Unimat SL 1000

[captain.jerry]

Does anyone have and use a Unimat.  These things are not hard to find and replacement bearings are easily available if you have one in rough conditions.  For a shop with limited space, I can't imagine a more useful tool.  I have bigger and better tools but they are out of service until I get my new shop finished.  My Unimat has been with me for years and It is NOT for sale

 

[druxey]

I've used mine since 1970 and it's still a good workhorse.

[Jaager]

I have had mine since about 1972.  Had to replace the motor.  Burned it out using it as a table saw.  I have replaced that function with single purpose machines. 

I got an additional aluminum bed on line with the intention of isolating the post holder portion and positioning it about 1/2 way down the bed to have a mill with more work movement options,  but I have not gotten up the courage to wreck a part that is no longer being made. 

 

Where do you get your belts?

[captain.jerry]

I had to replace my motor as well.  I was not worried about the historical accuracy so instead of an OEM part, I went with a slightly larger Baldor motor from Blue Ridge Machinery.  I haven't had to replace belts for a while but I think I get them from Blue Ridge too.  There seems to be a lot of sources.

 

At the moment, the drill function is way more useful than the lathe and since the lathe bed takes up a lot of space on my small worktable, I made a clamp on base that gives me what i need.  Used this way, i don't have use of the X/Y positioning but that has not been a  problem.  I can fabricate any special holding fixture that I need and eye ball positioning has been good enough.

 

I also get a lot of use from this setup as a holding device or a convenient rotating spindle that is easier to use than when it is mounted on the bed.

 

Jerry

 

 

 

 

[druxey]

You would be amazed at the Unimat lathes and parts that appear on eBay. You could replace almost anything you need from that source.

[Jaager]

From Longridge extolling the virtue of the Midget Universal, I went looking for a similar machine and found the Unimat SL.  I in no way regret it.  It is a well built machine.  It is a joy to work with.

I used the lathe function to produce shaft adapters using cold rolled steel stock.  It was a total PITA to tear down the ways and slide table to remove the steel shavings. Everything comes apart and back together just like the precise machine that it is.  I coated the ways with Renaissance Wax, which seems to be a good thing - protection from rust,  waxing the threaded rod - not so wise.   The tolerances are so close that it took a lot of cranking to remove enough to make the feed wheel turn easily again.

It is nice to be able to use it to make other machines.

I got the lathe duplicator (the generic one) from Penn State for turning cannon but have not tried it yet.

[monkeysarefun]

I bought a second hand Unimat SL in 1978 for $180, it came with almost every accessory available at the time so it was a brilliant buy, which is good because I was 15 at the time and that was lots of weeks pocket money and chores to put towards it.

 

I still have it and use it regularly, though I've since bought purpose built equipment to replace the jigsaw/scrollsaw and table saw accessories.

 

I've found this gent very helpful with spares, I've bought replacement brushes, bearings and  belts:

 

http://unimat.homestead.com/

 

He also included the original diagrams for the bearing setup so I was able to discover that I'd had them arranged all wrong for the last 35 or so years...

[mischief]

Thank you all.  After I quit kicking my butt for selling mine many years ago now you have to remind me to start kicking again. THANKS A Hoooooooooo Lot.

[Geoff Matson]

       

 

 

I have one and love it

Edited November 11, 2015 by Geoff Matson