Subject: Unimat? A small mill/lathe/grinder/???

From: [email-masked] (Phil Calvin)
Date: 7 Sep 1993 16:11:00 GMT

I came across a Unimat at a garage sale this weekend.  Has anyone
used one of these?  It is a small lathe/mill/drill/grinder etc.  It is 
made in Austria, and the quality appears pretty high.  The guy 
told me that the company was still in business, and that parts 
and accessories are available. 

Are they any good?  What is this thing worth?

Thanks a lot,
Phil
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From: [email-masked] (David Jenkins)
Date: 8 Sep 1993 09:55:21 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
(Phil Calvin) writes:
|> I came across a Unimat at a garage sale this weekend.  Has anyone
|> used one of these?  It is a small lathe/mill/drill/grinder etc.  It
|> is 
|> made in Austria, and the quality appears pretty high.  The guy 
|> told me that the company was still in business, and that parts 
|> and accessories are available. 
|> 
|> Are they any good?  What is this thing worth?
|> 
|> Thanks a lot,
|> Phil
|> --
-- 

Unimats are very good, if you accept their limitations, i.e. don't
expect them to turn an iron casting for a 5" gauge steam loco.  On the
other hand, I borrowed a friend's to turn a couple of steam fittings,
as its top revs. setting (5000?) is great for small brass work.  They
are ideal for 0 gauge work, table-top work, clockmaking, etc.  Sharp,
weel-formed tools are essential (but who uses anything else ;-)

You may come across two types: the old one, which can be recognised by
its green hammer finish paint and two cylindrical bars for the lathe
bed; and the modern one which is a cream colour with a cast bed.  You
might not find all the spares you need for the old one.

Spares can be expensive, as they are particular to this lathe.

David Jenkins

* All incorrect spelling and faulty grammar is intentional.   *  
* Corrections are superfluous and will be ignored.  So there. *         
*

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From: [email-masked] (Gerd Oxe)
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 10:23:35 GMT

> Are they any good?  What is this thing worth?

I am using EMCO's (that's the austrian company) Compact C5 lathe/mill, the 
next bigger model after the Unimat. I suppose you found an older Unimat 
model, the Unimat 3, which is no longer made today but has been replaced by 
the Unimat PC. As I remember from a catalog, EMCO still delivers spare parts 
for the Unimat 3, most of them are compatible with the new version anyway.
What's it worth? Well, a new Unimat PC sells for about 2000 to 3000 swiss 
francs (dollar is 1.60 sFr. approx.), depending on the extras. The quality of 
EMCO's machines is excellent, precission is first mandate in their design. 
BUT: don't expect to be able to machine big things on a Unimat, it's meant 
for small scale precission work and not for refurbishing truck pistons...
All in one word: if you can get an EMCO for an affordable price, TAKE IT!
If you like, I can look up EMCO's address, so you can contact them directly, 
perhaps they even have a sales representative overseas (they have one in 
switzerland at least :-)  ).

Gerd Oxe

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From: [email-masked] (ron ginger)
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 18:57:19 GMT

I won a Unimat 3 at my model boat club raffle. Probably the most expensive thing I ever 'won'. To get sufficient accessories to be even slightly usefull
I spent several hundred dollars. There are manyy US tool dealers that carry
Unimat accessories. I bought mine from Blue Ridge Machinery- I think their
address is in the FAQ. 

All Unimat accessories are unique to Unimat- no chance
to buy 'off brand' to get better price. If you have 'real' machine tools you can 
make some nice add-ons. Many articles and even a couple books are in print
with Unimat stuff.

I have one big problem with the Unimat- the motor is HOPELESSLY underpowered.
It will barely cut steel chips larger than steel wool. I know a fellow that makes a business of selling Sherline motors and an adaptor to use them on
Unimat.

I was also told by Blue Ridge that since the Unimat 3 was out of production,
parts and tools would dry up soon.

Id be very happy to trade my Unimat for a Sherline. 

If I found one in a garage sale that wasnt hammered, and it was cheap enough Id still buy it. I wanted a Unimat since I was a kid reading POPULAR MECHANICS
ads in the 1950's.

ron ginger

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From: [email-masked] (Gerd Oxe)
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 07:53:19 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, 
[email-masked] (ron ginger) writes:
> I won a Unimat 3 at my model boat club raffle. Probably the most expensive 
> thing I ever 'won'. 

Lucky you, I had to spend 6000 swiss francs for my EMCO Compact C5, the next 
bigger model after the unimat,  with mill and all extras. Wish I'd won it ;-)

> To get sufficient accessories to be even slightly usefull
> to buy 'off brand' to get better price. If you have 'real' machine tools 

This is true by the fact alone, that all bolts and threads are metrical...
(provided we talk about the same lathe, Unimat 3 by the austrian company EMCO)

> you 
> can 
> It will barely cut steel chips larger than steel wool. I know a fellow that 
> makes a business of selling Sherline motors and an adaptor to use them on
> Unimat.

Don't try this, you can ruin your machine bed with the first deep cut pass 
through steel. The whole thing just isn't laid out for more stress than the 
original motor can feed into it. If the motor power is too low for a certain 
work, the lathe is too week for it, too.

> Id be very happy to trade my Unimat for a Sherline. 

I would never give an EMCO Unimat away, but that's your decission.

> If I found one in a garage sale that wasnt hammered, and it was cheap 
enough Id 
> still buy it. I wanted a Unimat since I was a kid reading POPULAR MECHANICS
> ads in the 1950's.
> 
> ron ginger

Gerd Oxe

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From: [email-masked] (David Jenkins)
Date: 8 Sep 1993 09:55:21 GMT

David Jenkins

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From: [email-masked] (Gerd Oxe)
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 10:23:35 GMT

Gerd Oxe

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From: [email-masked] (ron ginger)
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 18:57:19 GMT

ron ginger

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From: [email-masked] (Gerd Oxe)
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 07:53:19 GMT

enough Id 

Gerd Oxe