Unimat sl1000 tool post tool holder

New to the site I cannot acquire a tool post tool holder for a sl1000 unimat lathe I can only obtain a quick change one not sure how or if they fit to the lathe. Would prefer basic one. If any one could help. Or with photos how quick change post fit if that's the only alternative regards william

Hi William,

Welcome to the forum, photos of the original tool-holder here, photo of the QCTP type here. You could also look here.

Thor

Edited By Thor 🇳🇴 on 16/12/2021 16:15:27

From the pictures, it is a fairly simple thing, so if you are unable to find one, it should fairly easy to make one.

Basically, one through hole, two tapped holes and a slot in a block of metal.

How do you make a slot without a milling machine?

Bolt the embryo Toolpost to the Cross Slide, mount a suitable End Mill, or Slot Drill in the chuck and cut the slot!

(That's how my Turning Instructor made his cigarette lighter when he was a Capstan operator, apparently )

Once you have made one, even if a bit rough, you can use it to make a more refined version. And then you will be ready to go!

Howard

William

I assume that your machining facilities are limited.

Given a half decent pillar drill and careful marking out a satisfactorily functional equivalent to the standard toolholder can be made by glueing and screwing together stock sizes of bar and plate. I imagine 1/4" plate for the base and 3/8" for the top, 6 mm - 10 mm in metric would work with whatever bar fills the gap OK leaving room for the tools in between. Given the choice I'd go thicker on the base to reduce the chance of it bending should you get too enthusiastic tightening the tool holding screws. 5/16" or 3/8" for imperrial folks, 8 mm or 10 mm in metric. I suspect 3/8 or 10 mm will be just too thick for sensible tool sizes tho'.

I'd make it as a double slot block so tools can be held on both sides. Lets you make the centre web a bit wider so more room for screws. I'd use a 5 spot dice pattern of holes in the centre part. One clearance in the middle for the holding bolt and 4 tapped for the screws holding the plate on. Similar pattern on the plate with countersunk holes for the screws that hold it all together. Top plate has four extra tapped holes for the tool holding bolt.

Dunno what size the caphead screws in the first link from Thor are. I'd guess 6 mm so 5 mm countersunk hex socket screws would do the holding togther bit OK.

When I made some larger 4 way type using the same screw together methods I used some mega expensive, mega strong, Loctite structural adhesive for the gluing bit. Realistically anything decently strong that accepts a thin glue line will do fine. Two part epoxy gules tend to like a slightly thicker glue line than superglue et al which can be hard to control.

Stock steel plate may not have a desirably flat surface for best grip on the cross slide. Rubbing on emery paper backed up by a suitably falt support helps. As does interposing a thin card or light alloy spacer that can squidge to cover imperfections. Test first with engineers blue if you have it or by rubbing over Sharpie type felt pen marks. You might be pleasantly surprised how well the surfaces mate.

The machining method advised by Howard is practical. Hard work for a small machine and needs a spacer under the block to get the bottom thickness right. You want the top of the slot a little above centre height. Without the spacer the slot is symmetrical about the centre height. Use a drill and hacksaw to clear out most of the metal first.

Way back I made one for a 9" SouthBend Howards way. And that was quite enough thank you. Screwed'n glued from stock was much easier and worked fine for the 8(?) or so I made.

Clive

Edited By Clive Foster on 16/12/2021 17:51:29

Yes, Ciive's suggestion of laminations to produce a slot is a good one, and then to have more than one slot. You could even make a four way toolpost..

My fourway Rear Toolpost was laminations held togerther by three long Allen capscrews, with the fourth hole used for a dowel..

How do you ensure that the plates are square?

If you have a four jaw chuck, hold the plates in it and face each edge. Intermittent cut (Ah Chicken and Egg situation! So make a rough toolpost first of all, so that you can get started )

Having faced one side, use that as a datum and set it against the Chuck or faceplate, so that you will then have two faces parallel. Then use a square to set those faces square to the chuck or faceplate to machine the other two sides.

Once the , presumably, three laminations have been fixed together, so that the outer edges are in line,, it can be mounted and set so that it is square across the lathe. (One face against the Chuck or preferably, Faceplate, so that the vacant fourth hole can be used a jig to spot through into the Cross Slide, ready to be reamed for a long removable dowel)

Once the Toolpost has been unclamped, the dowel can be lifted, and the post indexed round for the dowel to align it for the next tool in the post.

As TV used to say about Bionic Man; we have the means!

HTH.

Howard

Its nice to know that I'm not the only person who found laminating a decent way to make block style tool posts.

Like Howard I actually made 4 way types. Then discovered that I just about never mounted up more than two tools. When I did the porcupine effect had me reaching for the BandAid!

Two parallel slots are stronger as the central web is larger, especially in small sizes.

Howard used long screws to hold everything together. I through tapped the block and used short ones from top and bottom.

Both ways work fine.

Its arguable that short screws each side might be more tolerant of drilling errors.

Probably a moot point in my case as I did the centre holes first then bolted the stack together to drill through all three parts tapping size in one go. Then opened out the holes in top and bottom to clearance. I marked my stacks before disassembly so they could be put back the same way round. I saw no errors! (but didn't look).

I used light alloy for the centre blocks on the second batch figuring tapping would be easier. I'd run out of suitable steel anyway!

Everything on mine came out close enough to square straight off the 6" x 4" import bandsaw. Quick rub with a file to de-burr and I called them good.

I didn't bother with the angle setting dowel. Now I have grown up machines I still don't use them.

Clive

What brand of cigarettes were they?

(Sorry!)

The second toolpost which Thor mentions in his post is the version that I use on my Peatol on couldn’t live without it. Toolholders are cheap or you could make your own with a strip af Ali, I have 12!, for mine and they ate all loaded. Go for it.