Subject: unimat sl questions

From: [email-masked] (Geoffrey Brown)
Date: 2 Oct 1995 12:23:46 GMT

I've been offered a nearly mint unimat sl for $200.  I have a couple
of full sized lathes, so I don't need it but, was considering buying
it to use as a mill/drill spindle on my full sized lathe.  A couple
of questions:

-- What size collets, if any, fit this machine ?
-- Is it powerful enough for say a 3/16 end mill ?
-- I know it is no longer produced, are there  any parts left ?
-- Would I be better served to buy a Sherline headstock and motor
   for use as a mill/drill spindle ?  How about a taig headstock ?

Geoffrey Brown
[email-masked]

---

From: Mike Rehmus <[email-masked]>
Date: 3 Oct 1995 16:09:39 GMT

>-- What size collets, if any, fit this machine ?
You can get a watchmakers spindle for this.  Mucho $!

>-- Is it powerful enough for say a 3/16 end mill ?
Almost.

>-- I know it is no longer produced, are there  any parts left ?
Blue Ridge carries parts.

>   for use as a mill/drill spindle ?  How about a taig headstock ?

Buy the Sherline.

One of the problems with any milling attachment that uses round stock as 
the vertical support is the tendency of the support to wind up like a
torsion bar when taking a cut.  It is significant enought that the local
Sherline distributor talked about that particular shortcoming during a
recent Q&A session at a club meeting.

That said, I plan to use my surplus SL as a milling attachment (well, maybe
more as a drill press) on my smaller lathe.

Best regards,
Mike Rehmus

---

From: [email-masked] (Reg Barron)
Date: 2 Oct 1995 16:53:43 GMT

>   [email-masked] (Geoffrey Brown) writes:
Per above:

- the Unimat takes an odd size collet, but they are available 
and rather expensive.  A collet chuck and new back plate 
is also needed.
- Yes it is powerful enough for a 3/16 or 
even a 1/4 inch end mill.  The problem is not 
really in the headstock, but in the bar type ways,
which do not have a lot of stability in milling (at least
for people used to larger machines)
- What parts are available are mostly at Blue Ridge Machinery.
Campbell Tools has some parts.  I have heard MSC has best 
price on collets.
-  Can't comment on headstock stability 
vs. Taig or Sherline, however the old (Unimat DB)
instruction manual shows the headstock attached to 
larger machines, in much the same way as you are 
envisioning

---

From: [email-masked] (nstn4700)
Date: 3 Oct 1995 23:46:05 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...
>larger machines, in much the same way as you are 

Mine takes 8mm watchmakers collets

Mark Layne    [email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Ron Ginger)
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 21:06:46 LOCAL

>>     for use as a mill/drill spindle ?  How about a taig headstock ?
I had a Unimat 3 and sold it to buy a Sherline. The Unimat is just about the 
most gutless tool I ever saw- it would barely turn steel chips about the size 
of steel wool. 

The Sherline has a serious DC motor with solid state control. I cannot stall 
the motor by trying to hold the pulley, even at the slowest speed.

I have used my sherline spindle clamped to my aloris tool post on my 11" 
rockwell as a milling spindle. It worked fine, but I lashed it up with a C 
clamp, so it was a bit shakey. its 'on my list' to make a real attachemnt 
someday,I think this is a very usefull setup.

I believe Sheline will sell just the motor assembly, as a repair part, for 
about what you are looking at for the Unimat.

Ron Ginger
my signature is http://www.ultranet.com/~ginger