Unimat tooling question

[MountainMan]

What size tool bits fit in the tool post on Unimat Sl-1000? Also where is the best place to buy from? Thanks in advance.......I drive to pick it up tomorrow and I cant wait to try it out

[WmRMeyers]

What size tool bits fit in the tool post on Unimat Sl-1000? Also where is the best place to buy from? Thanks in advance.......I drive to pick it up tomorrow and I cant wait to try it out

Did you ever get an answer to your questions? Just in case anyone else has those questions, and trips over this thread as I did, the correct answer is 6mm, 8mm, or 10mm tool shanks, and you may need shims to get their cutting edges to the correct center height. 1/4", 5/16", and 3/8" tooling will work, as well. May also need shims for them. You can get a set of 1/4" carbide insert tooling at Harbor Freight that should work with the Unimat, but Unimats are a little on the weak and flexible side so they may not do what you want them to do. Sharp high speed steel (HSS) will do most anything you can do on a Unimat. There are folks who've done some amazing work on a Unimat with nothing but HSS tooling. And the old machinists used to use high-carbon tool steel, back before HSS was invented. Amazon has a lot of HSS blanks, individual and sets of pre-ground tools, and small graver-type tooling that can be used on the Unimat. Ebay likewise, and there will be lots of tool stores, brick & mortar and online, that can help you, too. I got into the 7x mini-lathes before I first laid hands on a Unimat, and Little Machine Shop has some stuff you can use. Micromark is another.

HTH!

Bill

[Toolmaker51]

HSS far and away cutting material of choice, high carbon is also well suited.
It's all in the geometry and physics of cutting itself; carbide pushes material off, HSS shears. Observing clearance and rake will generate two collections of turning bits; choice for ferrous and non-ferrous materials.
No matter how well you can grind to sharpen, stoning and honing will increase surface finish quality.
Unimat & EMCO are high quality machines, second perhaps to jeweler lathes, but not built for same work.