-jaw would
probably not
produce an accurate enough result for the test bar to be useful
as such.
Thanks for your input.
Best,
JHM
--
Elliot Nesterman
elliot@...
"The finest jewel cannot disguise a flawed character."
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Re: Unimat 3 alignment problem?
Hello
JHM:
We made
test bars in trade school. The bars started as 1" hot rolled
stock with black bark on it. We turned most of it down to 3/4"
diameter leaving an inch at both ends at 7/8". Then we turned
both 7/8" spots to the same precise size. All this done
between centers. So now you could use an indicator to check
the tailstock's alignment, no more test cuts.
If you
are turning between centers you can cut one end, flip the bar
and turn the other end without moving the tool setting and you
should be good.
Carl.
On 4/23/2023 11:44 AM, Julius Henry
Marx wrote:
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Hello:
... off to get a 180mm piece of precision
ground/hardened 20mm steel rod ...
I postponed the 2 hr. journey to the purveyor till I had someone
with a proper lathe+skill to make the centers on the rod. for me.
Fortunately, I found a chap willing to do the job for a reasonable
price and the bar will be ready sometime next week.
In the meanwhile and having the week-end to try alternatives, I
set up this:
It's a 140mm piece of ~19mm rebar dowel found in a skip and
cleaned up/roughed to size some time ago.
I had no aluminium stock at hand and as the rebar was probably
grade 40 at best, I thought it would be easy to work on.
I put another center on it, roughed it to size again, made two
fine cuts and then measured the diameter at each end.
With the readings taken (~ 110mm apart) and the difference
calculated, I replaced the shims for the next size I calc-guessed
would give me a better result.
The last of 8/10 attempts, using a pair of 0.23mm plastic shims
gave these results:
- headstock end: 15.375mm
- ?tailstock end: 15.450mm
- difference: 0.075mm
- alignment error: 0.037mm
With a proper test bar at hand, I will hopefully be able to
confirm these results.
Q: if confirmed, is this an acceptable result for a Unimat 3?
Can't leave out that all this took much longer than expected
because I started using my new set of Taig "high speed steel" bits
purchased from a dealer in the US.
After much grievance, it dawned on me that I had thrown away
US$50.
It was a huge disappointment but also a lesson, at least for me.
The job was finished in a jiffy using a DCMT21.51 holder/insert
purchased last year at Aliexpress.
I'd appreciate any comments on the results.
Thanks in advance,
JHM
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Re: Unimat 3 alignment problem?
Hello:
... you will be turning the test bar between centers ...
I'm sorry if I did not explain myself correctly. I won't be turning a bar. I already did that to see how close I could get to a reasonably good alignment without a proper test bar. Now I will be purchasing an already ground and hardened 20mm steel bar and a machinist with a precision lathe will make the centers for me.
The result will be a quality test bar (G6 tolerance and 62HRC surface hardness) for my U3 which will allow me to rapidly align it everytime I need to unmount it for cleaning, maintenance, etc. without the hassle of having to turn a piece of stock.
Much like this one ...
... but in a length to fit the U3's 180mm between centers and at a fraction of what the one in the photo goes for.
No box needed as a ?1.75" PVC pipe with end caps and a neoprene lining on the inside will do just fine.?
Thanks for your input.
Best,
JHM
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Re: Unimat 3 alignment problem?
If you have a decent dial indicator a 10mm bar will be fine. Remember,
the drilled centers don't have to be perfect as you will be turning the
test bar between centers anyway.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 4/23/23 2:00 PM, Julius Henry Marx wrote: Hello:
Mr. Pete ...? ... has two videos on making test bars ...
Indeed ...
I am a /huge/ fan of Mr. Pete and I have seen both videos. 8^)
He explains everything very well.
That said, most if not all of Mr. Pete's videos are directed at
enthusiasts who have or work with a range of tools well outside of what
the Unimat 3 is and can do.
He has only mentioned the Unimat 3 once, in the context of a "Buying a
lathe" video and "/... only to show you that lathes come in many
different sizes/".
In the first video you linked to, he shows a bar much like the one I
will purchase next week but don't have a granite surface plate to check
it. (yet)
The U3 cannot pass a 20mm bar and even if I chose to get a 10mm one
instead, attempting to make the centers on my 4-jaw would probably not
produce an accurate enough result for the test bar to be useful as such.
Thanks for your input.
Best,
JHM
--
Elliot Nesterman
elliot@...
www.ajoure.net
"The finest jewel cannot disguise a flawed character."
|
Re: Unimat 3 alignment problem?
Hello:
Mr. Pete ...? ... has two videos on making test bars ...
Indeed ... I am a huge fan of Mr. Pete and I have seen both videos. 8^) He explains everything very well. That said, most if not all of Mr. Pete's videos are directed at enthusiasts who have or work with a range of tools well outside of what the Unimat 3 is and can do. He has only mentioned the Unimat 3 once, in the context of a "Buying a lathe" video and " ... only to show you that lathes come in many different sizes". In the first video you linked to, he shows a bar much like the one I will purchase next week but don't have a granite surface plate to check it. (yet) The U3 cannot pass a 20mm bar and even if I chose to get a 10mm one instead, attempting to make the centers on my 4-jaw would probably not produce an accurate enough result for the test bar to be useful as such. Thanks for your input. Best, JHM
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Unimat Matt
David James
Carl
OldToolmaker
Steve Johnson
rcjge