Thanks for the tip, Carl. I seldom work with plastic, but will remember you advise if I do cut plastic. I do have a speed controller and can adjust the speed down to a crawl if needed.
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Larry
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Factory options to use the unimat for wood were many. Table saw, jig saw, planer, Tool rests, mounts, table router etc. ?Jeff
There is nothing inherently wrong with using a metal lathe to turn wood.? And, interestingly, the Unimat even has an accessory or two related to cutting wood.
HOWEVER, wood chips and dust contain moisture that metal chips do not.? If not well cleaned after use, this can lead, sometimes quickly, to rust or corrosion of bare metal machine parts.
Metal lathes tend to have more nooks and crannies than wood lathes so are a little harder to get really clean.? That's the only caveat I have.
Also, it's best to not have the machine to oily.? Wipe it off well first.? This helps keep the wood dust from sticking.
The below photos are not of a Unimat, but of one of the Chinese torture machines - er - I mean mini-lathes.? A hub for a 1/10 scale stagecoach model, and one of the rings cut into 90 degree segments to be part of trim for curved corners of a woodworking project.
That sawdust on the top of the cross slide and elsewhere would have probably caused rust in a matter of hours of not cleaned off.? There is already some staining from some prior corrosion on that surface, but not from wood.? Sort of inexplicably.
Same with the sawdust piling up everywhere in this photo.
 Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer
On Friday, August 23, 2024 at 06:09:16 AM PDT, Nate Crouch <ncrouchdesign@...> wrote:
Hi John, ? ?? Nice work, a handle? ? ? I totally get your sentiment with the "wood" thing.? But it brings to mind the question I've long had about the source of the stigma? I have my opinions, but I would love to hear from others. It is harder to quantify that's for sure.?
On Fri, Aug 23, 2024 at 8:35?AM Lawrence Miller via <larrymiller2728= [email protected]> wrote: I too have turned wood on my uni. I'm a model railroader and have made model telephone poles, just like the ones in my area, which are are made from pine trees and straight as an arrow.
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Also I use the table saw attachment to make my own strip wood and scale ties for track. The unimat is truly a "universal" machine.
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Larry
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Why not John! If it works - do it! I've used my U3 for woodturning but I just used a standard metal-turning HSS tool (well-sharpened) which gave a perfectly good finish though I did have to hold a hoover nozzle close to the workpiece as it created a lot of very fine dust!
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There is nothing inherently wrong with using a metal lathe to turn wood.? And, interestingly, the Unimat even has an accessory or two related to cutting wood.
HOWEVER, wood chips and dust contain moisture that metal chips do not.? If not well cleaned after use, this can lead, sometimes quickly, to rust or corrosion of bare metal machine parts.
Metal lathes tend to have more nooks and crannies than wood lathes so are a little harder to get really clean.? That's the only caveat I have.
Also, it's best to not have the machine to oily.? Wipe it off well first.? This helps keep the wood dust from sticking.
The below photos are not of a Unimat, but of one of the Chinese torture machines - er - I mean mini-lathes.? A hub for a 1/10 scale stagecoach model, and one of the rings cut into 90 degree segments to be part of trim for curved corners of a woodworking project.
That sawdust on the top of the cross slide and elsewhere would have probably caused rust in a matter of hours of not cleaned off.? There is already some staining from some prior corrosion on that surface, but not from wood.? Sort of inexplicably.
Same with the sawdust piling up everywhere in this photo.
 Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer
On Friday, August 23, 2024 at 06:09:16 AM PDT, Nate Crouch <ncrouchdesign@...> wrote:
Hi John, ? ?? Nice work, a handle? ? ? I totally get your sentiment with the "wood" thing.? But it brings to mind the question I've long had about the source of the stigma? I have my opinions, but I would love to hear from others. It is harder to quantify that's for sure.?
On Fri, Aug 23, 2024 at 8:35?AM Lawrence Miller via <larrymiller2728= [email protected]> wrote: I too have turned wood on my uni. I'm a model railroader and have made model telephone poles, just like the ones in my area, which are are made from pine trees and straight as an arrow.
?
Also I use the table saw attachment to make my own strip wood and scale ties for track. The unimat is truly a "universal" machine.
?
Larry
?
?
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Hi Nate I would guess that the stigma has to do with the wood dust getting into the bearings? as you can see from my photo i covered everything as best i could to keep the chips and dust contained. I am making an alligator carved whistle for a five year old¡¯s birthday this weekend and didn¡¯t have a dowel of the correct diameter. His parents are going to be so happy!
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On Aug 23, 2024, at 9:09?AM, Nate Crouch <ncrouchdesign@...> wrote: ? Hi John, ? ?? Nice work, a handle? ? ? I totally get your sentiment with the "wood" thing.? But it brings to mind the question I've long had about the source of the stigma? I have my opinions, but I would love to hear from others. It is harder to quantify that's for sure.? On Fri, Aug 23, 2024 at 8:35?AM Lawrence Miller via <larrymiller2728= [email protected]> wrote: I too have turned wood on my uni. I'm a model railroader and have made model telephone poles, just like the ones in my area, which are are made from pine trees and straight as an arrow.
?
Also I use the table saw attachment to make my own strip wood and scale ties for track. The unimat is truly a "universal" machine.
?
Larry
?
?
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Bread sticks? petrified bread? Was that for a party decoration?
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On Aug 23, 2024, at 9:44?AM, Mehmood via groups.io <mehmood.naqshbandi@...> wrote: ? Probably only if it was a relic of the True Cross?
;-) On 23 Aug 2024, at 12:09, Carl via groups.io <carl.blum@...> wrote:
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Hi John:
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I cut wood all the time. I've seen bread sticks turned too.?
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Carl.?
On 08/23/2024 1:27 AM EDT John Entwistle via groups.io <jentwistle3@...> wrote:
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Many of you may find it sacrilegious but tonight I was turning wood on my SL.
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Probably only if it was a relic of the True Cross?
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On 23 Aug 2024, at 12:09, Carl via groups.io <carl.blum@...> wrote:
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Hi John:
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I cut wood all the time. I've seen bread sticks turned too.?
?
Carl.?
On 08/23/2024 1:27 AM EDT John Entwistle via groups.io <jentwistle3@...> wrote:
?
?
Many of you may find it sacrilegious but tonight I was turning wood on my SL.
?
?
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Hi John, ? ?? Nice work, a handle? ? ? I totally get your sentiment with the "wood" thing.? But it brings to mind the question I've long had about the source of the stigma? I have my opinions, but I would love to hear from others. It is harder to quantify that's for sure.?
On Fri, Aug 23, 2024 at 8:35?AM Lawrence Miller via <larrymiller2728= [email protected]> wrote: I too have turned wood on my uni. I'm a model railroader and have made model telephone poles, just like the ones in my area, which are are made from pine trees and straight as an arrow.
?
Also I use the table saw attachment to make my own strip wood and scale ties for track. The unimat is truly a "universal" machine.
?
Larry
?
?
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Hi Larry:
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The table saw can be run slow so it doesn't melt plastic parts.
?
Carl.?
On 08/23/2024 8:35 AM EDT Lawrence Miller via groups.io <larrymiller2728@...> wrote:
?
?
I too have turned wood on my uni. I'm a model railroader and have made model telephone poles, just like the ones in my area, which are are made from pine trees and straight as an arrow.
?
Also I use the table saw attachment to make my own strip wood and scale ties for track. The unimat is truly a "universal" machine.
?
Larry
?
?
|
I too have turned wood on my uni. I'm a model railroader and have made model telephone poles, just like the ones in my area, which are are made from pine trees and straight as an arrow.
?
Also I use the table saw attachment to make my own strip wood and scale ties for track. The unimat is truly a "universal" machine.
?
Larry
?
?
|
Hi John:
?
I cut wood all the time. I've seen bread sticks turned too.?
?
Carl.?
On 08/23/2024 1:27 AM EDT John Entwistle via groups.io <jentwistle3@...> wrote:
?
?
Many of you may find it sacrilegious but tonight I was turning wood on my SL.
?
?
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Re: Just bought a DB200, need a motor. (Doesnt have to be an EMCO).
Hi? Keith:
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Add a line switch or just unplug it. In trade school we had to shut the mills off at the wall during setups.
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If swarf is a problem tape over the openings. Most of our cuts are short, but if heat builds up, cool it with an aquarium pump.
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Or go for an older sewing machine, and get a treadle! No shock hazard.
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Just get cutting.
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Carl.?
On 08/22/2024 9:40 PM EDT Keith S. Angus <keithsangus@...> wrote:
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On Thu, Aug 22, 2024 at 12:29 PM, Carl wrote:
Find an older sewing machine with an external motor. It will have a foot speed control too.?
Two problems: standard sewing machine motors rotate the wrong way - it's not too difficult to reverse them, or you can find an overlocker motor, which usually goes the opposite way, but may cot more. Also sewing machines are usually open frame, so swarf could get in causing electrical problems including a risk of shocks.
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A pedal for speed control may seem like a good idea but it could give trouble if you happen to tread on it while setting up a job. I've never felt the need of it.
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On Aug 23, 2024, at 1:27?AM, John Entwistle via groups.io <jentwistle3@...> wrote: ? Many of you may find it sacrilegious but tonight I was turning wood on my SL.
?
?
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Many of you may find it sacrilegious but tonight I was turning wood on my SL.
?
?
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Re: Just bought a DB200, need a motor. (Doesnt have to be an EMCO).
Here is a motor upgrade I did:
Don't expect to save money on this. You'll need motor, power supply, PWM, plug, switch, enclosure, cables... and your time. You want it to look nice and compact and protect it from chips.
But the important thing that variable speed DC is greatly superior to the original motor.
Look for YouTube video by Anthony Shelton titled Unimat SL-1000 Motor Upgrade To 150 Watt. It's the most comprehansive step by step instruction.
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Re: Just bought a DB200, need a motor. (Doesnt have to be an EMCO).
On Thu, Aug 22, 2024 at 12:29 PM, Carl wrote:
Find an older sewing machine with an external motor. It will have a foot speed control too.?
Two problems: standard sewing machine motors rotate the wrong way - it's not too difficult to reverse them, or you can find an overlocker motor, which usually goes the opposite way, but may cot more. Also sewing machines are usually open frame, so swarf could get in causing electrical problems including a risk of shocks.
?
A pedal for speed control may seem like a good idea but it could give trouble if you happen to tread on it while setting up a job. I've never felt the need of it.
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Re: Just bought a DB200, need a motor. (Doesnt have to be an EMCO).
Hi:
?
Find an older sewing machine with an external motor. It will have a foot speed control too.?
?
Carl.?
On 08/21/2024 11:04 PM EDT MacKai <mackaigs@...> wrote:
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There's a few videos on YouTube guys talking about replacing their motors usually with a DC and a variable speed controler.... One city did it for just under 50 bucks but I'm not sure what year that was. Lol
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Re: Just bought a DB200, need a motor. (Doesnt have to be an EMCO).
My SL (much the same as the DB) ran very well on a 130 W DC 24 V motor. The lower wattage motors are a bit shorter than the higher power ones (similar are available up to 200 W) and that keeps them out of the way of? some jobs, and they are a bit faster. Bear in mind that the original motor was rated at about 90 W, so you don't need much more. I would be happy to use a 100 W motor if I was doing the conversion again. With 24 V you can add a very cheap speed controller to the setup, giving a bit more flexibility. I posted pictures and drawings of how I did my conversion - see "Keith's DB_SL" in Photos. There are at least two other conversions described in the photos and files. Exactly how you do it depends on which version of the motor you find. Mine was less then ideal. The shaft was a bit short, and the shaft end was where the brushes are, so I was reluctant to drill into it. Also the motor shaft was ?8, the pulley bore is ?6, and I didn't want to drill it out. Hence I used an adaptor plate for the motor mounting and a stub shaft for the pulley, and it all worked together. It's easier with the brushes and cable at the other end, and the version with a toothed belt pulley gives you a better shaft than the ones with a chain sprocket.
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For power a simple PWM 24 V power supply, wattage to match or exceed your motor, but not by much, will be cheap enough and a simple speed control is very cheap these days. I suggest keeping the power supply separate so there is no mains voltage near the lathe and mount the speed control in a handy place on a board under the lathe. I would also add a small rack for the useful things like tommy bars for the chuck, a hex key (5 mm), and other bits and pieces that keep getting lost. I didn't do this, and I wish I had done.
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My SL has now gone to Australia, so I can't measure and draw the motor pully, but it is the same as the small idler except for something to lock it onto the motor spindle. The original motor has a small pin through the shaft which lodges in a slot on the end face of the pulley and a small screw holds it on. This allows the pulley to be reversed for different speed ranges. My adaptor replaces the pin with two poking out of the adaptor. For details of pulley and belt arrangements for different speeds, and much more information see the manuals and "How To" books in the files section.
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I found idler and motor pulleys on Ebay, both UK and USA. Price doesn't seem too high.
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Post pictures of what you've got so we can judge what you need to do.
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Re: Just bought a DB200, need a motor. (Doesnt have to be an EMCO).
There's a few videos on YouTube guys talking about replacing their motors usually with a DC and a variable speed controler.... One city did it for just under 50 bucks but I'm not sure what year that was. Lol
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Re: Just bought a DB200, need a motor. (Doesnt have to be an EMCO).
Look on Ebay.? There are 24 volt scooter motors, 100 watt and 150 watt.? Currently you can buy a 100W for $28.99 and 150W for $36.99.
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John Entwistle
Carl
MacKai