Member postings for Julius Henry Marx

Hello:

In the process of finishing up work on my Unimat 3 milling table, I now have to address a major oversight in its original design.

The column where the milling head runs up/down does not have a key and as a result, loosening the bolt to take the head up or down will always move the register it had, no matter how careful you are.

I've seen a video of a chap who put the post on a mill, ground a 1/4" slot and maintained the register via a screw that threads into the head to fit in the slot, but it ended up having some play.

It is a good idea, simple and straightforward but I think that a square bottom slot is not the right choice.

I'm inclined to have a cone shaped slot ground into the side of the post and keep the register in place with a screw albeit with a shape to match the cone and just long enough so that it does not bottom out.

Something like this *:

I think that the cone shaped slot with the cone shaped bolt will do away with any possible play: the head will always be put back in the same position.

To move the head up or down will then need two operations: first loosen the register bolt, the loosen the milling head bolt and then reversing the operation once the desired height is found.

Not a problem and a solution to the head losing its position which is very annoying in a milling machine.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Best

JHM

* sorry for the sloppy sketch.

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 13/11/2022 19:19:15

Hello:

@Hopper:

> ... looks like standard Chinese fare.

@Daggers:

> ... looks as though it has been cut out of paper and stuck on.

Spot on.

Further investigation and a chat with one of the techs at a local repair/calibration shop revealed that it is most probably "... standard Chinese fare" and that the logo is indeed " ... cut out of paper and stuck on."

The paper logo bit (sloppy) is something another local repair/calibration shop does with these type (blank face) test dials when they do repair or calibration work on them.

I doubt it is from one of the better (?) quality manufacturers that make vanity dials like eg: Horex or Kaëfer as those usually have some brand stamped on them for the outfit selling them.

The result of my informative chat was an offer for a similar one left for repair/calibration with them by a local faucet/plumbing OEM a couple of years ago and never retrieved.
 

Price was ~US$12.00 and as it was not much to lose so after having a look at it I brought it home.

Now I have an extra US$18.00 for 6x6 HSS blanks or stock.  8^D

@Dave:

> ... nothing matters apart from condition.

> ... smooth operation and a consistent return ...

> ... need a basic comparator and don't mind having a few goes ...

Looks in good shape, bezel moves fine, mechanism runs smoothly and returns to nought every time.

Don't need more than that, at least till I get a good idea as to what I can do with my Unimat 3 milling table.

Once again, thanks to all for your reply.

Best,

JHM

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 05/11/2022 11:48:56

Hello:

Thank you all for the prompt reply, much appreciated. 8^)

Sorry for my lateness, for some reason I am not getting notifications so I'll reply to all in one:

@Robert Butler: thanks for the heads up, will take into account.

@Jelly: asking price is ~US$30ish. I have to see what it comes with, check how it works and think about it.

@Clive: local fleabay type place here is expensive, for both new and used. I'm located far away from the usual sources which makes shipping quite expensive and import duties on the whole lot sums up.

@Bill: I'm at the far end of the southern hemisphere, I also noted the untidy logo but not the spelling. Good catch. I may get more photos but will certainly not purchase it without having a look at it first.

@Hopper: I have not seen it yet but it is certainly not a known brand and there are many. I been to a US site that says that Kaëfer " ... is willing to put just about anyone's name" on their economical dials so it could be but I doubt it, too sloppy looking.

@notdoneityet: yes, I agree. For what I will be doing, I need consistency not accuracy.

@Moderator: your comments make a lot of sense, will keep them in mind. 

Once again, many thanks to *all* for your reply.

I now have a bit more to chew on.

ie: if it was not seen by anyone in this forum, it is inconnu and if used, probably not worth the asking price.

Best regards,

JHM

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 02/11/2022 21:43:03

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 02/11/2022 21:55:04

Hello:

@admin: I was at a loss as to whether to post this question here or not, please excuse me and move where appropiate if it is in the wrong place.

On the lookout for a test dial I was offered the one in the photo below.

The seller does not know the brand, it belonged to her late father and does not have it at hand at the moment to give more information or send me another photo.

Has anyone seen this brand of instrument before or can tell me something about its quality or provenance?

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,

JHM

Hello:

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 30/10/2022 19:50:17:

> ... not a long list …

Quite so, but it is a list.

> ... just done a little better than that ^^^

Indeed you have. 8^D

I had already seen those but they had no reference the the mods I mentioned in my OP.

ie: carriage / handwheels / mount.

Sorry I was not clear. 8^|

Thanks for your observation.

Best,

JHM

Hello:

> The handwheels are in MEW 112. The rack feed for the carriage is in 107.

Thank you very much for the heads-up.

l'll have a look at the index and download the articles for the details.

> ... mounting looks nothing more than a couple of flat ...

I used two short pieces of structural steel tube which I ran through a milling machine to raise the bed.

Now the U3 clears the mounting board by 44 mm, enough to keep it clean without having to spend 30 minutes brush in hand each time I use it.  8^/

Can't seem to be able to insert the photo, but it is in my album.

Best,

JHM

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 30/10/2022 20:10:25

Hello:

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 27/09/2022 21:09:48:

> Have a look through these ...

I have endlessly searched the web for articles/photos or anything regarding to "Maurice Rhodes+lathe" or "Maurice Rhodes+unimat" and have come up with very little for my efforts.

I have not been able to find any reference or photos of his Unimat 3 and the modifications he made to it.

Modifications such as the one that he seems to have done to his lathe (carriage displacement) are sure to have generated a huge buzz within the Unimat 3 user's community.

Does anyone here have more information or know where he can be reached?

Thanks in advance.

Best,

JHM

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 30/10/2022 19:28:52

Hello:

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 27/09/2022 21:09:48:

> Have a look through these ...

Yes, I've been through all of MR's posts there

> Maurice Rhodes would appear to have been uncommonly generous ...

Indeed.

But I have not seen one photo of those modifications he did on his U3.

I was hoping someone here at ME would have seen them.

At this point what most interests me is the way he seems to have mounted his U3.

Thanks for your input.

Best,

JHM

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 28/09/2022 01:16:39

Hello:

While looking over some Unimat 3 articles, I once again came across one by Maurice Rhodes, in which he describes how he made a vertical alignment guide for the U3's vertical milling head.

Looking at the photos posted, I came across a couple of (for me, an apprentice) interesting details:

The photo I am referring to is this one:

Specifically, I am curious about what seems to be a carriage displacement mechanism and the way he seems to have mounted his U3.

Not to mention the absolutely beautiful indexable handwheels. 8^O!

Anyone in the forum has any idea or seen other photos/articles where those modifications can be seen in greater detail?

Thanks in advance,

JHM

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 27/09/2022 16:55:38

Hello:

No, it is not an OEM provided photo.

Actually, I have not been able to find any OEM (Emco/Unimat) information on this tool.

Check the video link in my third post.

The video is by a chap who was (?) apparently at one time selling a complete Unimat 3 Milling machine, of which I have the just x-t table along with a Unimat 3.

Best,

JHM

Hello:

I was supposed to have made reference to why this table is so rare and posted a video.

But after reading my original post again, I see that (for whatever reason) the following part of the post went missing.

ie: the text is after good shape and before I have taken:

---

It is so rare that there is practically no information about it of the web, just silly money prices listing ones that were swept up in a minute.

Probably because it was generally sold along with the Unimat 3 vertical milling attachment and motor as a stand alone milling machine which may be the reason I have not found a part number for it.

Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tpcZXH-0Jg

Fortunately, among the extras included in my purchase were the vertical line feed (151110), fly cutter (150100), milling arbor (151070), dividing attachment w/plates (150320) and four slotting tools, but no vise.

---

For some reason the clipboard pasted a previous version of the text.

Distraction? Hurry? Lack of coffee? Sorry about the confusion.

Fixed it now, makes sense and is more complete, thanks for pointing that out.

I agree, it doesn't look like the normal sort of damage you'd see on a mill table.

But I've also done dumb things a few times, so I chose not to ask the seller.

---

Engine Builder / blowlamp:

Yes, I could have it milled out.

I have not measured how deep the gouging is, my guess is at least 0.5mm at the deeper parts.

Just for fun I could ask and see what I get as a quote.

Thanks to all who took the time to write.

Best,

JHM

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 06/06/2022 21:21:24

Hello:

Thanks you so very much to all who answered so promptly. 8^D

Seeing that you all share the same opinion on this matter, I'll reply to all of you in one post so as to avoid generating extra traffic:

Martin C:

Yes, that was the first thing I thought of: a good sharp/very flat stone, I've used that before.

And yes, I agree that the possibilities are against me.

I'm sure there probably some milling table Dr. who could TIG up the scars and then level it all but I fear the price, given the amount of work involved, would surely be hefty, to say the least.

---

Brian W.:

Yes, I agree that it would be just for keeping it tidy, so to speak.

Nothing much besides that and my being excessively meticulous.

It's just damn ugly but should I decide (given it's value) to part with it, a talking point to consider.

I'll have to find a nice flat file, preferably long.

Or maybe 200+300+400 W&D paper on a piece of plate glass?

I've used that method once to recover a heavily battered but high quality kitchen knife without the aid of a proper belt sander.

---

Old Mart:

Yes, I agree with the general consensus: once the burrs are taken care of, it's of no practical effect.

Stuff will get in there but the gouging is shallow.

---

Peter G.:

I understand the confusion, there are three photos.

One (the first photo) is of what was usually sold to the public ie: the complete milling machine setup.

The other two (second and third photos) are just of the damaged surface on my table: from above and another closer up.

This old Minolta thingy I take photos with has a focus issue but it gets the idea across.

Obsessive? Nah!

You don't know me in obsessive mode. 8^°

---

Clive H.:

Yes.

Reflecting upon what could have happened to the previous owner, I realised that I've also had unbelievable things happen to me, fortunately costing me $$$, embarrasment or both.

As long as you learn from it, embarrasment can be dealt with.

And money, as we all know at our age, both comes and goes.

---

Noel S.:

Yes, the first is of another milling table, not the damaged one.

Sorry for the confusion.    8^/

---

Once again, thanks to all.

Best,

JHM

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 06/06/2022 19:08:04

Edited By Julius Henry Marx on 06/06/2022 19:10:21

Hello:

New member, thank you for having me. 8^)

Earlier this week I was able to make a long time with come true: I managed to purchase a small lathe.

Not what I really wanted albeit much better than no lathe at all.

It is an Austrian made Unimat 3 in (apparently) very good shape for which I paid a bit more than I would have wanted to.

On one hand because I could not afford anything else and on the other because it included quite a few hard to find attachments and extras.

The main extra was Unimat x-y milling table, apparently rarer than hen's teeth and quite expensive if found in good shape.

I have taken it apart and managed to clean up most of what ammounted to decades of caked grase and grime (work in progress) but the poor thing has a horrible scar, the product of a severe misshap or idle hands/devil's work.

This is what it looks like from above:

And this is a close up:

Fortunately, the damage is circumscribed/limited to just one section of the surface and does not extend past the border.

And allthough I expect that it does not affect how the table works, it is way past horrible.

I was wondering if the any of the members of the forum has come across this type of repair job and could offer some advise.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,

JHM