Recommendations for where to start with my new Emco Unimat Basic SL

Hello, I've just signed up to this site having recently purchased my first lathe.

It's a lovely little Emco Unimat Basic SL, seems to be in good nick to my untrained eye. Any opinions on these lathes? I went for it having looked at the Sieg C0 (mixed reviews) and the Unimat 3, but this popped up on Ebay and it looked pretty smart. It really is very small, which is ideal as space in my workshop is very limited, and the lathe (for now) isn't going to be at the centre of my work.

First bits on the list to purchase for it are HSS bits, a compound slide, quick release tool post and perhaps a 4 jaw independent chuck.

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on where would be a good place to start with tooling, any starter sets that just include the basics? I'm looking to work with small bits of brass predominantly.

Also, any basic servicing/overhauling I should be doing before I get started? Belts? Lubrication? It all looks pretty good to me, although the belts don't seem to sit perfectly centred on the gears but they're not wandering off or anything.

I'm always looking for an excuse to tear things down and reassemble them...

Many thanks

Look for 6mm tooling rather than 1/4" inch as some will be above centre hight.

Don't expect too much from it, its a model makers lathe.

Belts are readily available on ebay.

It's worth signing up to the unimat group at groups.io

Great that's helpful, I'll join that group. I'm less than a model maker so I'm sure it'll be enough for now.

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Oh dear

My first lathe was a Unimat SL, they are hugely popular because they can be sent in the post

Dig a hole and bury it in your back garden immediately and get a netflix subscription

The Unimat SL is that first cigarette behind the bike sheds

It's a trap. A taste of what you can do with a bigger machine

Your next machine will be a bigger one you have to pick up by car

Then you'll get another one, and then a mill, and a shaper, and a load of steel stock

Before you know it there will be one to two tons of steel objects in your garage which have taken over your life

Act quickly before its too late

Edited By Ady1 on 08/06/2020 14:29:55

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Haha I'm well aware this is a slippery slope, although not sure how my downstairs neighbour would take to me installing a myford super 7.

Thanks all for your advice I'll do some more research

There is an active group of enthusiasts on groups.io Lucien. **LINK** I'm not a very active member as I seldom use my SL any longer.

Original 4-jaw chucks can be expensive but Chronos or RDG tools sometimes have M12x1 chucks. The group files contain drawings for a QCTP, or there is a piston type available from the US. An alternative approach is to use multiple toolposts. I'm afraid the centre height isn't really enough for a compound slide, but you can fit a 20mm raising block which would let you use a C0 or U3 compound on a thin spacer.

Brian G

Edit: I should add that Ady is right, an SL is a real machine but can easily lead you on to a life of moving bigger and bigger machines. I thought getting a 10x30 lathe upstairs was going to be the end of me.

Edited By Brian G on 08/06/2020 17:45:12

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Thanks that's really helpful, I've found this compound slide on the Emco website: *LINK*

There's also a QTCP on the same site: *LINK*

Would these not fit? The lathe looks the same?

Cheers

Lucien

Edited By Lucien Anderson on 08/06/2020 19:18:32

Hi Lucien

The compound slide and the QCTP are not suitable for your SL.

As already said there is not enough height from the cross slide to centre height for a compound unless you use a raiser block under the head, and tailstock if you want to use a centre or drill.

Same with any toolpost you want to fit, even with 6mm sq tooling very little packing is needed to bring the tool to centre height.

Best to get some HSS tooling to get started, or you may prefer to use insert type tooling, but again you have to account for the tool cutting edge to be at centre height.
You can use either in the std toolpost and will get you making swarf quickly.

I have an SL with many accessories but don't use it so often these days.

Emgee

Suitable type of insert for use with  a 6mm Tool that can be found at ARC Euro site, confirm insert shape reqd. 

https://www.shop-apt.co.uk/carbide-tips-hobby-use/pack-of-2-ccgt-060204-alu-ak10-carbide-tips.html

Edited By Emgee on 08/06/2020 19:57:04

Hi Lucien,

Congratulations on your SL. I hope you are very happy together. As has already been suggested, the Unimat groups.io group is well worth joining. There are folks on there who do some pretty amazing things on the SL. The group also has a lot of very useful files including the manual and info about simple projects to make on the SL.

Make sure the metal surfaces and particluraly the threads that move the slides are kept with a film of oil on them and most things should be OK.

The spindle and bearings on the SL are a 'cartridge' which can be disassembled if you are happy with getting bearings off shafts etc. I reckon mine dates from 1961 so I stripped the cartridge down when I first got it and repacked the bearings with new grease. The bearings are a standard size that can be replaced if they are worn but I could not find any detectable wear in mine so I didn't replace them. On the other hand if you are not confident about dismantling then it's probably best left alone until you are happy.

I'd advise HSS tooling, especially when learning the ropes. It's worth getting a bench grinder and learning to grind (and resharpen) your own tools.

My original plan for my own SL was to splash out on a Sherline 4 jaw chuck from Mill Hill supplies (they do one with the M12 x 1mm thread for the SL). In the end I bought another lathe... and then another... but basically the Sherline chucks seem very well regarded.

Having 3 different sizes of lathe myself I disagree with the 'bigger is always better' argument. A smaller lathe will give you a better 'feel' for small work. You can also put it away on a shelf when you are not using it.

There is occasional discussion on the groups.io group about a QCTP for the SL - an eBay seller in the US (occasionally) makes a well regarded one that fits the SL.... but TBH you should not let QCTP question hold you up - just get on and start enjoying your lathe.

Regards, Andy

Double post, see below

Edited By Brian G on 08/06/2020 21:29:18

I think we may be at cross purposes Lucien. Do you have a Unimat SL (cast bed and swivelling headstock, round bar sideways, turns into a milling machine) or a unimat basic (unimat Pc without stepper motors)?

Photos here

Brian G

Yeah it's the unimat basic, the name plate says "unimat basic SL" but on lathes.co.uk it's referred to as the "Unimat PC Basic" . It's this one... *LINK*

So yes I believe I've got the one without stepper motor.

Still thanks all for the advice, such a wealth of knowledge on here!

Thanks Andy, that's really helpful. I'll join the unimat groups.io. Reassured to hear you talk favourably about small lathes, the one I've got seems to get smaller every time I look at it.

I think there might have been some confusion about which model I have, it's the Emco Unimat Basic SL, also referred to as the Emco Unimat PC Basic. But as Brian G has said, the PC version had a stepper motor, mine is the Basic and does not have a stepper motor. I think?!

Lucien

You might find it useful to download this Parts List : **LINK**

https://www.emcomachinetools.co.uk/image/catalog/pdfs/UnimatBasicspareparts.pdf

... Nice to know the right numbers, if you ever need to replace anything.

MichaelG.

Ah OK. It probably wont be the last time then The original Unimat (before the Unimat 3) is usually known as the SL, DB or some combination of the two. Take what I said about threads etc with a pinch of salt then because I'm not au fait with the PC.

Definitely no stepper motor on the 1961 model.

I'm afraid almost everything we have told you (apart from the fact it is addictive and Michael's link to the parts list) applies to the original SL and won't be any help to you. There is some information on your machine at lathes.co.uk.

As the Basic has the same M14 x 1 thread on the spindle and tailstock as the Unimat 3 and 4, you should be able to find additional chucks, drill chucks, faceplates and live centres from either Pro Machine Tools, Arc Euro Trade, Chronos, RDG Tools or eBay. If you want a collet chuck, Arc Euro Trade offer a backplate and ER collet chuck which might be a sensible alternative to the ESX chuck as you could re-use the collets on another lathe or milling machine if you get hooked.

Brian

Yes M14 x 1 will give you many more off the shelf options. An ER16 holder and a set of collets is a very useful thing because it will get (round) work up to 10mm accurately concentric first time every time. It's also less likely to mark the thing being held.

I have the Arc Euro ER16 holder on my SL but you will have an easier time because Arc do an M14 x 1 backplate so you will just need to turn the register to finished size on your machine - this means that the holder will be dialled in to your machine.

Sherline do M14 x 1 chucks too... but you have a lot more options.

I must admit that the PC/SL Basic had completely escaped my attention as part of the Unimat story. It looks a decent machine. Interesting that they went back to the round bar design, albeit a lot thicker than the old DB/SL.