Disassembling the Unimat SL Mini Lathe

Рет қаралды 54,428

Күн бұрын

The Emco Unimat SL is a small hobby engineer's lathe first made available in the 1950s. It features bed rails made from parallel round bars, a simple flexible design, and a huge range of accessories and add-ons which make it astonishingly versatile.
I'm between workshops for a few months, and I picked this lathe up second hand as a project I can work on with minimal space and equipment. In this video I spend some time disassembling the lathe, work out how it works, and discuss the best ways to clean and restore it.
Many thanks to Paul at The Knackler's Workshop for his series on a similar lathe. He really helped me know what I was getting myself into, and where to start. If you're impatient to find out more, go and watch his series while you wait for more videos from me.
The Knackler's Workshop:
/ theknacklersworkshop
Paul's Unimat SL Playlist:
• Emco Unimat SL - Resto...
Also check out smallathe, an entire channel focused on making things with the Unimat SL.
smallathe:
/ @smallathe
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Removing the Base
02:45 Removing the Tailstock and Headstock
05:33 Disassembling the Bed
10:38 Stripping down the Carriage
16:15 Removing the Spindle
17:39 The Milling & Drilling Stand
18:09 Inventory of Parts
19:35 Next Steps & Outro
Edited with:
Davinci Resolve 7.3.2
Audacity 3.0.2
Music:
Easy Lemon by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty...
Artist: incompetech.com/

Пікірлер: 167

@BLECHHAUS 2 жыл бұрын

Decades ago, a borrowed unimat SL was my entry into metal machining.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

It feels like a great starting point, and I think it would have made a good start for me. At this stage on my machining career it's probably not going to become my workhorse, but it's certainly an interesting holiday project while I'm between workshops.

@BenMitro 2 жыл бұрын

"Well engineered simplicity" not simple to attain at all, but once there you create a piece of art that will last a long, long time. Thanks, that was great documentation for those that have such a lathe. I will be on the lookout.

@emeyedeejay 2 жыл бұрын

I spent a good 45 minutes wrestling with dismantling the saddle on an old SL I'm busy working on. Wish I ;d seen you struggle first! :😁 Thank you for these videos ... they are helping me get to grips with mine.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I think I spent a good while longer than you working it out, but most of it off camera. I was very worried about the mushroomed ends of the bars, and making sure they didn't damage the through holes in the casting. Glad to hear my videos help make things clearer.

@emeyedeejay 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Yeah mine are a touch mushroomed too. I wondered if I had done that but I don't think so. Coincidentally enough, I also used a threaded rod after trying with a much thinner rod.

@johannesmajamaki2626 2 жыл бұрын

Your videos help me sleep. Seriously; thanks for that. I'm even rewatching them for this purpose. Especially when my mind is racing in some problem solving mode, hearing your soft voice walk through an only distantly related problem somehow works really well to quiet that down. It's similar enough in its vocabulary and structure for my brains to not just reject as a ruse for quietening them, yet it isn't a call to action nor paced in a way to produce wakefulness. After I discovered this, you quickly became one of my favourite machining channels around!

@rickpalechuk4411 2 жыл бұрын

I recommend to start with purple degreaser, a warm water rinse then all ferrous items take an overnight bath in Evaporust. Those parts can get a light scrub with a grey scotchbrite and a warm water rinse, blow dry and finally a shot of WD40 or equivalent to keep from flash rusting. This is the method I use for all my tear-downs. If you cannot find purple degreaser then citrus based degreaser works just as well. Both are easy on the environment. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Cheers

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I'm very wary about putting things in Evaporust for a long time, as it discolours the bright parts of the surface. It's a great approach for heavily corroded parts, but if I'm just removing some light surface rust from a small area of an otherwise good part, I leave it in for the minimum time possible.

@bobweiram6321 2 жыл бұрын

As I mentioned in a comment, an ultrasonic cleaning would rid it of all the grime, grease and rust with minimal effort. If you plan on doing more restorations imthe future than buying the largest one you can afford is a godsend. It's the single most useful cleaning equipment I have in my shop and has numerous other uses outside the shop, including cleaning the most stubborn stains off clothing.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

@@bobweiram6321 I have a very small ultrasonic, and I'm definitely planning on a big upgrade as soon as I have my own workshop space again. One of the major pain points is the lack of drain in my current one, though I think I'd also like one with a builtin heater to save effort as well.

@clivedurrant481 2 жыл бұрын

Useful Rick thanks

@davidwillard7334 2 жыл бұрын

Put it in HYDRO ! ACID !

@michaelskoumpaflos2898 2 жыл бұрын

I got this little one two years ago. It was really very dirty. I did not use any chemicals, only lemon juice and white vinegar with excellent results. Friendly from rainy Athens.

@TheRecreationalMachinist 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice! My two penneth: White spirit and an old paint brush to soften up the grease and grime before moving to anything more harsh 👍 🇬🇧

@grendel1960a 2 жыл бұрын

I have the unimat 3 that I bought new in the 1970's, it is still a very accurate machine for small work, a joy to use, and a small footprint as well as readily portable.

@kenkingsflyingmachines2382 2 жыл бұрын

I bought one second hand about 30 years ago. I envisioned magnificent miniature creations, but didn't know what I didn't know, and I was never successful making much of anything but a big (little) disaster. It mocks me from it's shelf above my workbench. I not only have the lathe, but a full compliment of collets, tools, and paraphernalia that make it clear someone thought something could be made with it. I hope to continue watching this series and look forward to investigating some of your other videos. Thanks for posting! Very interesting.

@mikecrawshaw3207 2 жыл бұрын

Great video, breaking down as it happens! The bed bars are easily replaced by lengths of 12mm silver steel drilled and countersunk. The cross slide bars are 8mm. I have had the same model since bought new in 1971. Wear on the carriage lead to slight rocking. That was taken up by drilling and tapping 2 holes underneath in the thickest part of the casting. I then used nylon tipped grub screws to remove the slack and now have a way of compensating for wear. There is a spacer block available that is 20mm thick. Any piece of 20mm thick material will do. I have made a 20mm riser for the tailstock using a 12mm ball ended mill. The toolpost can also be raised 20mm. I am fortunate to have a basic mill/drill for this work. I also have made a mounting mid length for the milling post, as has been said already it is more versatile. The milling head is a spare headstock with a slightly modified scooter motor (24V D.C.) and off the shelf PWM speed control. I have made a QCTP from aluminium alloy from a design in Model Engineers Workshop. Again I have used my mill/drill but it is possible to use the SL to make the parts.

@1romcat Жыл бұрын

Why switch to Silver Steel way bars, are they stiffer? Jeff

@mikecrawshaw3207 Жыл бұрын

@@1romcat Not really but they are very accurately ground. My bed bars were showing signs of extensive use and the silver steel was a cheap way of getting a good replacement.

@1romcat Жыл бұрын

@@mikecrawshaw3207 Rex Tingey had advocated for the same change…

@colincreedtattoomachines 2 жыл бұрын

Alistair, it's nice to see you back again. For the conversion of rusted items like the Mill/Drill post, you can use Evapo-Rust, it works well but it's pricey. A much cheaper option is using straight "double strength" vinegar, the item being left totally submerged overnight. The vinegar will turn the whole item black, which is easily washed off with water & a stiff nail brush, dry then oil. For the general cleaning I'd start with Metho in a spray bottle as being alcohol, it shouldn't damage those original paints but will help to break down & lift the grim. (you could even add in some dishwashing liquid too) Or do as the old Jewellers trick of soaking the greasy items in a mix of water & dishwashing detergent with a splash of Ammonia & clean with a toothbrush. (we did this for stones that'll get damaged if put in an ultrasonic) HTH, Colin

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Colin! Thanks for sticking with us all this time! I'm definitely planning to use Evaporust for the post. I think the main problem I need to solve is cleaning some of the heavier old oil based grime without damaging the paint.

@davidwillard7334 2 жыл бұрын

Put ! It in ! HYDRO ! ACID !!

@ianadam3505 2 жыл бұрын

@@davidwillard7334 What is HYDRO ! ACID !? I doubt that you will ever see that on a label. Perhaps you mean hydrochloric acid which will remove rust quickly and iron more slowly. Not a good idea, especially if you jump straight in without degreasing first. Rust will pit the metal and, for the engineered surfaces I would be tempted to just use a soft metal abrasive - aluminium or brass turnings. Alternatively electrolysis or possibly phosphoric acid as a last resort. Plenty of others out there but I haven't tried them.

@davidwillard7334 2 жыл бұрын

If EVAPO RUST ! WAS CHEAP ! IT ! WOULD ! BE ! A !! RIP !! OFF !!

@hansschmidt1961 2 жыл бұрын

The most significant advantage of that steel plate is the bore on the back for mounting the milling column. Mounting the mill in that location is vastly superior to the normal location on the headstock base. In fact, I would recommend purchasing another headstock with the stock motor and leave it mounted with the column at the rear of the lathe. This would eliminate breaking down setups between turning and milling.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

That's a great point. I could potentially use the main spindle as a dividing head while milling and drilling too. Thanks!

@davidwillard7334 2 жыл бұрын

The Hole ! Is just ! A Cavity !! Nothing else !

@Dodi-nz3fd 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Please information, the address of the distributor for selling mini unimat sl lathes in Indonesia ... 🙏🙏🙏 ...

@TheKnacklersWorkshop 2 жыл бұрын

Hello Alistair, Very good video, you'll going to have lots of fun with the Unimat I feel sure... Many thanks for the shoutout and the links in the video description, it's very kind of you. Take care. Paul,,

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Paul! Thanks to your for making your series. It's been invaluable for preparing me for this, and every time I think I've been smart and spotted something interesting, I discover you already covered it in your videos, and I should have paid more attention. :-)

@davidhead9689 Жыл бұрын

The Unimat is a simple little lathe. I had mine as a Christmas present when I was 13 in 1976. This evening 46 years later, I made a piston on it for a steam engine that I'm making. I use it often for making the smaller more accurate parts. Lathes must be addictive as I know have 4 in my workshop ranging from a 1933 Myford a 1940 Dean Smith and Grace and a modern precision lathe. Keep on turning. Myford

@dixonqwerty 2 жыл бұрын

Looking forward to the next episode!!

@ProfSimonHolland 2 жыл бұрын

nice film, great shots, can't wait to see this fine small lathe back in working condition.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Simon! I need to get back to doing actual machining soon, as you're getting way ahead of me at doing real projects, and I want to catch up. ;)

@colsanjaybajpai5747 Жыл бұрын

I have 3 of these. One I used as a mini mill second with a vertical rotary table and the other with a Jacot tool and watchmaker spindle. The most useful one is with a watchmaker spindle as I can use 8mm collects for clock wheels and pivots. A tally rigidity is a problem with these and bed and tailstock alignment rather finicky. Yet if you work with small increments they are quite useful. I love to hear you voice in all videos 🙏🙏

@nashguy207 2 жыл бұрын

Great to see making headway!!

@rabone1968 2 жыл бұрын

looking forward to seeing more about the lathe

@JonSpink 2 жыл бұрын

I fitted the cheap chinese quick change post to mine and it works great with extra holders less than a fiver each and the full set with parting tool holder and boring bar at about £25. Its alumininium but easily up for the sort of work you do on a unimat

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

That sounds like a good approach to me. There are lots of fine mini lathe tool posts out there, but one that I can afford lots of holders for would work best for me.

@demofilm 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice video. Thank you. Its strange how something simple as rain in the background and the way the table looks reminds me of those days with my family in the camping. Playing monopoly in the tent on a rainy day…

@nostamine2567 2 жыл бұрын

as an unimat owner myself i would really love to see this series evolve because i am too afraid to do mods on my own without really having an experienced machinist do it before me since it is a very rare functional lathe , at least in my country where i got it for a really cheap price and in a very good condition . So please , even if the world ends i would still hope u will make something great from those videos and not just refurbish it and move on to another project :)

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I'll do what I can, and definitely visit this lathe from time to time. In terms of mods, it's definitely not as suited to modding as the Chinese CJ0618 / Sieg C2 lathes. On the other hand this Unimat has so many different accessories and extensions available I would never run out of video ideas with those.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I feel I should point out that I'm not a real professional machinist, or even an especially experienced hobbyist. I try and make it clear that I'm learning as I go, so please be cautious about treating anything in my videos as advice.

@SandBoxJohn 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe A friend of mine (now deceased) used one on of these Unimat lathes back in the 1960s and 70s to modify the drives mechanism of HO scale model diesel electric and steam locomotives. The modified drives made the locomotives move at very low speeds and improved pulling power the locomotives by nearly double compared to the factory stock locomotives.

@Dodi-nz3fd 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe , Please information, the address of the distributor for selling mini unimat sl lathes in Indonesia. 🙏🙏🙏 ...

@TheMrWoodsman 2 жыл бұрын

Lovely video thoroughly enjoyed it thank you for posting.

@briantaylor9266 2 жыл бұрын

I really enjoy your videos. Keep them coming. As for cleaning off grime and old grease/oil my favourite is WD40, which you already have on hand. An old tooth brush works to dislodge stubborn deposits, or a brass brush on ferrous surfaces.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

WD-40 has become a solid favorite of mine.

@Rustinox 2 жыл бұрын

These are nice little machines. I'm sure you will have lots of fun using it.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Rustinox! I'm still after a bigger machine in the long run, but that will have to wait until my real workshop comes along.

@richardnoll544 2 жыл бұрын

I managed to pick one of these up as well. I pulled mine all apart for cleaning as well. I had an issue when putting the hand wheels back on. As they retain the lead screw, you need to get them tightened just enough to not have any backlash while still being able to turn them. Apart from that, the chuck on mine can barely hold anything. Something to keep in mind. I did get a few attachments with mine as well. You are correct that there is a way to mount the spindle higher. I have a spacer block for that purpose. It is a little wonky to get into position though. There is also a really nice milling column that you can get to turn it into a mini mill (if you were so inclined and that motor setup would allow it.) I can send pictures of mine if you need. If you see any of the threading attachments for it... they are sufficiently weird... but look like fun.

@fredcreer1929 2 жыл бұрын

To push out sticking pins and shafts, use a wood dowel, never a hardened Allen key. Warm water with washing up liquid and a small scrubbing brush or similar will clean well. I agree that need as much original paintwork as possible, recalls cannot be easily replaced. Your showing warts and all and very clear diction is refreshing. Keep it up.

@pramodm3540 2 жыл бұрын

Beautiful presentation with neatness and bright lighting. Thanks.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks you! The clear plastic ceiling of the shed exposed to daylight makes for wonderful filming conditions, and I'll miss it in my new workshop which will likely depend on artificial light once more.

@pramodm3540 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Thanks for the clarification on lighting secret!

@CraigLYoung 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing 👍

@Jims-Workshop 2 жыл бұрын

Great Video. I have always liked these little Unimats ever since the ads started appearing in the magazines in the early 60's. I currently have 3 1/2 of them. I will be following along with your restoration. Thank You

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jim! I've noticed that many Unimat SL owners don't seem to be able to stop with just one. I'm fairly certain that the previous owner of mine had at least 3.

@johnsmith-zs9jq 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe I'm also in that group. The 3 that I have are cast iron.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

@@johnsmith-zs9jq Is there an easy way to tell from a photograph whether it's the cast iron model, without being able to see the underside of the castings?

@spab0252 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe The cast iron Unimats correspond to early production models… Which also usually (possibly always) still were finished in silver gray hammered, or rarely black paint. The green gold hammered paint variations being more recent .

@YooProjects 2 жыл бұрын

Welcome back dear man. Great video:))

@colemine7008 2 жыл бұрын

can't wait!

@gigolag123 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@jrkorman 2 жыл бұрын

Reading through the comments I find little I can add. A first cleaning with warm water and dish detergent took most of the oil and "stuff" off my Unimat. I've had mine for a couple of years and am looking forward to seeing where you go with yours! One note, the discolorization you note after using Evaporust can be removed by rinsing under clear water and a very light abrasive pad. The product does wonders as it does not change the size of the piece unless there is very significant rust; which your parts do not have.

@Syncubus 2 жыл бұрын

I dropped by to also recommend Evaporust after cleaning with soap and water. The Hand Tool Rescue channel has plenty of videos detailing this effective, gentle process. kzfaq.info

@neillawson4493 2 жыл бұрын

Don't we all wish we could pick up our lathes single handed?

@3210gatorbite 2 жыл бұрын

For the corrosion evaporust would probably be best as you can soak the entire part before disassembly. A very simple mild detergent like dawn dish soap water mix to remove the grease and grime. Scrub it with a soft tooth brush after soaking for awhile. For small holes maybe using pipe cleaners. I've used this method a few times and it's worked wonderfully everytime.

@dennisclapp7527 2 жыл бұрын

Evaporust, if you can get it in the UK, is the best for rust removal. It is a chelating molecule that "grabs" the rust and nothing else and it has a great advantage of being nontoxic. Krud Kutter cleaner/degreaser is the best for ordinary cleaning. With these 2, you'll be able to get to reassembly in no time. Good luck.

@GoPaintman 2 жыл бұрын

I'd use Evaporust. On everything. Give everything a quick clean first to get the majority of the oil and grime off. Evaporust over a couple of days will do wonders to not only remove corrosion, but also clean the parts.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I find Evaporust turns bright steel surfaces into a dull grey, and I haven't worked out a way to bring them back to clean bright steel afterwards. This means I don't like using it on parts which have spots of rust on otherwise bright surfaces, like many of the ones I have here.

@andyvan5692 Жыл бұрын

YES at 5:30 good deduction, this does, it allows for a propper 'large lathe' style tool holder to be installed ( not like the single, braised bit holder as watchmakers machines have); also the 'screwcutting' attachment needs this extra height for it's stylus/tool assemblies to work at the 'workpiece' centre height, this 'block' adapts this to the required center height above the bed.

@MakarovFox 2 жыл бұрын

looks very cute

@ego73 2 жыл бұрын

Agape, buddy! I love you too. Keep making videos.

@edgeeffect Жыл бұрын

Oooh! (I've "been away") ... I didn't know you've done something with "my lathe"... nice! "Adventures With An Even Smaller Lathe" ;) It's funny this is my first time where I'm watching someone work out things I already know in a machining video ... It's a very odd feeling.

@robertstewart1464 2 жыл бұрын

I would start with simple warm soapy water. In work they took away our vapour degreasers (trichloroethylene) which would have cleaned that dirt off in seconds and replaced it with basically dish soap. For heavier grease you could try the plastic scouring pads and maybe some nail varnish remover(acetone) as it evaporates quickly

@max_eley 2 жыл бұрын

Sold one a while back, its a great lathe but not sure what i would have done with it, watch/model maker stuff. Awesome video!

@andyvan5692 Жыл бұрын

at 8:23 what you do is unscrew the nut that holds the handwheel for carage motion, then undo the handwheel, screw it (the 'leadscrew') into the lathe bed area (away from the block), then remove the whole assembly as a unit.

@icraftcrafts8685 2 жыл бұрын

Hi. Just posting here again about the dimensions of the post please.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

The following dimensions were taken with digital calipers, so aren't really accurate to a hundredth, but I'm writing what I read. Overall length: 285mm Major diameter: 24.93mm Stud diameter: 19.95mm Stud length: 34.49mm

@icraftcrafts8685 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Thank you very much. This will help me alot, as I could probably measure the IDs I have and get it as close to tight fit as possible. I'm sure the others who are watching your channel are also waiting for the next video/s of this lathe!

@abo_fhad 2 жыл бұрын

استمتعت بالمشاهدة , شكرا لك

@IWatchedWhat 2 жыл бұрын

I have a DB model with the cast iron base, the head stock is held on differently. It took me a little while to figure it out too how to get the things apart.

@modelafun7718 2 жыл бұрын

As Hans Schmidt mentioned That plate is probably for better positioning of the milling column. I am going to do the exact same thing with my Unimat

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it completely makes sense to be able to mount the column behind the lathe bed, and also to be able to have both the column and the main lathe spindle mounted at the same time. All I need is a second headstock and spindle.

@hewlett-packardlovecraft2297 2 жыл бұрын

I'm a relatively new subscriber, and have been eagerly awaiting your latest (this one, obviously) video. Absolutely love your content, and ate up your entire back-catalog in about a week. Wish I could give you some advice as a trade-off for all the entertainment you've given me, but I'm not even a novice when it comes to this stuff; I'm using your uploads as a gateway into the world of hobbyist lathes, as I'm a scratch-build modeler at heart. Speaking of which- if you, or anyone else here happens to read this, have any recommendations for a beginners lathe I'd be using for styrene, acrylic, wood and the occasional soft metals, I'm all ears. Seems like a wonderful hobby, and I can't thank you enough for your enthusiasm. Looking out for the next one, and enjoy your weekend.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks HP, you're too kind. As for advice on a lathe, it depends a lot on how big the material you want to work on is, and how much work you're prepared to do. A Unimat like this, or better still a Unimat 3, would be great, but only really works on pretty small parts. If you want to make anything larger than 10-15mm you're probably going to struggle. Spare parts and accessories for the Unimats are affordable and readily available. Proxxon lathes are a lot more expensive, but work well out of the box. Accessories are harder to get, and more expensive, but you have a lathe that can handle 20-25mm parts no problem. I've done work up to 50mm, but then it really starts to struggle. Chinese mini-lathes are available for a wide range of prices, but caution is necessary. Even the best examples I've seen don't have the build quality I'd like, and the worst examples can be a horror show like the one I've featured in my videos. I'm happy to give my opinion if you have more specifics about the sizes you want to work with.

@hewlett-packardlovecraft2297 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Well thank you for all that information, and for the reply, as well. I promise not to take advantage of your kind nature- I think the Unimat 3 you suggested sounds like it would be up to anything I would throw its way. Looks to be around the $500 mark on ebay, which seems to be about as affordable as I can get it. Not confident enough to try to repair a non-working example, of which there are quite a few in the $300+ range. Not sure if these are good deals or not, but I think anything would be better than going the chinese mini-lathe route. It seems like the work required to get them up to snuff would be above my current pay grade. Again, you've been very kind, and I appreciate all the information you've given me, and I of course look forward to your next videos. Have a great week.

@AstraWerke 2 жыл бұрын

Let me know if you need belts for the lathe. The original (and reproductions) from Emco last about a week - but I found oil filter gasket rings work terrific! I bought a set of five, about 6 years back and am still on the first "belt". Therefor, I have more than enough to share.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

That's incredibly generous of you. I may take you up on the offer. I'll get in touch via email.

@FoxMccloud42 2 жыл бұрын

Some of the slightly rusted surfaces, where the stock and other stuff moves on it could be removed with metal polish (I recomend the metal polish autosol) and some handwork. If there is Rust that can't be removed without changing some measurements, use some owatrol oil.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I'd never heard of Owatrol oil before, but looking it up it seems like an almost bizarely versatible substance. Do you have experience using it to stabilize and inhibit rust?

@Gronicle1 2 жыл бұрын

In America we use Brake Cleaner from the local auto parts store in an aerosol can to clean dirty, greasy parts on the lathe and other machinery. Read the label, you don't want to breath it and wear eye protection. Otherwise use common gasoline and a ordinary tooth brush....just remember to chew gum while you work so you won't forget and light up a cigarette half way through the job.

@Engineerd3d 2 жыл бұрын

I would take an aluminum block, drill a hole in it same size as the rail. Then split it and use some polishing compound to basically polish the rails. It should remove less material than sand paper and provide a smoother surface.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

This sounds a bit like a lapping technique used by Robin Renzetti. I'm not sure a perfectly smooth surface is desirable though. The slight roughness of the original ground surface of the round rails helps it retain oil better to make smooth running slideways.

@Engineerd3d 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe mainly I was suggesting this as a way to remove the oxidation without varying the dimensions too much. And yes Renzetti came to mind when suggesting it.

@Smallathe 2 жыл бұрын

Very good job well done. Take care with the spindle washers (I goofed up there) and depending on the bearing status consider getting replacements. Enjoy...

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I have my eye on some replacement bearings, but I'll wait and see how they look after a teardown and clean. I put a link to your channel in the description above, as you're one of the best resources on using this lathe. Did you do one on stripping down the spindle? It would be useful to know what to expect.

@Smallathe 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Hi. I too bought some replacement bearings (from two sources - a unimat supplier and a general machinery supplier) I need to find the time and install these. As for the teardown - I had one myself to clean swarf from the carriage and on the way I completely disassembled, cleaned, greased and oiled (where needed) the lathe. In the rush I did not install the washers correctly and was later corrected by one of the viewers - so and did a second spindle assembly video. I've been a subscriber to your channel for quite some time and I love your videos. Keep up the good work!

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I haven't commited to buying the bearings yet; I'll see how the ones there clean up. I'll take a look at your own teardown before I start on my own spindle. Thanks!

@Smallathe 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe agreed. If the bearings are good there is no need to buy new ones. Good luck with the old grease...

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

@@Smallathe I just completed the teardown and cleaning of the spindle, after watching your video "Continued from the lathe cleanup video - correct spindle reassembly". It looks like we have the same model, with the inner race of the front bearing turned into the spindle shaft, and no washer at the front. At the rear bearing the spring washers and bearing race were all in the correct order, and all carefully noted down, though I now have your video for reference in case I forget. Thanks for the pointers!

@dwegmull 2 жыл бұрын

When it comes to fitting a quick change tool post, the one from Sherline might be a good fit or at least a source of inspiration... I have one and I can measure it, if want.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

The Sherline toolpost looks really good, but it's almost as expensive as the price I paid for this lathe, and a bunch more than I'm really looking to spend I'm afraid. I'm more inclined to try a cheap Chinese aluminium tool post, as it should be a reasonable fit for this light machine.

@davidwillard7334 2 жыл бұрын

SHERLINE ! IS ! JUNK !! AND ! NEEDS ! THE !! METAL ! SHREADDER !! STRAIGHT !! AWAY !!!

@SqueakyNeb 2 жыл бұрын

You gave it away! A spindle advancing handle you say?

@lordkakao2263 2 жыл бұрын

What cheap Vice do you recommend for the proxxon FF 230?

@Nifilheimur 2 жыл бұрын

I prefer to clean old metal parts with kerasene to loosen up old oil and grime without damaging paint. Been looking for an old EMCO lathe for some time now but they are becoming quite expensive where i live and highly sought after.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

The price seems to be going up here too. I don't see them for the same prices on eBay as they were back in May.

@samuraidriver4x4 2 жыл бұрын

Agree on the kerosene/diesel, works great. Personaly I do clean off the kerosene/diesel with brake cleaner afterwards to get rid of any residue.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I prefer to avoid kerosene as it smells so bad. WD-40 has similar light fractions in, and is similarly effective at loosening old oil and grime, but way less stench and filth.

@stevenbasu4420 Жыл бұрын

Hi. My father in law has one of these from the 80s. Do you know how much they go for second hand???

@groundpounder8373 Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I just borrowed the same lathe from my neighbor. I'm needing to trim stainless tubing, making spacers. And I need to drill out perfectly center holes in some material, stainless also. The chuck is to small to hold the round material that needs trimmed. Can I reverse the chuck holding jaws so it will hold larger pieces ? Pieces are about 1 1/4 inch diameter. Thanks for any advice. Great video you made there Sir.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Жыл бұрын

The jaws on mine are reversible, but only suitable for holding really short pieces that way round. How big are the spacers?

@groundpounder8373 Жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe the material I have is about 4 inches long, 1 1/4 inch diameter. I need to cut a 1 3/4 inch long piece off of it. I watched a video about reversing the jaws of the chuck. In the video, he put the number 1 jaw in number 3 place, number 3 jaw in number 1 place, and number 2 jaw in number 2 place. He said you had to do it that way , to keep it self centering, I guess. Does that make sense to you ? Thanks for replying to my question.

@colvinator1611 Жыл бұрын

A socket with extension for bed rail nuts ?

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Жыл бұрын

I don't generally have much use for sockets, so have never invested in a set. Not really worth it just for this one job.

@bobweiram6321 2 жыл бұрын

An ultrasonic cleaner comes in handy. It's small enough to drop it in and do a cycle. The results are fast and far cleaner than possible by hand. The hammered paint should be stripped and the entire lathe recoated while preserving the decals. Finally a good polish of all the components will turn it into a nice looking and functional little lathe.

@spab0252 2 жыл бұрын

HOWEVER,... Be aware that stripping the original green-gold hammered paint and "recoating” reduces the resale value of the Unimat if ever one wishes to part with it at some future time. So, best left as is, far as possible.

@bobweiram6321 2 жыл бұрын

@@spab0252 There's a dearth of Unimats for sale that most people won't care. They're just happy to find them in decent condition.

@spab0252 2 жыл бұрын

@@bobweiram6321 Well, we can agree to disagree .

@tomeru2377 2 жыл бұрын

Great video, How about electroplating ? But not good for painted parts.

@spock_8484 2 жыл бұрын

I need one like that😪😢😢

@johnsmith-zs9jq 2 жыл бұрын

Have You thought about getting a Sherline 4-jaw chuck for your machine? They are worth the money.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Do Sherline chucks come with the right thread to go straight onto the spindle, or what a new backplate be required?

@johnsmith-zs9jq 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Yup. 12mm x 1mm. They got a 3-jaw too.

@mans4104 2 жыл бұрын

In this video, we can see the transition from a WD40 skeptic to a WD40 believer. 👍🤣

@rogeriorocha3014 2 жыл бұрын

Quanto custa um torno deste ?

@MScholtz 2 жыл бұрын

Evaporust for rust removal.

@keysmith1767 2 жыл бұрын

ABK always be knolling

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Good knolling requires a more level table than I had here. Will try harder next time. :-)

@mrclassic2284 2 жыл бұрын

I never took the pully off to remove the headstock.

@aliadnan4906 Жыл бұрын

Is it Available for purchase

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Жыл бұрын

This machine hasn't been available for purchase new for several decades. However second hand Unimat SLs come up frequently on eBay, so are quite easy to buy there.

@grendel1960a 2 жыл бұрын

surely the cross slide pins could have gone out in the opposite direction without the need of removing the handwheel (though it would have needed removing nonetheless

@semifavorableuncircle6952 2 жыл бұрын

Looks like most parts would fit in an ultrasonic cleaner. Thats what i would do to clean them.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Yep, that's already the plan. The trick will be picking the right cleaning fluid.

@semifavorableuncircle6952 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Warm water, dish soap and 5-10% alcohol have worked well for me in removing greasy stuff.

@TheVictoroftheDIY 2 жыл бұрын

I didn’t know Liam Neeson is into small lathes!

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I did live in Ireland for a while, but I don't think I sound quite that Irish any more.

@sonicbluecoupe 2 жыл бұрын

What can you actually use it for? Seems it wouldn’t have hardly any power

@tomlee7966 2 жыл бұрын

model making

@salvadormendez9867 2 жыл бұрын

Lo compro.

@badvlad9861 2 жыл бұрын

Uncertain why you would not thoroughly clean all items before disassembly and scotch brite or steel wool all rust on the sliding parts. I would have soaked in Evapo Rust for a day and then ultrasonic cleaned followed by solvent rinsing before turning any screws.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

It doesn't really make sense to me to do that before disassembly. Some dirty would end up caught between components, in nooks and crannies, and if any water based things (Evaporust or ultrasonic cleaning fluid) got trapped in the gaps they would promote rust. Of course I'm aiming to make easy to understand videos, so I break things down into steps. If I wasn't filming it would probably make sense to throw the parts straight into the ultrasonic while I do the disassembly at the same time.

@skottypippen1 2 жыл бұрын

i agree with you some break cleaner, or other degreaser, and scotch brite, or just a brusch would get read of most of the surface gunk. than disasembly, some rust conwerter light cleaning, and reasembly with light graphite grease, or some oil, and other than paint surface it would be almost spotless.

@mmonitor8268 2 жыл бұрын

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe This way you caused damage inside all sliding parts. Hammering through a rod in a close fit hole is a bad idea.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I think I see what you are saying. The heavier dirt and surface rust needs to be removed before disassembly to avoid damage (which I did mention briefly in the video), though I think it doesn't avoid the need for a thorough clean after disassembly, to get into all the gaps and corners.

@Muckinaroundintheshed Жыл бұрын

I would start by buying a socket set….

@pidjones 2 жыл бұрын

Oh my. The presence of what appears to be wood dust is concerning. It harbors moisture and tends to break down as an acid. Very hard on machine tools! Cleaning it off and lubricating the surfaces with a rust inhibitor (not WD40, which is a poor protectant) is important. A foaming, non-abrasive bathroom cleaner works well on cleaning paintwork. Just remove it well once it has worked.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

I think it's mostly brass swarf, though there might be some wood dust there too.

@mealex303 2 жыл бұрын

Never use the ball end on the Allen wrenches to undo tight bolts it will snap off

@ewdavie1960 Жыл бұрын

After being a mechanic for 42 years, it hurts my head to watch people using pliers instead of the proper wrench on a bolt head or nut.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Жыл бұрын

I'm pretty sure there is no point in this video where I used pliers at all, as that would hurt me too. I did use my Ox Tools adjustable wrench in a few places, which has quite fine nosed jaws, but it's definitely an adjustable wrench. You can see the whole tool at about 6:38

@colvinator1611 Жыл бұрын

I would have given the machine a good clean prior to dismantle.

@criggie 2 жыл бұрын

Obviously Unimat wasn't a fan of the BeeGees.... not a Gibb in sight !

@user-uh6qz2jd1z 3 ай бұрын

How mah this

@stampydragon2739 2 жыл бұрын

You’ll never be able to use the milling and drilling post with the motor on it

@ryann2246 2 жыл бұрын

First, just give it all a round of dish soap to see what you're dealing with, that way you can't damage anything

@Reman1975 2 жыл бұрын

Dish soap works OK, but most of them contain a fairly large quantity of salt, so it's important afterwards to thoroughly rinse and lightly oil any parts you've washed this way.

@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe 2 жыл бұрын

Some ultrasonic cleaning fluids have similar degreasing properties to dish soap, but are explicitly formulated so they don't cause corrosion, so my plan is to use one of those and avoid the salt. The problem is that there are many available, and some are extremely agressive and will badly damage the paint.

@andyvan5692 Жыл бұрын

as a mechanics son, what a 'cringe' to watch this faff with an adjustable spanner..... WRONG tool selection, use a socket, extension and a wratchet mate, them is the tool for the job, esp. if, as here you expect tight bolts, rust, etc.