Unimat Queries

I was just given a Unimat DB200, and I have frankly no idea where to find a quick change tool post for this little devil- or any tooling for that matter.

Any suggestions? I'd really rather not spend a small fortune on antiques from eBay.

Thank you for any input in advance!

-Dean

Hi Dean,

I doubt that you can buy a quick change toolpost for the Unimat. (but I couold be wrong). As far as I know it just uses standard square HSS steel blanks which you grind youself, held in a simple toolholder.

Do a Google search for info.

Paul.

Very easy to make yourself a few complete tool posts following the original design and swap them over complete with the tool and it's packing. It's just a block with a slot milled into it for the tool, 2 tapped holes to clamp the tool and one through hole

There is a design for a 4 way toolpost in one of the Unimat3 books which could be adjusted to suit your earlier machine.

There was a QCTP made for the U3 but may be too high for yours if you could find one.

There was a plan in MEW to make a top slide for the Unimat 3 lathe, this includes a 3 way tool post. The plan is by Mr. D. Scroggins, I don't know which issue it as in , but it was quite a few years ago.

Ian S C

 Hi Dean

In most respects (apart from the earliest models) the cast iron DB is nearly identical to the later and much more common aluminium or Zamac SL models. With the exception in some cases of the milling post and the headstock riser block, the tooling is identical. When it comes to cutting tools, 6mm may work without shimming, 1/4" HSS and 6mm carbide are fractionally too tall.

Unimat 3 toolposts and top slides are too high for the DB/SL, and the QCTPs sold for 7x12 mini lathes are too big (I tried my son's). Some of the members of the Unimat Yahoo group **LINK** (it is worth joining for the files section alone) have these US made QCTPs and appear very happy with them: **LINK**

Another option is to make additional toolposts (possibly from aluminium like the QCTPs) as they can then be exchanged without shimming by loosening a single cap head screw.

Brian

Edit:  I just saw on another thread that you are in the US.  In that case take a look at Toms Tool Store for Unimat spares http://www.tomstoolstore.com/

Edited By Brian G on 26/09/2017 10:07:17

MEW 260 will have an article about making an adapter to fit a ciommercially available top slide to a Unimat SL1000 by Terry Gorin.

Neil

The biggest problem with the SL I found was the ways

At 12mm they flexed too much, if they had made a 16mm version it could have become a classic micro lathe