Unimat 3 Pulleys, Thread/Tap Sizes?
Hoping someone in the group can verify the thread sizes (for the drive pulleys, not the chuck end) for the Unimat 3 lathe and milling attachment pulleys. I thought they were M14, but I just measured the milling attachment at 12mm.
For the milling attachment, is this an M12x1 or some other thread pitch?
For the lathe spindle?? (I know the chuck end is M14x1. I hesitate to remove my current drive pulley on the other end of the lathe spinde as it is quite stuck but working fine, and I don't want to disrupt my current project.)
Thank you,
Timothy Jump
|
Hi Gang:
It has been a
problem for years:
Think about
telling your parents you boiled mercury on the kitchen stove,
and now we need to strip the inside of the house!
Carl.
|
Re: Metal fatigue or Zinc Pest?
Something?I picked up a while back when I was looking?for information on some of the cast items on my Emco Compact 5 lathe is that ZAMAK is generally considered the same as MAZAK, which strictly?speaking is not correct but they are very similar. You may do a search for MAZAK if ZAMAK does not give sufficient information.
?I have cast small parts before using Zamak.? You can get the good stuff from electrical fittings, like flanges for thick wall tubing to cabinets or panels.? Plaster of Paris, Silicone spray mold release or Pam spray cooking oil. Spray part, mix plaster, push part into plaster. Let dry. Spray hardened plaster and part with release, Cover top with fresh plaster, let set, pull apart, Drill vent and pour holes. Small SS cup, mine was a part of a condiment serving set. Set on fire brick or hold up with wire stand, heat with propane torch, add Zamak pieces, melt, skim off slag and pour. You will also need to bake the plaster before using to drive off any moisture. I used paper Dixie cups with plaster poured into them for molds. You may also have to add thick big washers on the top to keep the top from lifting. easy to do and Zamak is a dream to machine. ?Jeff
On Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 12:21:20 PM EDT, Davis Johnson < davis@...> wrote:
I see zink pest being bad two ways
1) Nice things get it and crumble. This is what we are mostly
discussing here.
2) If it not for 1 above these zinc alloys would be very
attractive for home casting. They melt at manageable temperatures,
are machinable and reasonably strong. They are usable for small
lathes for example. Just think how nice it would be to have a low
temperature casting alloy that was not prone to zinc pest. Build a
small engine out of pewter, anyone?
On 7/11/24 11:57, Mehmood via
wrote:
I like the highly optimistic reference to 1960 being the date
after which zinc pest could be considered “largely free”.
?Presumably wicked casting fairies were all rounded up and locked
in a high tower around then.
?
While I cannot claim to know anything?about
this, and frankly would prefer to keep it like that, I
found this article that may me of interest:
On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at
10:06?PM OldToolmaker via
<old_toolmaker= [email protected]>
wrote:
I remember a while back I posted about my preference
for cast iron Unimat components versus pot metal.
The recent posts bear that out.
Dick
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
|
‘Quicksilver’ is the element Mercury I think?
When I was a kid we used to play with stuff on the school lab bench top, whizzing little balls of it about.
Not a particularly good idea, the phrase ‘mad as a hatter’ apparently comes from the long term effects of the use of mercury in the manufacture of hats.
|
Re: Metal fatigue or Zinc Pest?
?I have cast small parts before using Zamak.? You can get the good stuff from electrical fittings, like flanges for thick wall tubing to cabinets or panels.? Plaster of Paris, Silicone spray mold release or Pam spray cooking oil. Spray part, mix plaster, push part into plaster. Let dry. Spray hardened plaster and part with release, Cover top with fresh plaster, let set, pull apart, Drill vent and pour holes. Small SS cup, mine was a part of a condiment serving set. Set on fire brick or hold up with wire stand, heat with propane torch, add Zamak pieces, melt, skim off slag and pour. You will also need to bake the plaster before using to drive off any moisture. I used paper Dixie cups with plaster poured into them for molds. You may also have to add thick big washers on the top to keep the top from lifting. easy to do and Zamak is a dream to machine. ?Jeff
I see zink pest being bad two ways
1) Nice things get it and crumble. This is what we are mostly
discussing here.
2) If it not for 1 above these zinc alloys would be very
attractive for home casting. They melt at manageable temperatures,
are machinable and reasonably strong. They are usable for small
lathes for example. Just think how nice it would be to have a low
temperature casting alloy that was not prone to zinc pest. Build a
small engine out of pewter, anyone?
On 7/11/24 11:57, Mehmood via groups.io
wrote:
I like the highly optimistic reference to 1960 being the date
after which zinc pest could be considered “largely free”.
?Presumably wicked casting fairies were all rounded up and locked
in a high tower around then.
On 11 Jul 2024, at 16:21, ManfredV
<manfredv1@...> wrote:
?
While I cannot claim to know anything?about
this, and frankly would prefer to keep it like that, I
found this article that may me of interest:
On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at
10:06?PM OldToolmaker via
<old_toolmaker= [email protected]>
wrote:
I remember a while back I posted about my preference
for cast iron Unimat components versus pot metal.
The recent posts bear that out.
Dick
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
|
Yes, I remember watching that on the BBC.
It was a great travesty that Harrison wasn’t awarded the prize, he had really won it fair and square.
The clocks are things of incredible beauty, I’ve seen them at Greenwich.
|
Re: Metal fatigue or Zinc Pest?
You can cast Zamak at home.?
Find the recycled bodies of Kitchenaid stand mixers.?
They are made from Zamak 5 and it is a great alloy.
Just melt it and cast it. It will be give you great results and no zinc pest, ever, unless you change the alloy (which you should not try).
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
"I see zink pest being bad two ways
1) Nice things get it and crumble. This is what we are mostly discussing here.
2) If it not for 1 above these zinc alloys would be very attractive for home casting. They melt at manageable temperatures, are machinable and reasonably strong. They are usable for small lathes for example.
Just think how nice it would be to have a low temperature casting alloy that was not prone to zinc pest. Build a small engine out of pewter, anyone?"
Zinc/aluminum alloys from reputable suppliers can be used today as machine tool parts.? They are comparable in weight and strength to cast iron but melt at a lower temperature than aluminum - ZA12 and ZA27 come to mind.? Zinc alloys CAN be alloyed in home foundries,
but you have to watch out that you don't contaminate the melt with unwanted materials.? And you definitely do not want use any crucibles/tools that have been used for lead.? In the early days, a few % of lead was added to the zinc alloy to improve the flowability
for die casting.? Casts like a dream, but turns into the nightmare of zinc pest.
|
Re: Metal fatigue or Zinc Pest?
"I see zink pest being bad two ways
1) Nice things get it and crumble. This is what we are mostly discussing here.
2) If it not for 1 above these zinc alloys would be very attractive for home casting. They melt at manageable temperatures, are machinable and reasonably strong. They are usable for small lathes for example. Just think how nice it would be to have a low temperature casting alloy that was not prone to zinc pest. Build a small engine out of pewter, anyone?"
Zinc/aluminum alloys from reputable suppliers can be used today as machine tool parts.? They are comparable in weight and strength to cast iron but melt at a lower temperature than aluminum - ZA12 and ZA27 come to mind.? Zinc alloys CAN be alloyed in home foundries, but you have to watch out that you don't contaminate the melt with unwanted materials.? And you definitely do not want use any crucibles/tools that have been used for lead.? In the early days, a few % of lead was added to the zinc alloy to improve the flowability for die casting.? Casts like a dream, but turns into the nightmare of zinc pest.
|
Re: Metal fatigue or Zinc Pest?
Hi Gang:
I was asked
to repair a Lionel Best Friend of Charleston locomotive made in
2007, and the frame was falling apart from Zinc Pest. So even
premier companies can fall victim to poor manufacturing.
Carl.
On 7/11/2024 11:57 AM, Mehmood via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I like the highly optimistic reference to 1960 being the date
after which zinc pest could be considered “largely free”.
?Presumably wicked casting fairies were all rounded up and locked
in a high tower around then.
?
While I cannot claim to know anything?about
this, and frankly would prefer to keep it like that, I
found this article that may me of interest:
On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at
10:06?PM OldToolmaker via
<old_toolmaker= [email protected]>
wrote:
I remember a while back I posted about my preference
for cast iron Unimat components versus pot metal.
The recent posts bear that out.
Dick
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
|
Re: Metal fatigue or Zinc Pest?
I see zink pest being bad two ways
1) Nice things get it and crumble. This is what we are mostly
discussing here.
2) If it not for 1 above these zinc alloys would be very
attractive for home casting. They melt at manageable temperatures,
are machinable and reasonably strong. They are usable for small
lathes for example. Just think how nice it would be to have a low
temperature casting alloy that was not prone to zinc pest. Build a
small engine out of pewter, anyone?
On 7/11/24 11:57, Mehmood via groups.io
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I like the highly optimistic reference to 1960 being the date
after which zinc pest could be considered “largely free”.
?Presumably wicked casting fairies were all rounded up and locked
in a high tower around then.
?
While I cannot claim to know anything?about
this, and frankly would prefer to keep it like that, I
found this article that may me of interest:
On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at
10:06?PM OldToolmaker via
<old_toolmaker= [email protected]>
wrote:
I remember a while back I posted about my preference
for cast iron Unimat components versus pot metal.
The recent posts bear that out.
Dick
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
|
Re: Metal fatigue or Zinc Pest?
I like the highly optimistic reference to 1960 being the date after which zinc pest could be considered “largely free”. ?Presumably wicked casting fairies were all rounded up and locked in a high tower around then.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 11 Jul 2024, at 16:21, ManfredV <manfredv1@...> wrote:
? While I cannot claim to know anything?about this, and frankly would prefer to keep it like that, I found this article that may me of interest:
On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at 10:06?PM OldToolmaker via <old_toolmaker= [email protected]> wrote: I remember a while back I posted about my preference for cast iron Unimat components versus pot metal.
The recent posts bear that out.
Dick
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
|
Re: Metal fatigue or Zinc Pest?
While I cannot claim to know anything?about this, and frankly would prefer to keep it like that, I found this article that may me of interest:
On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at 10:06?PM OldToolmaker via <old_toolmaker= [email protected]> wrote: I remember a while back I posted about my preference for cast iron Unimat components versus pot metal.
The recent posts bear that out.
Dick
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
|
Metal clocks also saw lots of contraptions to compensate for changes in temperature etc. One of those was the glass or quicksilver pendula clock where the pendula contained 3 adjacent glass containers with quicksilver
?
?
Op 11-07-2024 13:07 CEST schreef Davis Johnson <davis@...>:
?
?
There is also a construction scheme where the pendulum is made of parallel rods? with different thermal expansion coefficients, a gridiron pendulum. There may be other names for it.
The appearance is sufficiently striking that some consumer market grandfather clocks simulate the aperance without the functionality.
On 7/11/24 06:51, Nate Crouch wrote:
Great post! ?The stories of skilled artisans that changed the world thru their craft can be incredibly inspiring. I first learned of Harrison in the book, The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester, and wanted to recommend it for many reasons. I'm reading Longitude now, and I swear you couldn't make up a more interesting story.
?A tidbit in reference to the use of wood in tall clocks that I came across some years back ( and will happily be corrected ) is that it only expands and contracts across its width, ( across the grain ) and not its length.
Therefore it was for some time the material of choice for the pendulum rod, later a special alloy was created for this purpose? I have often wondered to what extent this was true...?
|
Excellent
story!
Also
available on U-tube.
Carl.
On 7/11/2024 9:33 AM, Richard Jones via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Hello,
There was a very good TV film called, IIRC, 'Longitude' staring
Jeremy Irons, who's character? restores a Harrison timepiece,
interspersed with an historic recreation of Harrison' own story..
I think it was a BBC production...
Best wishes
Richard
|
Hi Gang:
There was an
early coastal survey done near Edisto Beach where they use a
bi-metal rod to compensate for temperature.
Carl.
On 7/11/2024 7:07 AM, Davis Johnson
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
There is also a construction scheme where the pendulum is made
of parallel rods? with different thermal expansion coefficients,
a gridiron pendulum. There may be other names for it.
The appearance is sufficiently striking that some consumer
market grandfather clocks simulate the aperance without the
functionality.
On 7/11/24 06:51, Nate Crouch wrote:
Great post! ?The stories of skilled artisans that changed the
world thru their craft can be incredibly inspiring. I first
learned of Harrison in the book, The Perfectionists by Simon
Winchester, and wanted to recommend it for many reasons. I'm
reading Longitude now, and I swear you couldn't make up a more
interesting story.
?A tidbit in reference to the use of wood in tall clocks that I
came across some years back ( and will happily be corrected ) is
that it only expands and contracts across its width, ( across
the grain ) and not its length.
Therefore it was for some time the material of choice for the
pendulum rod, later a special alloy was created for this
purpose? I have often wondered to what extent this was true...?
|
Hello,
There was a very good TV film called, IIRC, 'Longitude' staring Jeremy Irons, who's character? restores a Harrison timepiece, interspersed with an historic recreation of Harrison' own story..
I think it was a BBC production...
Best wishes
Richard
|
There is also a construction scheme where the pendulum is made of
parallel rods? with different thermal expansion coefficients, a
gridiron pendulum. There may be other names for it.
The appearance is sufficiently striking that some consumer market
grandfather clocks simulate the aperance without the
functionality.
On 7/11/24 06:51, Nate Crouch wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Great post! ?The stories of skilled artisans that changed the
world thru their craft can be incredibly inspiring. I first
learned of Harrison in the book, The Perfectionists by Simon
Winchester, and wanted to recommend it for many reasons. I'm
reading Longitude now, and I swear you couldn't make up a more
interesting story.
?A tidbit in reference to the use of wood in tall clocks that I
came across some years back ( and will happily be corrected ) is
that it only expands and contracts across its width, ( across the
grain ) and not its length.
Therefore it was for some time the material of choice for the
pendulum rod, later a special alloy was created for this purpose?
I have often wondered to what extent this was true...?
|
Great post! ?The stories of skilled artisans that changed the world thru their craft can be incredibly inspiring. I first learned of Harrison in the book, The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester, and wanted to recommend it for many reasons. I'm reading Longitude now, and I swear you couldn't make up a more interesting story.
?A tidbit in reference to the use of wood in tall clocks that I came across some years back ( and will happily be corrected ) is that it only expands and contracts across its width, ( across the grain ) and not its length.
Therefore it was for some time the material of choice for the pendulum rod, later a special alloy was created for this purpose? I have often wondered to what extent this was true...?
|
Peter,
Thank you for the links it is interesting to read them and see the animations I found an article on the Model 18 tower clock made by the Seth Thomas Co very interesting, I am into clockmaking and have been quite a few years and am making a small tower clock at the moment I use my Unimat SL to make small bearing parts that I found hard to do on my larger lathe.
Thanks
Phill
|
Off topic but I came across this page a while back - wonderful animations of the working of John Harrison’s remarkable timepieces - which I thought some of you might enjoy.
I’m not a clock maker (I wish!) but these objects have an extraordinary beauty, and are even more impressive in real life (they are kept at the Greenwich Observatory in London). How on earth things of such precision were made in those times is beyond my comprehension.
There is a fascinating follow on to Harrison’s story - the construction of a clock that he described but never made -
|
Carl
Herman de Leeuw