Anyone got one of these lathes??

[Lenj]

Hi,

Has anyone got one of these lathes?? if so are they any good for repairing pivots etc..I know they would not be any use for heavy work, but thought I would ask first..

Have a good weekend all..

Thanks Len

[oldhippy]

That looks like Unimat 1. If it is they are only good for wood work. The Unimat 6 is for metal. For the price of the Unimat 6 you should be able to get hold of a Unimat 3 which is very good for clock pivots. For watch work you need a watchmakers lathe.

[Geo]

I would suggest that this lathe would be suitable for lightweight model making.  It is configured for metal cutting, but I would question the accuracy of both the three jaw chuck and tailstock.  Diametrical run out and the smallest diameter the chuck will hold are both unlikely to be suitable for watch work.

It may be if some use for larger clock parts, but if you want a lathe for working on microscopic watch pivots you would be advised to pick up a quality second hand watchmakers lathe.

 

[Lenj]

Hiya, Thanks for getting back to me and the info, I am glad I asked.. I will have a lookout for the Unimat 3, I only want it for clocks pivots, I can't see to do that fine a work on watches..

I bought a box of carriage clock bits of the Bay all mixed up, I managed to fit them all together, 2 very nice cases, 3 movements. One was a Charles Frodsham the barrel is shot and I do mean shot....and had a lovely repair done to it, photo attached if interested, also photo of the pivot I need to repair. And one more case to fixup but that needs a lot of work..

Thanks again Len

 

 

[Lenj]

And thanks to you Geo..

Well I had a look at the Ulimat 3 and that is twice the cost of the one above..Just to do a few pivots would not be worthwhile spending all that money..

Anyone made an home made pivot repairer..lol..

Len 

[JohnR725]

Definitely inexpensive and meant to turn metal not wood. At least if you believe the product specifications. So you could purchase one from Amazon but more important you can look at the reviews. The phrase you get what you pay for definitely implies here and it looks like you're probably paying too much.

https://www.amazon.com/Signswise-Motorized-Woodworking-Education-Modelmaking/dp/B00UL3J81S#customerReviews

Then here are some ideas for re-pivoting. Even though it's in the watch repair section there isn't any reason why you couldn't scale them up in size to do clocks. The only problem is there are either accessories for a lathe or you really need a lathe to make these.

https://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/4474-look-at-that-a-new-toy-diy-pivot-drill/

 

[measuretwice]

5 hours ago, Lenj said:

Well I had a look at the Ulimat 3 and that is twice the cost of the one above.

If you see a U3 for 2x that, pounce....but be careful, its likely missing components.   I get that its what its worth to you that matters, but I'm challenged to see how a machine selling for $150 could remotely be satisfactory machining anything accurately and U3's are really nice bench top setup, Austrian made and made well.  Spending $150, getting frustrated and tossing isn't a good outcome either....whereas with U3 it still be worth what you paid for it    Currently with 22 lathes from watchmakers to a 5200 lb DSG, I'm big big believer in carefully buying used quality machines as the way to get the best bang for the buck.

 

 

[Lenj]

11 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

Definitely inexpensive and meant to turn metal not wood. At least if you believe the product specifications. So you could purchase one from Amazon but more important you can look at the reviews. The phrase you get what you pay for definitely implies here and it looks like you're probably paying too much.

https://www.amazon.com/Signswise-Motorized-Woodworking-Education-Modelmaking/dp/B00UL3J81S#customerReviews

Then here are some ideas for re-pivoting. Even though it's in the watch repair section there isn't any reason why you couldn't scale them up in size to do clocks. The only problem is there are either accessories for a lathe or you really need a lathe to make these.

https://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/4474-look-at-that-a-new-toy-diy-pivot-drill/

 

Yes you do get what you pay for that's for sure...Thanks for the link, that looks like a good project..

Len

[Lenj]

7 hours ago, measuretwice said:

If you see a U3 for 2x that, pounce....but be careful, its likely missing components.   I get that its what its worth to you that matters, but I'm challenged to see how a machine selling for $150 could remotely be satisfactory machining anything accurately and U3's are really nice bench top setup, Austrian made and made well.  Spending $150, getting frustrated and tossing isn't a good outcome either....whereas with U3 it still be worth what you paid for it    Currently with 22 lathes from watchmakers to a 5200 lb DSG, I'm big big believer in carefully buying used quality machines as the way to get the best bang for the buck.

 

 

Hi, thanks for the info..as I said yes you do get what you pay for, but I can't justify that sort of money to do a couple of pivots, I like the home made jobby, that look fun to make..

Len

[nevenbekriev]

For a couple of pivots like the one on the picture above, You can use regular hand drill. Or make simple lathe of type 'between centers'. Jus some imagination and handyness needed.

[oldhippy]

You have to make sure when you drill you have the exact center if not the depth will be wrong and the wheel will not rotate correctly which will cause wear on the teeth and pinion. It is not just simply drill a hole.   

[nevenbekriev]

Well, it is just drilling a hole, and yes, it is not so simple. But, there is a simple way that it is done with guaranteed good result.

[watchweasol]

Hi the best way is using a lathe and drill attachment or a chuck in the tail stock. I made a drilling flag that fits  the tool post and the broken end runs in the guide and the drill is placed through the guide to drill the arbour, I have also used a vertical drill to do the same job with no problem.