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Post by vance on Oct 15, 2021 17:04:08 GMT -8
Jealous of the Unimat. I'm looking at them, but they are going for megabucks. I've got my eye on an incomplete one, but not sure I want to spend the $$, since I'm also looking at a Craftsman 6" lathe with a mill attachment. Dang it! I just bought a Unimat lathe with accessories and a mill attachment. I made a low-ball offer on eBay and it was accepted. I wasn't serious. However, it's cool! I love me a mini lathe! |
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Post by nikeajax on Oct 16, 2021 18:02:36 GMT -8
PY, that's how I got my Goldie and that Nemrod I sold you: I totally low-balled it and...  JB |
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Post by vance on Oct 17, 2021 15:36:50 GMT -8
So now I'm going to have 2 lathes. I always love miniature things, so I'm super geeked about getting the Unimat.
But I also have been lusting for a Craftsman 6" lathe, which is what my dad had, and I learned on back in the day. My brother wanted it when dad passed, so I let him have it.
Bad move.
It's still in my brother's garage after his death 15 years ago. The evil sister-in-law (his 3rd wife), won't let me have it for any price, just because she can. That's another story, probably familiar to many, so I'm giving it up.
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Post by surflung on Oct 18, 2021 7:37:17 GMT -8
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Post by surflung on Oct 20, 2021 6:49:52 GMT -8
More Lathe Eye Candy... For Making Double Hose Parts- This is the one I'd like to get for a home shop set up someday. What an elegant machine! Made by an English company that's out of business now... So probably I'll never get one... But still nice to look at!  
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Post by vance on Oct 20, 2021 8:26:56 GMT -8
It's a beauty, isn't it! The Myford would be great for making double hose parts and mods, if it had a 16tpi leadscrew so you can make the correct imperial threads. I believe they made "inch versions" in the old days, and possibly as a choice later on.
You can cut imperial threads on a metric machine if you have the right change gears, but it is more complicated to do without a thread dial which metric lathes lack. I won't go into it, since this isn't something most people will care about.
The Unimat is a metric machine, and has no threading capability in the basic model. You need to add several expensive and complex accessories to do that. It a good second lathe, but lacking for a general use machine.
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Post by snark3 on Oct 20, 2021 11:21:56 GMT -8
It's a beauty, isn't it! The Myford would be great for making double hose parts and mods, if it had a 16tpi leadscrew so you can make the correct imperial threads. I believe they made "inch versions" in the old days, and possibly as a choice later on. You can cut imperial threads on a metric machine if you have the right change gears, but it is more complicated to do without a thread dial which metric lathes lack. I won't go into it, since this isn't something most people will care about. The Unimat is a metric machine, and has no threading capability in the basic model. You need to add several expensive and complex accessories to do that. It a good second lathe, but lacking for a general use machine. Phil the solution to the metric lathe problem is simple. Make parts for Snark 3's. Metric lathe, metric regulator. |
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Post by vance on Oct 20, 2021 14:55:46 GMT -8
I was wondering when a "Snarky" comment about metric regulators and metric lathes would come up! Thanks!
As far as I know, it's easier to cut good metric threads on an imperial lathe than vice-versa. You need a particular change gear to get to perfect, but even without it, you can cut pretty close metric threads on a 16 tpi leadscrew.
Imperial measurements make little sense. Metric is a much better system, and it's a shame that the US didn't convert when the civilized countries (England, Canada, Oz, etc.) did. I'm used to them both, having been a foreign car mechanic and machinist for years (before and during college). It amazes me that people who can readily work with the complexities of fractions and decimals of inches think they can't learn something so easy.
I suppose I get it. Remember when my avatar was "Change is Bad"?
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Post by vance on Oct 20, 2021 15:07:22 GMT -8
I got the Unimat today. AWESOME!!! It's a lathe! It's a drillpress! It's a turret mill, it's a table saw! It's a jig saw.....
I love miniature machines, and this one can do it all with the proper accessories. I don't have, nor will I ever, get many of them, b/c I have other machines that will do the other stuff.
Photos to follow. I need to mount it on a board with a backsplash and some custom tool holders.
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Post by vance on Oct 22, 2021 10:00:26 GMT -8
Just got off the phone with Bill T. He helped me figure out a few things that were making me nuts. Turned out that the Unimat had been disassembled and put back together improperly. Being brilliant, Bill had it figgered out in a few minutes!
Cool! I'm going to make a couple of parts for it that are missing and I'll post some photos.
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Post by nikeajax on Oct 22, 2021 12:32:40 GMT -8
PY or Bill, what are the bits called that you use to make the recesses for the o-rings?  As can be seen in this image, especially so on the Scuba Star. I'd like to get a drill press one of these days soon...  JB |
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Post by vance on Oct 22, 2021 15:30:01 GMT -8
I make the cuts on the lathe, or on the mill with an end cutter. You might be able to do it with a special stepped drill
bit (kind of like a countersink bit) on a drill press, but most drill presses are just a bit too wobbly to get great results.
An x-y table on the drill press would be the way to go with this, in any case. You'll also need a way to clamp the piece to the table accurately, which will take much more effort than the actual machining. Jigs and such can take hours to set up for a 30 second cut.
I can do it for you (if I have the skillz...). Send me an email.
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Post by nikeajax on Oct 22, 2021 15:42:59 GMT -8
PY, I was mostly just trying to keep the conversation going--SIGH! But, yes, when I need your help, I will let you know SIDE NOTE: Any luck on that sand blasting? Jaybird |
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Post by vance on Oct 22, 2021 15:47:35 GMT -8
Here's the newly fixed, operable, NTM (new to me) Unimat, sitting on a piece of quartz backsplash that I'm considering as a base. I have a larger piece that I can cut a much wider base from, but this might do. Weight is a factor. I saved my not too old quartz kitchen counters from our remodel for just this reason. I also saved a big piece that I had cut for my other lathe's bench, and for a laundry room cabinet. Just haven't done the benchtop yet. I have a problem with procrastination. I'll think about that tomorrow... So, I'm going to add a custom chip tray and backsplash to the base, whether or not it's this piece.  |
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Post by antique diver on Oct 22, 2021 19:58:58 GMT -8
PY or Bill, what are the bits called that you use to make the recesses for the o-rings? As can be seen in this image, especially so on the Scuba Star. I'd like to get a drill press one of these days soon... JB JB, Are you having some difficulty getting an air-tight seal on those reg bodies? If you can describe the problem you are having I may be able to give better suggestions that may prevent your having to remove metal. As far as making a tapered containment in material that had no original place for an oring, I have used countersink bits, removing small amounts at a time and testing the fit often. HOWEVER... It is not always easy getting a smooth and even bore that way, sometimes being left with a wavy metal surface that may not seal properly. It is really tough to do with a hand held drill motor, and a little better with a drill press. |
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