Unimat Micro Lathe - Source wanted
 

Does anyone have a source in the US for picking up a small/micro (I have limited space)
Unimat (or comparable) Lathe, (SL or DB200, etc...,) other than bidding on ebay?
I'm looking for one to do produce some small aluminum adapters, etc..., for work in
astronomy.
I see the Unimat Classic Lathe for sale. But it looks like a childs toy!

Thanks Paul

CCSI Inc wrote:

Does anyone have a source in the US for picking up a small/micro (I have limited space)
Unimat (or comparable) Lathe, (SL or DB200, etc...,) other than bidding on ebay?
I'm looking for one to do produce some small aluminum adapters, etc..., for work in
astronomy.
I see the Unimat Classic Lathe for sale. But it looks like a childs toy!

Thanks Paul

Micromark and Jensen sell the Taig lathe, which appears to be a nice
little thing.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

CCSI Inc wrote:
Does anyone have a source in the US for picking up a small/micro (I
have limited space)
Unimat (or comparable) Lathe, (SL or DB200, etc...,) other than
bidding on ebay?
I'm looking for one to do produce some small aluminum adapters,
etc..., for work in
astronomy.
I see the Unimat Classic Lathe for sale. But it looks like a childs
toy!

Thanks Paul

You can probably get a 7x Chinese of one of the various brands for
about the same or less, you'll have threading facilities built-in and a
much more rigid setup than one of the old Unimats. Also has a 7" swing
and large(for a portable unit) head and tailstock tapers. It's about
at the edge of what you can pick up and put on the shelf. If you have
a Harbor Freight store, trot over and check one out. Theirs is a 7x10,
but you can get bed lengths of up to 14" from other importers.
www.littlemachineshop.com has parts and tooling.

Stan

I agree with the other posters.. don't waste your time on a Unimat. At this
point they are more collectors items (read collector pricing) than anything
else. I had an SL that I bought 30+ years ago I sold it on Ebay and bought
a Taig lathe (www.taigtools.com). The Taig was much better built and far
more rigid that the Unimat. The acccessories ( you can't do anything without
accessories such as chucks, tool holders etc) are well built and reasonably
priced. I would also look at Sherline products (www.sherline.com). Their
equipment is a litlle pricier than Taig's but it is well built and well
supported. They have an extremely large line of accessories. Check the
included websites and if you want to know a lot more about Taig products,
check with Nick at (www.cartertools.com).

ed smith

"CCSI Inc" wrote in message
...
Does anyone have a source in the US for picking up a small/micro (I have
limited space)
Unimat (or comparable) Lathe, (SL or DB200, etc...,) other than bidding
on ebay?
I'm looking for one to do produce some small aluminum adapters, etc...,
for work in
astronomy.
I see the Unimat Classic Lathe for sale. But it looks like a childs toy!

Thanks Paul

It looks like Taig is the micro Lathe of choice. I guess I'm going to skip looking for
the extinct Unimat and get a Taig. Another question. If you would like to save me some
time web browsing, does anyone know who has the best prices on the Taig's??

Thanks again!!!
Paul

On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 08:25:04 -0800, Tim Wescott wrote:

CCSI Inc wrote:

Does anyone have a source in the US for picking up a small/micro (I have limited space)
Unimat (or comparable) Lathe, (SL or DB200, etc...,) other than bidding on ebay?
I'm looking for one to do produce some small aluminum adapters, etc..., for work in
astronomy.
I see the Unimat Classic Lathe for sale. But it looks like a childs toy!

Thanks Paul

Micromark and Jensen sell the Taig lathe, which appears to be a nice
little thing.

DB and SL were replaced by Unimat3.
Nowadays, they aren't made in Austria any more, but pretty much the same
thing is made in Taiwan and called Unimat4. Quality is down - surprise -
but pricing is reasonable. There's a badge-engineered version called
MJ-189A.
There is a development of it called Combi 218. It has conventional
thread cutting ability (rather than the original Unimats' weird system).
I like the cast iron beds all these lathes have.
Not sure if these are available in USA any more (I think Poseidon had
them?), but all are available in Australia and UK:

http://bne043v.webcentral.com.au/vs4487_secure/dept.asp?id=88
http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/Test/acatalog/Chronos_Catalogue_Lathes_5.html

Jordan

Does anyone have a source in the US for picking up a small/micro (I have limited space)
Unimat (or comparable) Lathe, (SL or DB200, etc...,)

I see the Unimat Classic Lathe for sale. But it looks like a childs
toy!

You're right! Back in the 1950's when Unimat first came on the market I
wanted one so bad I could taste it. . . . but it was too expensive. I
settled for buying an old 10" Atlas lathe for a fifth of the cost and
was never sorry. Forty years later I heard from others that had bought
the Unimat that it isn't ver satisfactory for serious metal working.
Bugs

On 22 Dec 2004 07:01:58 -0800, "Bugs" wrote:

I see the Unimat Classic Lathe for sale. But it looks like a childs
toy!

You're right! Back in the 1950's when Unimat first came on the market I
wanted one so bad I could taste it. . . . but it was too expensive. I
settled for buying an old 10" Atlas lathe for a fifth of the cost and
was never sorry. Forty years later I heard from others that had bought
the Unimat that it isn't ver satisfactory for serious metal working.
Bugs

For what the Unimat was designed for, it's a fine little machine.
There are quite a few in model use, and they perform as well as
anything would. They weren't intended to compete with bigger
machines, just as the bigger ones won't be as convenient for the tiny
stuff that the Unimat handles easily. It's more a matter of intended
use than it is of universal adaptability.

In article ,
Greybeard wrote:
On 22 Dec 2004 07:01:58 -0800, "Bugs" wrote:

I see the Unimat Classic Lathe for sale. But it looks like a childs
toy!

You're right! Back in the 1950's when Unimat first came on the market I
wanted one so bad I could taste it. . . . but it was too expensive. I
settled for buying an old 10" Atlas lathe for a fifth of the cost and
was never sorry. Forty years later I heard from others that had bought
the Unimat that it isn't ver satisfactory for serious metal working.

I got one about 1973 or so (SL-1000) and still have it. In
addition, I now have (in order or acquisition):

1) Atlas/Craftsman 6x18"

2) Taig

3) Emco-Maier Compact-5/CNC (5" swing)

4) 12x24" Clausing (with matching serial number bed turret)

Of those, the one which is no longer used at all is the
Atlas/Craftsman. Each of the others does something better than the
others.

For what the Unimat was designed for, it's a fine little machine.
There are quite a few in model use, and they perform as well as
anything would. They weren't intended to compete with bigger
machines, just as the bigger ones won't be as convenient for the tiny
stuff that the Unimat handles easily. It's more a matter of intended
use than it is of universal adaptability.

My Unimat SL-1000 gets used most often with the alternate
spindle in place -- the WW (watchmaker's collet) spindle.

The Taig is currently set up with another watchmaker's spindle,
and a form tool to crown concertina endbox screws. (It has a nice
travel stop for the bed which makes it the best choice for this task.)
Those screws have 3/16" diameter heads, and about 0.100" diameter
shanks.

The Emco-Maier gets used for repeat operations where its CNC
programming is a benefit, and for chasing metric threads, as it converts
from inch to metric and back at the flip of a switch.

The Clausing gets used for larger work, tougher materials, and
for repeat operations where the bed turret is a serious benefit.

The Unimat also gets used for other tasks with various
accessories, including as a tiny table saw, for making support blocks
and similar things for concertina repairs. The only accessory for it
which I don't have is the flexible shaft setup.

I could not even *consider* buying a Unimat SL-1000 now. It is
*way* too expensive. I would rather spend that money on a real
watchmaker's lathe.

But -- I've done a lot of things on that machine before I got my
other machines, including cutting metric threads to mount lenses on
custom setups. The thread cutting system for the Unimat SL-1000 (and
DB-200) is a real kluge, but it did get that job done, and that machine
was all that I could run in my apartment. (I had it bolted to a 5/16"
thick aluminum plate, which was then mounted on shock absorbing mounts
onto my workbench, to keep the vibrations from upsetting the downstairs
neighbor. :-)

I no longer use the milling features of the Unimat, as I have
several alternatives for that in various sizes, but the lathe, for very
small work, is still excellent.

Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

It looks like Taig is the micro Lathe of choice. I guess I'm going to skip looking for
the extinct Unimat and get a Taig. Another question. If you would like to save me some
time web browsing, does anyone know who has the best prices on the Taig's??

Thanks again!!!
Paul
Nick Carter.
http://www.cartertools.com/


Ron Thompson
On the Beautiful Florida Space Coast, right beside the Kennedy Space Center, USA

http://www.plansandprojects.com

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is
to fill the world with fools.
--Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)