00
MINIATURE 1. Unimat versatility .
2. Introduction & Index
Page 2
Page 5
2 DRILLING
drilling a tiny hole in a brass spray
nozzle fitting; drill size #70,
diameter only .028 inch!
3 MILLING
milling slots in a live-steam model
locomotive frame
This setup shows how you can clamp
i r r e g u l a r l y s h a p e d parts on the
Unimat accessory Milling Table (DB
1210). Because the detachable head-
stock can be set at any angle on the
column, you can handle workpieces
longer than the Unimat itself. Precise
drilling and tapping operations are
easy to run on the same setup.
2
SHARPENING UNIMAT
4 HAND GRINDING VERSATILITY
POLISHING
touching up the edge of a wood veining
tool; grinding a model boat prop to
shape; buffing silverware
The eleven-step Unimat power drive
gives you just the right cutting speed
for proper abrasive and polishing
action. Try some of these jobs on
larger grinders and you may burn a
small part. The G r i n d i n g Wheel
Arbor can be used with the headstock
in lathe position provided you pro-
tect the bed with cloth. Or, you can
rotate the head 90° for handling large
pieces easier.
5 SAWING
a camera shop job . . . sawing replace-
ment slides for sheet film holders
Try to cut thin brittle bakelite on
an ordinary table saw, and blade
wobble will give you a rough edge
and spoiled work. Unimat spindle
bearing precision guarantees true
blade action. You can select cutting
RPM for best results. The saw table
attachment takes only seconds to set
up.
6 JIG SAWING
cutting quarter inch masonite
for a tool shelf
The Jig Saw Attachment has a throat
that permits you to saw to the center
of a 16-inch circle. For larger work
you remove the overhead arm and
use a saber blade. Files and abrasive
strips also work well on this attach-
ment. With the Unimat eleven speed
power drive, you can select the best
combination of blade and cutting
speed for any material from soft
balsa wood to hard materials.
3
UNIMAT 7
SURFACE
VERSATILITY GRINDING
a precise flat on the surface of a model
locomotive frame
A familiar operation to machinists
who make gages and instruments is sur-
face grinding. With Unimat, you can
get tool room precision right on the
kitchen table with very little fuss. The
locomotive part also shown under M i l l i n g
nears completion with perfectly flat mat-
ing surfaces.
8 THREADING
cutting internal and external threads
on a 1 1/2 inch aluminum lens barrel
The Unimat with Threading Attach-
ment (DB 1270) is far more accurate
than ordinary lathes that use back gears
and lead screws to move the thread cut-
ting bit. A master pattern mounts sol-
idly on the spindle behind the chuck and
a chaser duplicates t h e exact thread pat-
tern on the workpiece. Patterns are
available from 16 to 56 threads-per-inch .
and in a complete set of metric sizes.
9 INDEXING
making a gear for a boat
steering mechanism
The Indexing and Dividing Attach-
ment divides a circle into 18 integral
numbers from 2 to 48 enabling you to cut
gears, machine bolt heads, pyramid
shapes, truncated cones and practically
any polygonal shape. Because Unimat
adjusts vertically, horizontally, laterally
with a head that swivels in any direc-
tion, there is no l i m i t to the shapes you
can create in solid metal or any machine-
able material. Among the most interest-
ing projects possible with this setup are
mathematical models, and three dimen-
sional models of molecules and crystal-
line structures.
10 HAND DRILL
a 3/16-inch hole through wood and metal
on a model plane fuselage
Whenever it's necessary to take the
tool to the job, just loosen one nut, slip
the headstock off the drill press column
and you've got an 11-speed tool with the
sensitive feel of a dental drill right in
your hand. And yet it will push a 1/4-
inch drill through steel. You can also use
the portable hand drill with buffs, grind-
i n g wheels, abrasive wheels, and sanding
discs.
4
HERE IS YOUR BASIC UNIMAT
Before you start to use your Unimat be sure to read the
INTRODUCTION
following instructions carefully.
The basic Unimat Model DB 200 is Your Unimat has been carefully
shipped in a wood storage chest, which inspected at the factory. If a part has
in turn is protected by a cardboard ship- been damaged in shipment or becomes
ping box. As you open the storage chest defective during the warranty period,
check each item on the packing list. write to the Customer Service Depart- INDEX
ment, American Edelstaal Inc. describ-
DB 200 parts are identified by means Abrasives, 31, 32, 33
ing exactly what, is wrong. Be sure to Adjustable hand tool rest, 30
of the photos on this page. On pages 37 refer to parts by name and number. Advanced techniques, 34, 35
and 38 you w i l l find a complete parts list If it is necessary to return a part to Back-plate adaptors, 18
for the basic Unimat and all accessories. us you will receive a special shipping Boring, 10
Buffing, 32
A guarantee registration card is in- ticket and i n s t r u c t i o n s . The repair
department will not accept shipments Center punching. 8, centering, 8
cluded with each Unimat. Be sure to Chucks, centering, 18; collets, 23, drill, 2. 21;
mail the card immediately. The card not unless authorized as above. In most cases 3-jaw, 2, 6, 7; 4-jaw. 18; reversing jaws, 6; special,
minor adjustments fully described in this 12; truing (mounting), 18
only registers you as a Unimat owner, Circular saw, attachment, 27, 28: speeds, 39
manual are the answer, Unimat is a pre- Collet attachment. 23, truing (mounting), 18;
but automatically puts your name on a cise, carefully engineered machine. Take collets, 23
mailing list to receive a free one year Customer service department, 5
care of it, keep it clean and well oiled Cutting speeds, 39
subscription to the Unimat Owners Mag- and it w i l l g i v e you many years of Defective parts, 5
azine as well as supplementary literature. service. Dies. 33
Dividing, 21, 22, 34. 35
Dressing grinding wheels, 39
Drilling, a n g l e , 14: centering 15 deep hole. 13;
h a n d , 4, 16; miniature hole, 10, 14: speeds, 39;
techniques, 10. 13; vertical,10, 12
Model DB 200 Unimat Basic Unit Draw-bar spindle. 23
Facing, 8, 12, 18
Finishing techniques (see abrasives, buffing
grinding, polishing, sanding, wood turning)
Flexible shaft, 31 ( s e e b u f f i n g , drilling, polishing,
sanding)
Foot switch, 26 36
Gear cutting, 4, 21,22
Grinding, angle, 16; bench, 15-17; guard, 32; safety,
3 2 : speeds, 16. 39: surface, 4 16 tool 16
Guarantee. 33
Headstock, alignment, 10 maintenance. 33
raising block. 2, 28-30
Indexing, 4. 20-22
Jaws, reversing chuck jaws, 6
Jig saw attachment, 8 26: speeds, 39
Machine, adjustments, 8 9; vise, 19 29
Maintenance, bed-ways. 9, 15; lathe parts, 33;
l i v e center, 30; spindle, 33
Mandrels. 11 turning. 11
Measuring accessories, 36
Milling 2. 10, 20 speeds 39; table, 2, 19, 20
Motor speeds.39,
Parts, replacement list. 37, 38
Polishing a r b o r , 3, 32; preparations, 32. (see
abrasives, buffing)
Pulley setups, 30
Power feed attachment, 17
Reaming, 11
Roughing, 32
Rubber backing pad, 32
5
BASIC SETTING UP YOUR LATHE
UNIMAT READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO GET BEST RESULTS
AND TO AVOID DAMAGING YOUR MACHINE!
and 6F. To tighten the jaws on the D. (Ext.) .945-1.653" 15/16-1-41/64" 24-42mm
JAWS REVERSED E, (Ext.) 1.575-2.244" 1-9/16-2-15/64" 40-57mm
work, press bars together. To loosen the F,(lnt.)' 2.20-3.0"' 2-13/64-3"' 56-76mm*
jaws grip the bars exerting gentle pres-
sure until the workpiece is free. Note: Capacities are greater when Raising Block (DB 1310) is used, and when
Chuck is mounted on cross slide or on vertical set-up.
' Indicates outside diameter of workpiece. Note that this is not intended for
lathe machining, but may be useful in polishing O.D. of tubing, indexing, etc.
(Ext.) indicate* external gripping of O.D. (outside diameter) of workpiece.
(Int.) indicates internal gripping of I.D. (inside bore dia.) of workpiece
TECHNIQUE
pulley on the motor over to the large
headstock pulley. This will give you a
speed of about 1700 RP.M.
Clamp the bar in a vise and use the Next set up the left hand finishing
square to check the end of the bar. If the tool in the tool holder as in Photo 9D.
end has been sawed at a slight angle, you You w i l l notice that the cutting edges
8C Center punching .
may need to true it with a hand file. are ground at less than a right angle to
one another. This angle not only provides
type drill chuck on the headstock, and a chip clearance, but also makes it pos-
put the lathe center in the tailstock. Sup- sible to face a perfectly square corner
port the work with one hand and line up in the cut shown. One easy way to set
the bar between the drill and center.
With the pulleys set at one of the
lower speeds gently feed the tailstock
until the edges of the drill almost but not
quite reach the work piece. This point is
very important. Too deep a center hole
can cause inaccuracy. Repeat the opera-
tion on the other end of the bar.
For a practice cut, mount the bar on
SB Scribing work center.
the lathe with the 3-jaw lathe chuck in
Now use the combination square cen- the headstock and the lathe center in
ter head to mark two intersecting lines the tailstock. The triangular shaped
on each end of the bar. The scriber roughing tool (included with the Basic
shown in the photo is supplied with the Unit) is usually the most used tool bit 8F Use a small oil can or eye dropper to
combination set. Though you can mark of all six standard varieties. Oil the tail- lubricate centers during turning.
the bare metal, you can save time and stock center with light machine oil. With
avoid errors by coating the metal with belts set for the proper R.P.M., make the the tool at the proper angle to the work
machinist's blueing lacquer. Quick dry- cut shown in photo 8F. As you feed the is to run it over the 3-jaw chuck and
ing model lacquers and enamels w i l l also tool back and forth, you may notice a split the difference between the axes of
serve the purpose if you thin the liquid certain vibration. There are two tension the Unimat bed and cross feed.
8
BASIC
LATHE cont'd
UNIMAT
precision reaming, mandrel turning taper
turning and lathe threading...
9A Use DB 1101 roughing tool bit for fast
stock removal.
9D Right-hand finishing bit (DB 1102) turns 9E left-hand finishing tool (DB 1103)
diameter and shoulder of cut. feeds toward tailstock .
meter. The handwheel is further divided A loose feed is better for fast working
into 20 marks corresponding to a feed in soft metals, wood and plastic, but
of .05 mm per mark. you need a light feed whenever you cut
Though most camera, optical and cast iron, brass or steel. Practice will
instrument parts are setup with metric show you that the best, setup for any
system threads, you may prefer to work given material is a combination adjust-
in inches. One millimeter equals .03937 ment, of the handwheel and carriage or
inch. For all but the most exacting cross slide tension screws. The smaller
work, you can round off this decimal to the work diameter, the "tighter" the
.04". the amount of feed in one turn of lathe should he.
the handwheel. In inches, each small It is very important to keep the feed
mark is a feed of .002". It is important to screws clean and well lubricated with
9C Use cross slide lock for turning long
shafts and bars,
remember that when you are cutting light machine o i l . As chips accumulate,
across the lathe bed, that you reduce remove immediately with a small paint
takes shape in seconds. If you keep tools both sides of the workpiece at once.
properly centered, sharp, and ground at
brush or use an ear syringe to blow
Thus, turning one calibration actually them off. If you are working in brass or
the proper angles, you'll often find that removes double the feed, .004"; a com- cast iron, metals that produce powdery
the lathe tools produce work that looks plete turn of the handwheel, .08".
as though it had been polished. small chips, you can protect the lathe
FEED ADJUSTMENTS bed and feed screws by covering with
pieces of household aluminum wrapping
TURNING TO SIZE On most lathes, there is some backlash
foil. Whenever chips gather on the feed
All of the threads on Unimat, parts in the feed screws. In other words, the
screw will turn slightly before the tool screws do not turn the handwheels since
are metric. The long leadscrew which
starts moving. To adjust this play, loosen this can damage the threads. The easiest
controls movement of the carriage from
one end of the lathe bed to the other, and the nut that holds the handwheel, adjust way to clean the threads is to place the
the cross slide screw are both 8 x 1 m i l l i - the wheel, and retighten the nut. Unimat in a shallow tray (a cookie bak-
meter threads. This means that, if you Too much tension on the feed wheels ing tin will do nicely) and flush the
turn the hand wheels one complete revo- will give you a stiff slow working feed: chips loose with kerosene fed from an
too little tension can cause tool chatter. oil can.
lution, you get a feed of exactly 1 milli-
9
BASIC
UNIMAT LATHE cont'd
headstock alignment, precision drilling
and boring on the lathe...
headstock, or far to the right out of the
HEADSTOCK SPINDLE way. Then clean the tailstock bore with
ALIGNMENT kerosene and cloth, and insert for center-
So far, the photos have shown Unimat ing.
cutting operations where only rough Next move the tailstock over, lock it to
alignment, of the spindle was needed. A t the bed and gently feed it into the head- 10D Boring tool mounts perpendicular
to work piece.
the factory, Unimat headstocks and tail- stock spindle as in Photo 10A. As you do
stocks are mounted on the bed, and then this, be sure that there are no chips or
bored in one operation. A n alignment pin cuttings between head and tailstock
feeds through the lip on the front of the castings and bed, or on any parts in-
headstock casting down into the lathe volved. As the dead center mates with PRECISION LATHE BORING
bed. It gives you a quick way to center the headstock spindle, it will line up the Purpose of the boring bar (DB 1105)
the headstock when setting up rough headstock to dead accuracy. Tighten the is to turn internal holes. The end of the
cuts, installing attachments, etc. How- bed tapered clamping screw, but do not boring tool is ground at an angle similar
ever it is accurate to only about one de- use the aligning pin. to that on the side of the facing tools.
gree of are. One quick way to check alignment is Drill the workpiece out to 1/4 or 5/16-
Precise small work requires that the to use a razor blade as in Photo 10B. If inch. Then set the b o r i n g bar in the tool
lathe run dead true. To make this setup, the blade will hang vertically to the bed holder, centering the edge as with the
loosen the tapered bed clamping screw axis between the two dead centers, your other lathe tools. Be sure to mount the
headstock is perfectly aligned. If you tool in the holder parallel to the lathe
find that there is error, you may need to ways. Do not try to cut all the way in one
loosen the tapered bed screw slightly and pass. Because chips tend to gather in the
tap on one corner of the headstock cast- workpiece, it is necessary to run boring
ing—(use a wood block or soft rubber cuts slower and at lighter feeds than for
mallet) to bring the center into align- external work.
ment. As the bore approaches the desired
diameter measure with vernier calipers,
PRECISION DRILLING or by checking against a fitting part.
ON THE LATHE As an example, let's say that the bored
For ordinary rough work, you can drill ring in Photo 10D is a bearing that has
holes in workpieces held in the 3-jaw to fit smoothly on a rotating shaft. As we
lathe chuck even though the headstock make successive cuts, we can measure
spindle is not perfectly aligned. There with various types of machinist's
10A Centering headstock spindle.
will be no trouble with drills down to gauges. But these gauges are costly and
1/32". However, if you want to drill per- you may not have one in the exact size
fectly true deep holes, you'll find if the desired.
(see Photo 7B) and remove alignment spindle has not been aligned, that the
pin. Never force any parts of the ma- The easiest method is to machine the
chine. Sometimes, if your Unimat is shaft first. Make it about one-half inch
stored in a cold or dry place, and not used longer than finished size, and turn off the
for months, tight fitting parts may stick extra material for use as a diameter
in place. Use a penetrant such as "Liquid gauge.
Wrench", a solvent available in small Use a fine jewelers file or garnet paper
cans at hardware stores, and follow up and finishing cloth to polish down one
with light oil. end of your plug so it measures about
1/1000" less than the desired shaft dia-
meter. Then as you bore the finish hole
in the bearing, use this plug to check the
10C Drilling size 80 hole.
inside diameter. Mark the plug gauge
drill may produce a slightly conical hole, and save for future use. A set of such
or the workpiece may even break drill. diameter gauges can be made up as you
With the headstock properly aligned, go along and will have many uses in the
and chucks and bed cleaned and oiled, Unimat shop.
you should have no difficulty i n d r i l l i n g
(Photo 10C) as small as an 80 size drill When boring large holes with the 3-
(.0135"). This type of work is impossible jaw chuck, it is important to improvise
on most; lathes w i t h o u t , special tools. a stop on the bed to prevent the tool from
10B Razor blade checks alignment. Whenever d r i l l i n g below 1/32-inch, re- cutting into the chuck itself. You can
member that it is easy to overfeed the clamp a wood block on the bed, or make
Now insert the feed pinion handlever drill. Small drills will tend to bend out of bed stops by sawing a ring like the one
in the headstock and move the headstock line slightly while they are making the shown in Photo 10D in half. It is also a
spindle as far as it will go to the right. hole, causing inaccurate bore. It is a good idea to chamfer the end of the
Lock in place with the headstock cap good idea to watch the work with a large workpiece facing the chuck, to avoid hav-
screws. Move the cross slide, either all magnifying glass mounted over the ing to bore all the way through.
the way left u n t i l it almost touches the lathe.
10
BASIC
UNIMAT
LATHE cont'd
PRECISION REAMING wiih a 1/4-inch reamer. The smaller end To establish the taper angle, you will
Though the Unimat runs more accu- of the 1/4-inch mandrel is inserted in need a test bar. This bar will have many
rately than most common lathes, twist the hole and the work tightened by tap- other uses later on. Select a perfect piece
drills w i l l generally not cut dead accur- ping the other end of the mandrel with a of free-machining steel about 3/8-inch
ate. Boring tools below 1/4-inch are not soft mallet until the work locks on the diameter. Cut it exactly 5 inches long,
satisfactory on deep holes because the shaft. true the ends and mark the centers.
tool may tend to bend against the work- Both ends of the mandrel have hard- Punch carefully. Align the lathe centers
piece. Reaming is a standard technique ened centers. It mounts between lathe perfectly and use the roughing tool to
to use whenever you want small holes cut the bar down to about .260". Then
accurate to l/1000-inch. use the left hand finishing tool to turn
Just l i k e drills, reamers are available the bar down to an exact 1/4-inch diam-
in fractional, number, letter and metric eter. If your lathe was properly setup,
sizes. The reamer is a stiff fluted tool and the diameter should check exactly at .25"
should never be used to remove more from one end to the other.
than a few thousandths stock. To make
the precise-fitting camera post (Photo Now to set up a typical taper cut. Let's
say that we want to machine some bars
11A) the workpiece was first turned
down to diameter and then drilled one
that have a taper of 1/4" per foot. This is
equal to a taper of .1042 per the 5-inch
size under that of the reamer.
length of our test bar. Place the test bar
The reamer should not be driven by
between centers and a d j u s t the head-
the drill chuck in the tailstock, since this 11B Turning pulley on mandrel .
stock angle until you can read a differ-
can cause inaccuracy. Instead hold the centers with t h e faceplate driving the ence of .104 between the bar and the tip
reamer in a tap wrench. The back end of lathe dog. As the work revolves you may
most reamers has a center hole. Engage
of a tool mounted exactly on center in
find that you want to use scrap electrical the tool holder. Use shim stock (or a dial
this on the tailstock center, and either wire to tie the lathe dog solidly to one gauge mounted in the tool holder) and
with the work rotating at very low speed,
or turning the headstock spindle pulley
faceplate slot, to prevent vibration in the check at each end of the bar.
cut. Be sure to oil the tailstock center
by hand, slowly feed the reamer into the every few moments as the machine runs. Some inaccuracy may be introduced
hole. Never force a reamer. Use plenty when the centers drive the work at an
The tailstock should not be set so tightly
of lubricant and on deep holes, remove that the center overheats. If much of angle. Therefore make a trial cut on
the reamer frequently and clean the this kind of work is done, you will need another 5-inch bar. Exact diameter is
chips. Never turn a reamer backward in not required since the taper per foot
a DB 1220(a) ball bearing center.
the work since this can dull the cutting ratio will remain the same. Use a micro-
edges, TAPER TURNING meter at each end to measure the dia-
A taper is a cone-shaped cut on a meters. Difference is the taper. A slight
MANDREL TURNING workpiece. Taper-cut pins, shafts, and adjustment of the headstock may be
Many kinds of work are difficult to fittings are widely used in instruments required.
mount in the regular chucks. An example and on machine tools because a tapered
is a three step pulley. Photo 11B. The rod docs not wear into a hole to cause in- Tapers can also be bored in short
workpiece is mounted between centers accuracy. Taper pins, for example, tend workpieces held in the 3-jaw chuck. If
on a special hardened dead straight bar to seat in their sockets with a wedging you plan to do considerable taper turn-
called a mandrel. Mandrels are available action that self corrects for wear. ing, it would be best to make a protrac-
through machinist's supply houses and On most lathes, you cut a taper by tor bar which can be chucked in the
are made by drill manufacturers. One offsetting the tailstock. On the Unimat. tailstock for checking headstock offset
end of the mandrel is slightly smaller it is done by operating the headstock at against the faceplate.
than the rated diameter, while the other an angle away from dead center. To
end is larger. machine a tapered bar or pin. punch the LATHE THREADING
Thus to turn the pulley, your first step ends of your work and mount between There are three ways of c u t t i n g
la to rough turn the stock to approxi- centers. If the headstock is angled to- threads on the basic Unimat: with taps,
mate diameter and length in the 3-jaw ward the rear of the lathe, the taper dies, or the Thread Chasing Attach-
chuck. Then center drill one size beneath w i l l cut smaller at the tailstock end. If m e n t ( D B 1270). To c u t i n t e r n a l
the required shaft diameter. Next the the headstock is angled toward the threads, you first must prepare the right
workpiece is reamed, in this example lathe front, the taper will cut small at size hole for the thread desired.
the left. 11
BASIC
UNIMAT
LATHE cont'd
die threading, making special
chucks,
See a drill rnanulacturers chart of drill 12C Ball chuck and TM 12 Unimat
sizes. For example, the standard camera spindle thread lap.
socket thread is 1/4-inch diameter by 20 mount the faceplate to the cross slide.
threads-per-inch. For this thread, drill Be sure the surface of the. cross slide is
your workpiece with a # 7 d r i l l . Then with
free of chips and you'll get a perfectly
the lathe properly a l i g n e d , drive the tap vertical hole every time. Adjust the cross
like the reamer (Photo 11B), and slowly slide so the hole in the center of the face-
feed the tap into the work by hand. plate is beneath the drill.
Often, it will be convenient to start the When drilling in metal, use a starting
tapping in the lathe and then finish the drill or center drill such as DB 1135
thread with the workpiece held in a vise. (supplied as part of DB 1130 Tool Box)
External threads are cut with a 12B Ball chuck doubles as handy
after you center punch the workpiece.
threading die (Photo 12A). It is helpful tailstock drill pad.
This type of drill is more rigid than a
and bored to about 3/8-inch diameter plain drill point and guarantees more
and then drilled with a 13/32-inch drill. perfect centering of the hole. Center
This produced a good fit when threaded drills should be used at slow speed, with
with the Unimat TM 12 headstock tap plenty of lubricant.
( 12mm dia. x 1mm pitch ). The back end A footswitch makes drilling of un-
of the thread was cleared to fit the head- clamped work a lot easier. Heavy-duty
stock spindle, and the front end bored on sewing machine motor footswitches can
a slight taper to fit the balls. During the be used, or you can improvise your own
drilling the balls were held in place with by using an automobile floor switch
a few drops of sealing wax. mounted on a suitable piece of wood.
This example illustrates how you can The Unimat handlever pinion give you
make chucks to fit any kind of special a vertical movement of about 5/8-inch,
part. Such chucks can also be threaded
to hold screws during machining opera-
tions. The chuck does double duty as a
12A Use plenty of cutting oil when
threading with a die.
handy tailstock plate for drilling on
the lathe. (Photo 12B)
to start, the die against, the work by tem-
porarily placing the faceplate on the tail-
stock. This guarantees a straight feed.
Do not use power. Gently turn the work
by hand feeding plenty of oil to the die.
If the tension on the die increases, back
off, brush chips away and repeat.
DRILL PRESS
setting up your drill press
FACEPLATE TURNING
The Unimat faceplate has three slots
which fit the standard cap screws used The changeover from lathe to vertical
on the machine. Flat work up to the full drill press can be accomplished in less
swing of the lathe can be screwed direct- than a minute. Remove the tapered screw
ly to the faceplate. Extra holes can be which holds the headstock to the lathe
drilled in the faceplate to clamp odd bed. Pull out the headstock alignment
shaped workpieces that will not fit into pin and lift out the complete headstock
the regular chucks. If you mount such unit. Substitute the drill press column,
work off center, be sure to balance the replacing and tightening the tapered
faceplate with additional bolts if cuts are screw. Note that this is a one-way fit.
to be made at high speed. For special Next remove the tapered screw in the
setups, extra faceplates are available, adapter on the vertical column and use
12D Simple setup quickly aligns
(DB 64). it to mount the headstock. Place the face- vertical drill press.
plate on the spindle and with the head-
SPECIAL CHUCKS AND stock tapered screw partially tightened, enough for most kinds of precision mod-
SPINDLE FITTINGS lower the assembly until it touches the el work. If you need more movement, you
Some kinds of work cannot be held top of the cross slide as in Photo 12D. can remove the spindle return spring,
satisfactorily in any ordinary way. The Now tighten the headstock tapered screw increasing spindle movement to 1 inch.
chuck shown in (Photo 12B) was made to and your drill press is vertically aligned Two basic kinds of drills are avail-
hold 1/2-inch round balls for center drill- ready to use. (Etch a mark in both cast- able: carbon and high speed steel. The
ing. To make the chuck, a piece of 1 1/4- ings for ready reference). less expensive carbon drills are intended
inch round steel bar stock was cut to A slotted screw threaded to fit chucks for work i n wood, plastics and soft met-
1 1/2-inch length, and mounted in the and faceplate is supplied with the basic als, while the high speed drills are hard-
3-jaw chuck. Next it was center drilled Unimat. Use the screw (Photo 1 3 A ) to er and will handle work in cast iron and
12
BASIC
DRILL UNIMAT
PRESS cont'd
drilling technique, types of drills,
drilling speeds, miniature work..
UNIMAT
on a work table (Photo 1 4 A ) that you
can make of plywood or a piece of metal.
Such a table supports a 4-inch lens board
DRILL PRESS cont'd for drilling with a f l y cutter (Photo
14B). Or you can use a pair of steel or
plastic bars to support work such as the
miniature hole drilling, drill sharpening, meter (Photo 14C) for drilling and
angle drilling... countersinking. Bore a hole in the sur-
face of the table and you can improvise
Space age miniaturization requires If a mechanic's stethoscope, or any kind a rotary sander (Photo 15A) for perfect
new shop technique that just a few of electronic amplifier is handy, use it, edging of wood, plastic and metal. Clamp
years ago were practiced only by den- to listen to the sound of the tip cutting a fence to the table, and you can sand
tists, jewelers, and instrument makers. into the metal. Back the drill out fre- to any accurate width desired. In the
In the ordinary machine shop a size 60 quently and use the cutting lubricant same way, you can use your Unimat drill
drill is considered a limit in smallness. and an air hose or handy syringe to flush press to rout or carve.
Until the introduction of the Unimat, out chips. Angle d r i l l i n g (Photo 15B) is accom-
smaller d r i l l i n g could be handled only on Always feed slowly, and if the d r i l l plished simply by loosening the head-
very expensive special machines. tip dulls the least bit, immediately stop stock tapered clamping screw and set-
Practically all work with small drills work and touch up the cutting edges ting the spindle axis against a protrac-
below size 60 (.040-inch) should be using fine garnet paper under a magni- tor. Before drilling, chuck a test bar or
handled like deep hole drilling. In pro- fying glass. Using t h i s t e c h n i q u e , #75 drill blank and check against the work.
portion to i t s larger brothers, the minia- size holes, only .021-inch diameter.were Both the Unimat and the work should
ture drill is very long. The ratio of r u n through steel bars 3/8-inch thick. be securely clamped or screwed to the
length to diameter can be as much as 40 The standard DB 1005 Unimat drill bench to prevent a spoiled hole. Photo
to 65 times, and yet the tiny drill must chuck is capable of extreme precision, 15D shows a method of clamping the
produce a hole in most jobs that is also but it is important that you a v o i d keep- U n i m a t drill press to a large workpiece.
proportionately many times deeper. ing the chuck tightened on a drill over- Steel bars, 1/4 x 1/2-inch were screwed
Therefore a jeweler's touch is required night or for long periods of time. This to the lathe bed and in turn are clamped
or drill breakage is certain. can gradually distort the chuck jaws. to the work. The hole is center punched
14A Plywood drilling table 14B Setup for fly cutting 14C Counterslnking holes
is 5 x 5 x 1/2-Inch. camera lens board. in electronic meter case.
15A For vertical or angle edging use 15D To handle a big |ob, take Unimat to the
1-inch sanding drum on drill press. workI Clamps Insure accurate location.
BENCH GRINDER
Designed to fit all Unimat models, the The drive attachment is controlled by
Power Feed Attachment is belt driven a lever that engages a worm gear at the
17A Power Feed Attachment gives from the spindle and drives the carriage tailstock end of the lathe enabling you
ultra-smooth finish to motor shaft. toward the headstock for super-fine lathe to start and stop the feed with motor
work. Lathe turning, boring, and many running. Bolted beneath the lathe bed.
operations in machining hard materials, the attachment in no way interferes with
and very small work can be handled with any regular Unimat operation.
minimum effort and extreme precision.
Installation Steps.
1. Remove complete spindle from head-
stock by loosening clamping screws
and set screw. Remove motor bracket
and clamp headstock pulley in a vise
between pieces of scrap wood.
2. Remove the spindle nut with an
adjustable wrench and replace with
17B Power feed drive shaft s
i belt
driven and provides a feed rate of
Pulley Nut DB 270-13. Replace the
.0008-inch per spindle revolution. spindle assembly as it was before.
3. Remove the leadscrew handwheel by
loosening the hexagon nut. Replace
with the geared handwheel.
4. Clean bottom surface of lathe bed
and oil lightly. Also clean top surface
of feed attachment and oil.
5. Under each of the attachment mount-
ing plates are Allen head cap screws
which hold the drive shaft bearings.
Loosen but do not remove.
6. Place lathe on the mounting plates.
Line up mounting holes and secure
with four Allen head cap screws
17C Flip the gear engagement lever,
and the carriage starts to move, supplied.
smoothly and efficiently, or stops. 7. Using headstock feedlever, back
spindle out (toward left) and line up
spindle pulley nut with drive shaft
pulley.
8. Attach belts and arrange drive for
moderate speed. With attachment in
operation tighten the bearing sup-
ports. This will be easier if you place
the Unimat on scrap wood blocks.
17D Drive shaft is mounted in
bronze bearings on both ends.
9. As you tighten, if the drive shaft,
Attachment need not he removed stalls, loosen bearing screws, adjust
for performing other UNIMAT oper- and retighten,
ation. 10. During operation, use light machine
oil in the holes of each hearing sup-
port to prevent stalling. Also oil the
tailstock feed gear frequently.
The step-down pulley and gear drive
of the attachment provides a 1:50 reduc-
tion ratio. Each turn of the spindle
advances the carriage 0.02mm (.0008-
inch). A uniform chip, very smooth
turning, and much longer wear-life of
the lathe tool edges than with manual
turning results. Though most turning
operations should be run toward the
headstock, you can reverse power feed
direction by crossing the power feed
pulley belt.
17
DB 1001a
MACHINE ACCESSORIES
VISE
Next in line to the 4-Jaw Chuck, the
Machine Vise is the most useful acces-
sory you can own. The jaws hold work
up to 1 1 / 2 -inch f o r d r i l l i n g , milling,
g r i n d i n g and sawing. Also, the vise can
be fastened to your bench, or screwed to
a piece of flat steel to make a very useful
hand vise.
Jaws are dead parallel. The fixed jaw
has a milled vertical and horizontal
V-slot which w i l l center round work. The
vise mounts either on the cross slide or
the DB 1210 Milling Table, with two
T-nuts which fit the Allen head screws
used to mount Unimat accessories.
DB 1210
MILLING
TABLE
The 3 x 5-inch Milling Table is a true
19E There's no limit on mill-
flat s u r f a c e on w h i c h r o u n d stock, ing length. If your work i s
machine parts, model castings and prac- over a foot long, support the
tically any irregularly shaped part can outboard weight with cast-
be clamped. The T-slots in the table are ers or rollers. Project shown
is a 20-inch locomotive
the same size as the one in the Unimat frame.
cross slide. This makes it possible to use
the slotted screw chuck mounting method
(see Photo 1 3 A ) to mount chucks or
faceplates at any point on the table effec-
tively increasing the operating range
and versatility of the basic Unimat.
A very unusual Unimat technique is
possible with the m i l l i n g table. A part
can be chucked in any Unimat, chuck,
collet attachment, or mounted on the
faceplate. Then, without upsetting the
centering, you can remove the chuck
19F Milling a slot in cast
from the lathe, mount it on the milling iron motor mount casting.
table for a cut, and again return to lathe
operations.
Two T-nuts hold the milling table to
the cross slide in 8 different, ways, length-
wise, vertical or at a 45-degree angle to
the lathe axis. When mounting your
work, arrange the T-slot, clamps so that
the longest possible straight surface is
in contact with the top of the table.
You can m i l l with the vertical d r i l l
press position, or set the headstock at an
angle. Milling is easy after a little prac-
tice. Start with test cuts in light alum-
19
ACCESSORIES MILLING cont'd
The intermediate mounting plate shown at top left Center photo shows method of locating large work- Machine designer Ervlng Edell (above righl) checks
w a s turned on the Unimat lathe to fit over the Index- pieces over Indexing Attachment. A piece of 1/2- angle of sawing cut on five sided block. Blocks of
Ing Attachment plate. Made of 1/4-inch aluminum, inch cold-rolled steel about 3 inches long was this type with any desired number of sides can be
it has a 1/2-inch center hole. The wooden work- mounted between Unimat lathe centers and turned machined on the Dividing Attachment to make
piece, in this case, a 1 3/4-inch maple dowel would to a diameter to just fit the Round Table center hole. mathematical and chemical models, or bases for
have been marred if mounted in the regular 3-jaw One end of the bar was turned to a point. Finished trophies, models, and chessmen. The same setup
chuck. To mount even larger work pieces, make your length should be about 2 1/2 inches. can be used for sawing botanical sections, or for
own mounting plate as shown, but instead of bolt- making cutaway models of motors, and mechanisms.
ing to the Round Table with the T-slot bolts, run
screws up through the bottom of the table.
22
DB 1020
COLLET ACCESSORIES
ATTACHMENT
AND COLLETS
The Collet Attachment is used on the Unimat lathe, drill press and mill,
whenever round stock, or tools must be gripped with utmost precision.
There are four main parts, (from left to right) the back plate, collet
holder body, collet and nose piece. The back plate fits the headstock
spindle. Since it must revolve with perfect concentricity on your machine,
you will need to take a small truing cut, as shown in Truing Instructions,
on Page 18. Flat head screws are provided to fasten the collet body to
back plate.
Quarter-inch and 1/8-inch collets will
DB 2600 grip the most popular size tool shanks.
Never chuck anything but the rated size
DRAW BAR
in any collet. An attempt to grip work
more than a few thousandths over or
for ultra-fine precision work under can cause damage to the collet.
SPINDLE
Collets are available in all 64th-inch sizes
up to 5/16-inch and in all half millimeter
sizes from 1 through 8mm.
23
ACCESSORIES DB 1280
THREADING
ATTACHMENT
Unimat produces precision
threads in all common sizes
from 16 through 56-per-inch!
'Using your Unimat Threading Attach-
ment is actually easier than working
with the carriage lead screws and gears
on most lathes, and it is far more accu-
rate. Precision threads for cameras,
microscopes, telescopes, measuring in-
struments and laboratory apparatus are
all easy to make.
Instead of a lathe lead screw, the
attachment uses a mode of operation
usually found only on very expensive spe- 24B
cial lathes. A master pattern controls the
thread pitch (distance between thread brass follower wears down so much that Packed with attachment are a set of
crests). The cutting tool, as shown in the accuracy suffers (only after hundreds flat head screws slightly longer than
photos, is pulled along the surface of of threading operations) replacement those ordinarily used to mount the chuck
the workpiece by a follower that rides followers are available at nominal cost. to its backplate. To cut American Stand-
in the master pattern. These thread pat- To install the attachment, fasten the ard, and Metric threads, use the 60-
terns (DB 1271) are available from 16 two mounting brackets at each end of the degree thread cutting tool supplied with
to 56 threads-per-inch, and from .50 to lathe bed. You can use either the 3-jaw the attachment. (Whitworth and BSF
1.50 mm. or 4-jaw chucks for threading. Remove threads require a 55º point). Other
There is very little wear on the thread the backplate from the chuck and reas- thread forms, square, rounded etc.
pattern because it i s made of hard steel, semble on the spindle with the desired require that you grind a tool bit to the
and the follower is brass. The brass sur- pattern placed between the chuck back- desired shape and angle.
face takes the wear, and the more costly plate and the spindle end, as shown in Let's suppose that you want to cut a
part, the master is unaffected. When the drawing. 1/4-inch x 20-thread screw. This is a
very common size used on camera screws DB 1270
and laboratory apparatus. The first step
ACCESSORIES
THREADING cont'd
is to assemble the attachment with either
3-jaw or 4-jaw chuck.
We start by checking the major diame-
ter with a micrometer. In this case, a FOLLOWER ARM
AND INTERCHANGEABLE CUTTING ARM
FOLLOWER
1/4-inch screw has a nominal diameter ADJUSTMENT SCREW DEPTH CONTROL WHEEL
at the lowest lathe speeds, and for large THREADING ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLY
diameter work, the Slow Speed Attach- thread into the nut or tapped hole within internal cutting arm (Photo 25B), with
ment ( D B 1280) will be needed. which it is to work. the point of the tool facing downward.
The threading cut is a rapid process. With a little practice the threads you As you back the assembly out of the bore
You simply press down on the cutting make on your lathe should easily equal after a cut take care not to nick the
arm adjustment screw. The thread fol- the quality of threading found on ordin- finished threads.
lower engages the master thread pattern, ary commercial hardware. To produce In all threading work, it is important
and the lathe tool traverses the work cut- instrument threads, there are two dis- to keep your threading bit tips sharp by
ting a fine line in the surface of the metal. tinct approaches. The easiest way to touching up with a fine stone. Use light
We repeat the operation several times. At make high quality fits is to i n d i v i d u a l l y cutting oils for threading steel, and kero-
the end of each cut, the assembly is auto- mate pairs of threaded parts, and this sene for aluminum. The workpiece and
matically lifted upward. After every few method will serve for most model and all parts of the Threading Attachment
cuts, we can increase the depth of thread experimental work. must always be solidly fastened in place.
by turning the depth control wheel. As A more time consuming and painstak- Whenever you set up for threading a
the thread is formed, we can measure it ing approach is to follow factory proce- workpiece, scribe a witness mark oppo-
by any one of several methods. dures in setting your own tolerances for site your #1 chuck jaw. If the work
The easiest way is to compare with a the fits of threads you cut. To do this, should slip in the chuck you will be able
screw that is known to be accurate. The you will need to consult good manuals on to return the work to its original starting
depth of thread can be measured by thread standards. point. Multiple threads and compound
wrapping wire around the diameter and Internal threads are cut in the same threads can be cut by first producing one
measuring with a micrometer. Special way as external threads, except that you thread, and then rotating the work the
thread micrometers with pointed anvils mount the DB1106 inside threading bit desired n u m b e r of degrees to a new
are available, or you can simply fit the (part of DB1100 lathe tool set) on the mounting position in the chuck.
25
ACCESSORIES DB 1070
JIG SAW
cuts intricate shapes in metal
wood and plastics...
Perhaps the modeler's most useful more screws mount the jig saw arm, as
attachment is the Unimat Jig Saw. It in Photo 26B.
follows any line you can draw on metal, Before turning the power on. arrange
wood, plastic, and hardboard. The eleven your belt drive for lowest speed. It is
speed headstock drive gives you a means always a good idea to make a trial cut at
of using just the right speed for the job, minimum R.P.M. to get the "feel" of the
prolonging blade life and getting a machine and the material. Then, you
smooth controlled cut. every time. can increase speed for faster cutting.
Your first step in installing the attach- The blade must be centered in the slot,
ment is to feed the headstock spindle Jigsaw blades will break if they are
full right and lock it in place. Then put clamped out of line.
the jig saw eccentric drive on the spin- A coarse-toothed blade cuts faster, but
dle (Photo 26C). Next slip the base also tends to break or tear thin material.
assembly over the bed and add the clamp- Fine-toothed blades tend to choke up on
ing plate as in Photo 26D. Before locking thick material. Usually the coarse blade
the Allen head screws, gently slide the is intended for fast wood cutting, the
assembly toward the headstock so that medium-toothed blade for plastics, and
the eccentric drive pin engages the mech- the fine-toothed blade for metals. Spiral- Photo shows boat bulkheads sawed
anism. Check the action by revolving the toothed blades have the advantage of cut- from hardwood. To cut sharp inside
headstock pulley by hand. ting in any direction. corner, use spiral blade. With plain
The table fastens to the base with two Unimat saber saw blades are color blade, make first cut slightly short
of comer, then come in at right
Allen head screws. Install a saber blade coded: blue for metal cutting, red for angle for finish cut.
and you are ready for saber cutting. Two plastics, and yellow for wood.
26
DB 21/2-INCH
1230 ACCESSORIES
CIRCULAR
SAW
27B Fit blade properly and
you've got the most accurate
inexpensive table saw in the
world!
to permanently equip each special saw 4 inches long, mark it and save for future kerosene on soft aluminum.
blade he acquires w i t h its own arbor, use as a width setting gauge. Sets of such
because saws will wear into a more per- "thickness blocks" will not only enable
fect circle with use. Also, you can devise you to quickly run duplicate work in the
saw sharpening fixtures which will dress future, but will have many other uses in
the saw teeth while the saw is mounted your shop.
on the headstock spindle. By such means, For a start, try ripping scrap material
you can develop perfectly balanced saws first. With a little practice you'll soon find
for ultra-thin high speed cutting. that you can hold wood thicknesses to
For ordinary work you'll find that the micrometer tolerances. The right speed
perfectly trued Unimat saw blade offers for sawing in any material is the speed
an advantage. Unlike the usual home that gives you the fastest, smoothest cut
workshop saw, you w i l l be able to fol- without overheating the blade. Always
low a marked line on wood very easily feed gently. Feeding hard will overload
though guiding freehand. There is no the teeth—chips will backup, and over-
tendency with a truly smooth running heating that can draw the saw blade 27E When wood grain converges near your
machine for the blade to pull away from temper, is the result. Excessive speeds saw line, the wood may compress back of the
the line. can also burn the work. cut and jam the saw. Stop the saw and put a
Two standard blades, 2 3/8-inch diame- small wedge in the cut.
A rip fence is included for repeat cut-
ting. You can set it by rough trial and ter are stock for the small DB 1230 saw
re-setting, or you can use an Inside Cali- table. The coarse-toothed blade is inten-
per (XR-41 ) to measure from the blade ded for wood (DB 1231); the fine toothed To cut very long thin pieces. or to cut
to the fence. A faster way requires that blade for aluminum, light metals and large unwieldly sheets of material, you
you have a sample piece of material of plastics ( D B 1232). Any fine-toothed will find you'll need to improvise out-
exactly the desired width. Layers of thin blade can also be used on thin pieces of board sawing guides. Turn some 2-step
metal can be used to make up the thick- wood and will produce very accurate rollers on y o u r l a t h e . These can be
ness. Place the sample between the saw smooth cuts. But such use can overheat mounted on heavy wood blocks nailed or
blade and the fence along with a layer of and r u i n the blade. With care, cutting clamped to the rear or sides of your work
thin paper for clearance spacing. Gently slowly, keeping the blade cool, it can be bench to guide the saw cut in an abso-
press the fence toward the saw blade. done in an emergency. lutely straight line.
27
DB 1310
ACCESSORIES
HEADSTOCK RAISING
BLOCK & CLAMPING BOLT
28
Dead straight cuts on tubing, round
or square stock and odd-shaped sections
can be made by clamping the work either
MACHINE SAWING ACCESSORIES
in your Machine Vise (DB 1010) or Mill- Even hardened tool steel can be cut
ing Table (DB 1210) mounted on the with this set-up by using the right grade
cross slide. The work must be lined up of abrasive cut-off wheel. Modern flex-
dead parallel to the lathe bed, and the ible abrasive wheels should be used at
headstock perfectly centered in lathe maximum R. P. M. Unlike the rigid
position. As shown in the photo, you wheels, there is little danger of the disc
slowly feed the work to the cutting breaking u p , b u t you may need to
blade, with the cross feed screw. machine oversized collars to support the
The common fine-toothed saw blades wheel properly.
will handle a limited amount of cutting Abrasive cutting can also be done on
in soft aluminum, but should never be short lengths of material with the Uni-
applied to hard a l u m i n u m , iron or steel. mat set up in the drill press position, and
Special metal slitting blades are avail- the work supported vertically on the
able that have hardened teeth, and you cross slide with vise or chuck. With a
can obtain or make thin milling blades perfectly clamped set-up, and caution in
that also will cut hard metals. On special feeding, you can use larger abrasive
order, you can get miniature carbide wheels, than would fit on the lathe set-up.
Abrasive wheel saws thin stainless tubing. Use
damp cloth to keep metal cool.
toothed blades.
WOOD
TURNING
Wood turning is a hobby in itself, and
in fact is one of the earliest mechanical
crafts known to man. You can turn an
infinite variety of cylindrical shapes;
among them, such practical objects as
handles for tools, bases for lamps, tro-
phies, etc. Beautiful models of antique Center drilling ends of stock is first step in
furniture can be seen in many museums wood turning.
and are easily produced on the Unimat.
The same is true of architectural mod- As an example in wood turning, let's as shown above. Put a center drill in
els. Many mode! items in metal, for say we need a dowel of a certain size. the chuck and use the tailstock to push
example cannon barrels, start out as Working from a large block or board of the wood into the rotating drill. Repeat
wood-turned patterns for foundry wood, the first step is to cut a square for the other end.
castings. section on the table saw. If we want to Now mount the wood between the DB
At your local foundry, you can have finish with a 3/4-inch round dowel, 1- 1205 Spur Drive Center ( w h i c h screws
the shape duplicated in iron, brass or inch square would be a good start. Mark on the lathe spindle) and the tailstock
aluminum. the center of each end and set up the lathe center. The Spur Drive Center has two
29
desired. Finish by taking a final cut with
ACCESSORIES a long strip of sandpaper held in both
hands and "stroked" diagonally from one
30
twin ball bearings in hand-piece DB 1250 ACCESSORIES
for precise carving, routing,
engraving, polishing...
FLEXIBLE SHAFT
DB 1040
STEADY REST
A steady rest is needed whenever you
want to turn slender fragile bars, or drill
into the end of long cylindrical pieces.
The quickest way to set up the rest is
to support the work on lathe centers or
between chuck and tailstock. Then loosen
the three Allen head screws and push the
brass jaws inward, until they contact the
work lightly. Lock in position, and dur-
ing machining use a heavy amount of oil
or grease to lubricate the tips. Brass
jaws are used because they cause mini-
mum marring of the work. Never run
them dry. At their point of contact, the
workpiece must be smooth.
For super-accurate work, the Unimat Here's how NOT to use tool. Shaft is bent
owner may wish to install small contact sharply near neck of hand-piece and it operat-
ing in a circle which puts extra load on cable.
rollers on the work. Also, a tight fitting Use of headstock on column for power drive is
ring can be temporarily placed in the handy. For this job, place Unimat on shelf or
Clamped on the bed, the DB 1040 Steady Rest will work to provide a riding surface. Often, box so that shaft operates in straight line.
take roundstock up la 1 1/2-inch diameter. you may have a ball bearing of the right
shaft size that can be supported between
the Steady Rest jaws.
31
ACCESSORIES POLISHING, BUFFING and SANDING
with DB 1030 POLISHING ARBOR
DB 1035 RUBBER BACKING PAD
DB 1150, 1, WIRE BRUSH WHEELS
DB 1115 These operations are the last to be cloth", a special abrasive that must be
described in this manual, and are the liberally watered. Fasten your abrasive
TRUING DIAMOND
DB 1030 Polishing Arbor has back plate which
must be trued to spindle. Truing instructions
are on page 18. Felt wheels are offered in
1½, 2 and 2¾-n
i ch sizes. Tapered stem of
Abrasive wheels often clog up with arbor takes all diameter centers from 7/32
chips particularly when you are grinding to 9/16-inch.
soft metals, or when the work is oily.
loaded with abrasive liquids of varying
Sometimes you can clean a wheel with
solvent and a wire brush. A better way bite.
Plastic polishing is a real art. As with
is to cut away the abrasive with this
all materials, never risk a finished piece
diamond-tipped dressing tool. You can
of work on a buffing wheel until you prac-
use it free hand, resting the tool on your
tise the polish on scrap. A harmless look-
wood steady, or feed it with the lathe
ing cloth wheel running at high speed.
tool holder. ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY
GLASSES and feed the diamond tool or pushed too hard, can burn even the
cautiously, slowly, stopping the feed fre- hardest, plastics, or ripple the surface.
quently to avoid overheating. Every grade and make of plastic is dif-
ferent... so to be safe, write to the
32
Unimat Thread Sizes
Threaded Part Thread Size Drill Size Tap & Drill
Set Order #
Die
order # ACCESSORIES
Headstock, tailstock
spindles M 12x1 10.8mm TM 12 DM12
Lead screw, cross-
feed screw M 8 x 1 (left) 6.7mm TM 8 DM 8
Unimat Screws
Allen head screws M 6x1 5.0mm TM 6 DM 6
NOTE: All screws are available
Spindle locating from stock, A useful assortment
screws M 4x1 3.3mm TM 4 DM 4 is the SC 6-6 Set of 18 Unimat
Allan Head screws. All Unimat
Watchmaker spindle Allen head screws have a 6mm
diameter Set consists of three
draw-bar 6.9 15/64" TM69 DM69 each of following lengths: 12, 15,
Handwheels M 5x1 4.2mm TM 5 DM 5 20, 25, 30 and 35 mm.
Five-inch lamb's Wool Bonnet (DB 1036) can be
used on Urimat set up as hand drill to polish
furniture, plastics and even your car. Buffer mounts
over Backing Pad (DB 1035). Move Ihe buff con-
stantly, using minimum R.P.M. Waxes help to pre- Time Saving Tips For The Unimat Owner
vent scorching. Press as lightly as posslble.
CLEANING SMALL PARTS. Never use water Rust nicked and dulled by contact. Protect sharp edges
will accumulate and ruin precise surfaces. The by wrapping tools with wax paper and frequent
simplest way to clean small parts is to obtain an oiling.
empty coffee can, but an empty gallon paint can SPINDLE THREADS. Every time you change chucks
is better yet. Then pour kerosene into the can to a or mount an accessory on the Unimat, be sure the
depth of about 1½-inch. Make a small basket of headstock spindle threads are clean. A fast wipe
aluminum window screen bent to shape. Chucks, is not enough because tiny particles of steel, brass,
tools and machine parts covered with oil and etc., can cling to the bottom of the threads. When
chips can then be lowered into the liquid and the accessory is installed over dirt. there is danger
allowed to soak. of jamming and ruining the accuracy of the part,
CLEANING UNIMAT LATHE. Jobs in brass, wood Use an old toothbrush and kerosene to clean. Soft
and aluminum will throw chips that will completely cotton string also is useful far cleaning threads.
cover your machine. Use a 16-inch cookie baking USING BROKEN TOOLS. Save all broken files,
pan, covering the bottom with newspaper Place saw blades, drill points and taps. The tool steel can
Unimat In pan and brush with kerosene. The chips be ground down to make special wood turning
DB 1150 Brass Wire Brush removes spark plug will collect on the paper which can then be tools, chisels, scribers, and center punches.
corrosion. discarded. ELECTRICAL SAFETY. IF you work on damp floors
RUST PREVENTION- Plastic suit-covers used by or near water pipes, ground the frame of your
dry cleaners make a fine dust-tight cover for your Unimat to prevent electrical shock in case of a short.
Unimat and tools. Be sure bed, drill press column This recommendation is a must for all portable
and other exposed metal parts are clean and well electrical saws and drills.
oiled before you cover the machine. Otherwise KEEP RECORDS. Every time you try a new tooling
entrapped moisture in the air will cause rust almost technique an your Unimat, jot down the kind of
overnight. metal, cutting diameter, R.P.M., and a rough sketch
GRINDING SAFETY. Whenever you turn on any of the tool shape. Such notes will become very
grinding wheel, or large rotating tool, stand well valuable in the future when you want to quickly
away from the machine. The faster a wheel turns, duplicate past jobs.
the more the centrifugal force. Bits of a cracked OIL DISPENSERS. Medicine bottle eye droppers
grinding wheel can fly across the room and cause make handy containers for various grades of cut-
injury. Always wear safely glasses- A plastic work ting oil, lubricants and solvents.
shield fitted to your Unimat baseboard is also a DAILY REMINDER. Get in the habit of always
very good safety idea. removing chucks, belts and loosening all locking
SMALL DRILLS. Always chuck small drills as close screws when your Unimat is not in use. This simple
to the beginning of the spiral flutes as possible To procedure will prolong the life of the machine and
DB 1500 sets include burrs, mounted abrasives, get maximum accuracy and prevent drill breakage. the accuracy of its parts,
wire and bristle brushes, for various materials. To get greatest centering accuracy with regular UNIMAT GUARANTEE- To protect your invest-
See Accessary Catalog for details on each set. drills, cut them down to minimum length and care- ment, be sure to complete and return Guarantee
fully re-sharpen, checking with a drill gauge. Card to officially register your warranty. If you
PROTECT CUTTING EDGES. Lathe tools, drills, mill- haven't already done so, mail the Guarantee Card
manufacturers for specifications sheets ing cutters and chisels should never be stored today.
loosely in a drawer or chest. Edges will soon be
on b u f f i n g and finishing.
DB 1150 (brass) and 1151 (steel)
Wire Brush Wheels can be used by hand
in the grinding position, or on the Flex- Headstock Maintenance
ible Shaft. They are most useful for
reaching into tight corners and rounded
areas. Either tool is good for polishing The motor, intermediate pulleys, and the head- To remove bearings, place a tightening bar
stock spindle should spin freely. Avoid over-tighten- through the spindle locking hole, and turn the
out rust spots on tools and instruments. ing the Allen head screws which hold the intermedi- spindle nut counterclockwise. Then remove the
On wood, the steel brush will give you a ate pulley bearings. This can cause the bearing to pulley. If the nut is frozen, use a drop of pene-
weathered effect that enhances the real- bind. trating oil or 'Liquid Wrench' to free it. The
ism of historic models. The brass brush If your Unimat has been stored for a long time, headstock spindle can then be removed by pulling
set up a low speed and run the spindle a few through the headstock casting toward the tailstock.
is best for working on soft metals, since minutes to recirculate the grease in the bearings- Lay the parts out on the bench so you can replace
the harder steel wire tends to dig in. Headstock bearings are well protected from chips in exactly the same order, with bearing races facing
Wire brush wheels are particularly dan- and dirt, but fine abrasive dust can penetrate. If in the same direction as they were.
gerous to the eyes since bits of wire you hear unusual rough noise, or the headstock Wash the bearings in kerosene, dry on lintless
s h o w s more friction, stop the machine immediately cloth or paper, and then relubricate with high
constantly break off and fly into space. and check the bearings. Greasing is required after quality bearing grease ( E P 1 ) . Reassembly is done
Wear your goggles and keep well out of every few hundred hours of average running time. in much the same way as a bicycle hub. Tighten
the plane of rotation. However, if you operate your Unimat continuously the headstock all the way until you feel tension on
Kits of miniature wire wheels, buffs at high speed, more frequent greasing will be the bearings. Then turn the nut backwards, so the
needed. bearings just spin freely without binding and
and mounted abrasive stones are avail- without play.
able. The six sets, DB 1500, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
give you a good selection of these tools.
33
ADVANCED Unimat at home in tool room, machine shop electronics lab,
TECHNIQUES and instrument repair shop...
When the work is too big, take your Unimat to stand Is free to slide beneath. Boring tool is
the job instead of bringing the work to the machine. mounted between centers. Dial Indicates accuracy
This precise drilling |ob on architectural channel of cutting edges. UNDERCUTTING MOTOR ARMA-
is done by bolting bars to base of Unimat and TURE. Unimat drill press column (right) is fitted to
clamping to work at desired position. GAGING AND lathe carriage; supports headstock at any angle.
INSPECTION, (center) Support Unimat on pairs of Metal cutting saw slots rotor of small motor to
parallel blocks above inspection plate, so dial gage preset depth.
34
ADVANCED
versatile Unimat accessories in the machine shop solve tough grind-
ing, drilling and sawing problems; do the "impossible" in minutes TECHNIQUES
instead of hours,..
35
MEASURING
ACCESSORIES
precision miniature machining requires
quality measuring instruments and aids...
Miniature Lamp (XR 20) has transformer in base. Throws high intensity light,
bnghter than 150 watt bulb at some distance. Lamp arm folds for storage,
measures 15 inches extended. Micro-Mike (XR 22) combines clear optical 20
power magnification with 1% accurate rulings on giass within instrument.
Examine drills, laps, lathe tools and work, and immediately see measure-
ment. Touch tip of Mike to work, and image it automatically in focus.
Magna-Viewer ( X P 51}
permits you to see
magnified image of
small work, cutting
tools, e t c , from
comfortable working
distance. View it wide
angle, clear and
causes little eye strain.
Extra high power
auxiliary lens swings
down over standard
lens for up to 5.25
power.
Precision work requires these two miniature
2-inch calipers. Inside Caliper (DB 4 1 ) is on.
left. Outside Caliper (DB 42) on right. Measure- Toolmaker's Precision Square (XR 45), above
ments can be transferred from one to the left, is best tool for layout of vertical lines,
other, or from calipers to rules, micrometers, checking drill press and grinder set-ups. Hard-
etc. ened end tempered 2-inch blade guarantees
high accuracy. Two-inch Spring Divider (XR 43),
above right, is used to measure distances
lengthwise on lathe work, and to scribe layout
lines and centers on flat metal work.
Protractor (XR 40), not shown here, has a 6-inch Adjustable Angle Depth Gauge (XR 47) is sup-
blade and can be used to read drilling, milling, plied with 6-inch rod for measuring hole too
sawing, mitering and layout angles. One-degree small for rule. Tool s e t s to every 15 degree Use these inexpensive Safety Goggles (XR 53)
markings, from 0-180 are numbered in both angle on the circle. Excellent for layout work whenever you cut steel or brass on lathe, and
directions. Markings are sharp and fractions of too, and for checking grinding and sawing for all grinding, polishing, buffing operations.
a degree can be estimated, angles.
36
Model DB 200, UNIMAT BASIC UNIT REPLACEMENT
PARTS LIST .
ACCESSORIES
4-Jaw lndependent Lathe Chuck, DB 1001a
DB 1001a/l Back place (adapter]
DB 1001a/2 Jaws, set of 4
DB 100la/3 Key
SF 430 Flat head screw (4x30mm)
37
REPLACEMENT
Flexible Shaft, DB 1250
Slow Speed Attachment, DB 1280
DB 1250/1 Spindle complete with bearings,
threaded housing, spring & nut DB 1280/1 Motor bracket casting
ACCESSORIES cont'd
and knurled ring DB 1290/1 Base casting
DB 1250/9 Shaft housing with knurled ring DB 1290/2 Base casting
SS 68 Set screw (6x8mm) for sleeve DB 1290/3 Bearing casting & bearing
DB 1250/10 Shaft core SC 615 Allen head screw
DB 1250/11 Adapter clamp for headstock DB 1290/4 Drive shaft, washer & nut
Jig Saw Attachment, DB 1070 SC 620 Allen head screw (6x20mm) DB 1290/5 Horseshoe clip
DB 1290/6 Horseshoe clip & washer
DB 1250/12 Threaded driver
DB 1070/1 Base casting & clamp plate DB 1290/7 Worm
DB 1001/4 Tightening bar
SC 625 Allen head screw (6x25mm) DB 1290/8 Worm & bevel gears
DB 1070/2 Saw table DB 1290/9 Pulley, nut & washer
SC 615 Allen head screw (6x15mm] DB 1290/10 Gear guard casting
DB 1070/3 Top frame with leaf spring & clamp DB 1290/ll Hand lever & spring
DB 1070/4 Bottom blade clamp, bar & bearing DB 1290/12 Handwheel with gear
DB 1070/5 Eccentric driver DB 1290/13 Pulley-nut for headstock
DB 1001/4 Tightening bar spindle pulley
DB 50b Drive belt, large
38
The speed of your Unimat headstock spindle depends
upon four factors; the motor, the belt arrangement, the
load and the kind of cutting operation. The heavier In maximum speed belt position with Drill Chuck and no other
SPEED
the workplece, the more load and consequent reduc-
tion in speed. Your spindle will always tend to accel-
erate up to maximum speed, however as you start to
feed a lathe tool, or drill, it will slow down slightly.
load, speeds can e x c e e d 10,000 R.P.M. T h i s is not recommended
for continuous use. Before using set-up # 6 or 9, be sure bearings
are free turning and well lubricated. Note that cutting and drilling
speeds under load will drop to 1 2 or less of the R.P.M. figures
CHART
If you feed too fast, the spindle may even s t a l l causing shown at a l l speeds above 1,000 R.P.M.
the belts to slip. In this way, you have a built-in safety
factor.
Pulley
}
Motor Speed BRUSH-type: 16,000 (Spindle R.P.M. indicated in RED)
Running Free INDUCTION-type: 3,600 (Spindle R.P.M. indicated in BLACK)
Spindle Pulley Intermediate Pulley Motor Pulley
Color Code:
900 1 1700 2
265 550
RPM RPM
1900 3 5600 4
700 2100
MOTOR LOAD TEST BAR RPM RPM
The R,P.M. figures listed in the chart were based on 5600 5 7200 6
t h i s test procedure: an aluminum bar weighing 1 8 ½ - 3100 4700
ounces, the maximum size that fits the lathe (without
using the Headstock Raising Block) was mounted
RPM RPM,
between the 3-jaw chuck and the tailstock Ball Bearing
5
Center. This bar (see photo) measures 5 / 32 -inch long,
2500 7 5000 8 5600 9
by 1 5 / 8 -inch dia., with 2 ½ - i n c h dia. by 1/2-inch neck.
725 1400 2300
Motors were run for a 15 minute warmup, and speeds RPM RPM RPM
were measured with line voltage held at 120.
3650 10 5600 11
1000 1700
RPM RPM
with DB 1280 Slow Speed Attachment
330 12 750 13
100 210
RPM RPM
NOTE: These speeds are listed only as a help in getting started. Optimum speeds depend on hardness
of materials, cutting angles, etc. It Is suggested that you make trial cuts at recommended R.P.M.,
and then increase or decrease ifr better results are obtained. Keep a chart or notes of your own results.
BELT AND PULLEYS ON MAXIMUM R.P.M. Steel 1,400 950 590 310
The basic Unimat provides eleven speeds. Two addi- (Aluminum, Brass, Copper) 1,700 1.400 950 500
tional speeds used for threading and turning large Wood, Plastic 2,200 1.700 1,400 950
diameter work are provided by DB 1280 Slow Speed
Attachment. You can obtain other speeds by machining
your own e x t r a motor pulleys of diameter to suit.
Steel I 1,700 1,400 950 310
(Aluminum. Brass, Copper) 2,200 1,700 1,400 950
Wood, Plastic ____ 2.200 1,700 1,400 950
Steel 370
(Aluminum, Brass, Copper) 590
Wood. Plastic 730
Photograph courtesy o f
Mechanix Illustrated Magazine,
copyright 1963,