Unimat 3 lathe

Hello everyone

I have empysema and iam finding it more difficult to use the workshop

I really love this hobby and dont want to give it up.

I know where there is a unimat 3 for sale

and I thought I could use it indoors on a table sitting on a chair

which would be more comfortable,

Are these small lathes ok for any useful work turning brass steel etc

Thanks in advance

Martin

Edited By Martin Walsh 1 on 01/09/2012 00:13:23

Small lathes can do good work in the right hands

If you're sitting down, which is normally not recommended, I would knock up a protective glass/plastic screen to look through while you are working because you won't really have the ability to dodge anything which comes flying your way

Hello.

About 30 years ago I got my first lathe: an Unimat 3. I couldn't find some accesories in Portugal so I wetn to Madrid for buying it.
I don't remember its price at that time but it was relatively expensive.
I was just an amateur and was asked by the owner of a paints factorie to conceive and make a device in brass seaming like a magic wand, rotating at 22000 rpm and driven by a Bosch motor from a mini router. The aim of this apparatus objective was to mill collor powder pigments for the factory's laboratory.
The value of the apparatus was such that this gentleman offered me the lathe and most of its accessories.
The aim of this apparatus objective was to mill collor pigments for the said factory's paints laboratory.

All was made with my Unimat 3.

Best regards
Dias Costa

Edited By dcosta on 01/09/2012 00:58:04

Martin, I use a Boley 8mm watchmaker's lathe for most of my repair work, and more recently, a Unimat SL for which I'm sorting out more accessories, I turn brass and steel in equal measures on these machines - admittedly not big cuts or big hunks of metal - unless you include clock winding barrels!!

You won't be able to carve chunks of metal as you would a bigger lathe, so things will take a little longer and need a bit more patience when carving off a lot of waste!

Both these machines are smaller than the Unimat 3 and I get by just fine, it all depends what you want to do with your lathe, but to use either lathe I sit down, I have to due to a spinal injury which prevents me from standing for long periods - and why my Myford gets so little use!

I use an armless swivelling office chair of the type with a hydraulic lever set height adjustment, it works a treat and is more versatile than a fixed stool, you just need to make sure your legs and the feet of the chair aren't obstructed by anything under the bench!

For the bench itself, this was constructed with the work surface higher than normal, which gives a more comfortable working height, but mine is rigged principally for clock and watch repairs and the need to get closer to the workpiece - on occasions with a binoccular microscope!

You'll work out an average bench height to suit you eventually, but try to avoid having your head down too much, otherwise you may suffer suffer neck related pain and headaches! (hence the higher bench, because with the seat height set too low, your legs will get cramped)!

Sitting down at a lathe admittedly isn't the ideal position, but some of us have little option and necessity is the mother of invention, fortunately nothing that has flown off either lathe has clipped me yet, or maybe I'm still able to move a bit quicker than stray bits just yet!

John

Martin,

John makes some excellent points regarding the Ergonomics.

You may also get some inspiration from the design of the Boley F1

This was a masterpiece of design, but was [and is] expensive.

In the affordable world ... It may be worth putting your Unimat on a tilting table, to achieve similar effect.

MichaelG.

Ergonomics: Man in his Working Environment

by K.F.H. Murrell

is an excellent, and very readable book, by the man who invented the word.

[see here]

... probably available on inter-library loan from your Public Library.

MichaelG.