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Post by vance on Dec 15, 2021 18:42:02 GMT -8
I've purchased a 150 watt motor upgrade for the Unimat which will replace the rather weak and overheating-prone 90 watt original. This setup has a reverse capable speed control box! No such stuff with the original Unimat. I have to do some machining and other setup, but it looks pretty simple.
The upgrade is well worth it. The original motor has no cooling and the upgrade will run circles around it power-wise and duty cycle-wise.
When it all gets here, I'll post photos of the upgrade process.
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Post by vance on Mar 19, 2022 14:40:15 GMT -8
I finished the upgrade on the Unimat. It delivers! I will post photos soon.
Also, I did some work on a Snark Silver LP seat guide today, which reminded me that I haven't posted about an upgrade I got for the mill. I got an air spring lift conversion kit for the mill head. There were accuracy problems (disasters) due to a weak stock spring that supports the head. It took a couple hours, was inexpensive ($60-ish), and was hella worth it!
I also purchased a belt drive unit to replace the noisy and weak plastic gears that eventually strip on all of these mills. I'll post photos of the Unimat, the air spring, and the belt drive when the belt drive is installed.
With lathes, mills, and 3D printers, one is always upgrading the things. You spend a lot of money on upgrades and tooling!
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Post by vance on Mar 23, 2022 14:54:06 GMT -8
Here's a photo of the upgrade:  I also finished the belt drive mod today. I'll take a photo and post soon. |
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Post by vance on Mar 23, 2022 15:05:49 GMT -8
This upgrade needs a box for the power supply and the variable speed unit, in order to keep cutting debris out of the works.
I did this for the fun of it, but I won't keep it. My Unimat lacks some features (like single point threading) and I'm going to sell it. Unimats are wildly upgradable, and have many accessories. Unfortunately, they are outrageously expensive due to the collector mindset.
They are really popular vintage bits, and I can't afford them. But I really don't need this micro lathe/mill since I have a mill and a lathe that do what I need.
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Post by herman on Mar 23, 2022 15:16:14 GMT -8
If you are looking to upgrade the lathe, look at the Precision Mathews models. I think that is going to be my next lathe.
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Post by vance on Mar 23, 2022 15:49:49 GMT -8
Wow. Those are sweet. But, I'm (mostly) happy with my Grizzly mini lathe, and my HF mill. They do what I need. Also, I'm getting a bit long in the tooth to start spending $$$$$$ for stuff I won't be able to use in 12-15 years...
And, for some reason, my daughters (who would inherit my stuff) aren't into machine work.
Not sure why.....
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Post by herman on Mar 23, 2022 17:26:30 GMT -8
Maybe they just need inspiration, have them check out "Blondiehacks".  I'm hoping to retire in the next couple years so I want to put together a nicer shop for the next phase of life....whoever has to see the stuff is their problem. |
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Post by vance on Mar 23, 2022 19:24:09 GMT -8
Maybe they just need inspiration, have them check out "Blondiehacks".  I'm hoping to retire in the next couple years so I want to put together a nicer shop for the next phase of life....whoever has to see the stuff is their problem. I've seen her vids! Love them. |
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Post by vance on Mar 31, 2022 15:07:31 GMT -8
I just sold the Unimat off Craigslist. I didn't make anything (or much) off the sale, but it was a fun upgrade. I spent the afternoon making a splashguard with the electronics mounted on the back to keep chips out. The buyer loved it.
My forays into the micro lathe/mill arena are over. I'm very happy with what I have. My machines do everything I need them to, and I'm satisfied.
I just need more tooling!
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Post by vance on Dec 26, 2022 14:52:01 GMT -8
Just to keep things going around here, I thought I'd update this thread.
I mentioned elsewhere that my lathe's control board burned up when the cutoff tool stuck in a piece of aluminum, and stalled the motor. My fault, because I set the speed too low.
The circuit breaker that I "upgraded" the lathe with was the culprit. Apparently a circuit breaker isn't fast enough to protect the board reliably.
I sent my control box off to a repair shop, and they upgraded my board to a US made part, and installed a fuse holder. I got it back, and it is nice! Better lower end torque and less noise.
I took the lathe apart for an annual overhaul while the box was being flown back and forth from CA to ME. Everything got cleaned lubed and adjusted.
Back in bidniss!
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Post by nikeajax on Dec 26, 2022 15:16:10 GMT -8
...I sent my control box off to a repair shop, and they upgraded my board to a US made part, and installed a fuse holder. I got it back, and it is nice! Better lower end torque and less noise... Awesome! I'm not surprised that the American made part is superior I'm very happy that President Biden helped get legislation through to protect American high tech companies, as opposed to them all being foreign, and especially Chinese mediocrity. Gosh, remember when Levi's were made in San Francisco California? JB |
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Post by vance on Dec 26, 2022 16:37:00 GMT -8
I've done a lot with Chinese electronics in the past, and have used them in projects like my electric bike systems, machinery controllers, drones, R/C airplanes, and computers.
It is amazing what you can get for little money. I would not pay what an American made lathe would cost, nor any of the USA made tooling. Reliability issues are there, but mostly, it's pretty good. And if you need to replace something, it doesn't cost a lot.
There are many bad reasons why Chinese stuff is so inexpensive. It is a problem, but we can't get away from it since Chinese parts and products are ubiquitous.
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Post by vance on Jan 8, 2023 16:01:32 GMT -8
I learned how to cut inside threads on the lathe today. This was in aid of making an adapter for the Narghile regulators which need an M20x 1.5 to 9/16 x 18 adapter.
This requires doing stuff upside down and backwards, and requires left hand tooling. Being left handed, this works for me!
The problem with most single point threading on a lathe is that it has traditionally been done by moving the carriage toward the chuck. This is a disaster waiting to happen, b/c it requires the operator to switch off the power feed in a microsecond before it crashes.
Not good.
Upside down and backwards makes it possible to cut the threads away from the chuck into... nothing.
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 8, 2023 17:02:43 GMT -8
...Being left handed, this works for me! Upside down and backwards makes it possible to cut the threads away from the chuck into... nothing. Phil, did you know that Jimmy Hendrix was left handed and played his guitar upside down? Czech it out:  Welllll, it's off topic, I know, but, a post-is-a-post!  JB |
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Post by vance on Jan 8, 2023 20:26:55 GMT -8
I did know that. It's a lefty's response to a right-handed world. I heard left-handed people have a -10 percent life expectancy b/c everything is made for right handed operation, so accidents happen.
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