Unimat lash-ups

[threesixesinarow]

Another Unimat lash-up:

[old_toolmaker]

Hi threesixesinarow,

I am always interested in the work of others and your work is always intriguing! The pictures are invaluable and give me ideas I could use myself.
Did you cut the dovetail for the vertical attachment in an existing Unimat head stock? Or did you make an entire new head stock? Lastly, what is the machine it is mounted on?

Dick

[threesixesinarow]

I’m glad they’re useful.


It’s new but there’s enough material at the bottom of a regular headstock to mill one the same way. A more attractive option might be bolting the front dovetail to the existing bottom which would only make it 5mm higher and you wouldn’t lose the indexing wing or the mounting post.

The rear dovetail is separate and is what clamps the headstock to the slide.


Here is a clearer view of that little machine but with a different spindle. Travels are about 4 x 3 x 2”.

[threesixesinarow]

A funny Unimat setup.

Instead of plates I just use a two position index with a train of mini lathe change gears to set the number of divisions, or approximate ones like 23 in the second picture.

[threesixesinarow]

Unimat cross drilling adapter, with spindle brake shown at http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/n...ni-lathe-67849

[DIYer]

Thanks threesixesinarow! We've added your Dividing Setup to our Measuring and Marking category,
as well as to your builder page: threesixesinarow's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Dividing Setup by threesixesinarow

tags: lathe, divider, gears

[DIYer]

Thanks threesixesinarow! We've added your Unimat Headstock Adaptor to our Lathe Accessories category,
as well as to your builder page: threesixesinarow's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Unimat Headstock Adaptor by threesixesinarow

tags: adaptor

[threesixesinarow]

Here is the angle iron cross drilling attachment with the dovetail Unimat headstock, as well as the rotating mount for the smaller spindle shown in the second picture of the little mill.



That also works as a base for the little vise.

[threesixesinarow]

Thanks, Dick,

I only just learned about the small metal slides you can buy now reading on a different forum-they look alright, or at least better for something like this than the plastic and aluminum ones I saw before.

The table on my homemade slide is a lot narrower than those, though, and the whole thing’s about an inch shorter and has some things I didn’t see available in other designs. It made a big mess but the cast iron bar cut nicely and I didn’t have to worry about voids like on the base of the vertical slide.

As for versatility, we’ll see! It’s harder for me using ordinary work holding tools at this scale, and so far it has only been really useful for a few tasks, like making cutters. Some kind of toggle clamp system and an x-axis lever feed will help a lot for the repetitive things I want to do with it-so far it has been easier setting up to do them on a lathe (with Unimat parts, too), like cross drilling and even slotting.

⁃ Clark

[threesixesinarow]

Rotary broaching using a Unimat.



Makes a driving nut to fit an old Dremel collet chuck screwed onto a stationary, emergency moto-tool, for a flex shaft.