Unimat 3 Tailstock Die Holder

[Adam BishopParticipant @adambishop38724]

Need recommendations

[Adam BishopParticipant @adambishop38724]

Hi,

I have an Emco Unimat 3 and I’d like to use it to cut threads on steel rods.
does anyone know what tailstock die holder I should get?

its for woodwind repair.
thanks!

adam

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Well, you can use an ordinary hand die holder, and set it square to the bar stock in the chuck using the front face of the tailstock. That's what I used to do when I had a Unimat 3. But it was small quantities, never more than about 4 at a time.

The Bay has a few items that might be of interest if you're doing enough threads to justify the outlay. I ran a search on 'Unimat 3' and it turned up several instances of this:-

Unimat 3

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

You can get handy tailstock die holders like this example from Arc Euro:

 

But I believe the Unimat tail-stock doesn't have the usual taper, instead using a non-standard M14 screw? If so, tools like the above can't be plugged in.

There's an alternative if you have an ordinary tail-stock mounted drill-chuck for the lathe. This type of die holder has a plain straight mounting rod with a hole bored through it These can be worked by hand by mounting them on a straight rod or pipe held in the drill chuck.

Photo above also nicked from Arc Euro's website..

Here's one I made earlier:

Similar trick with a spring loaded straight thingy works for taps:

Not really for cutting threads under power, I usually turn the main chuck by hand while pushing the die holder into the cut and stopping it from rotating.

Dave

 

 

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 21/04/2020 14:03:41

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Hi SOD,

I think both the shank (smallest is 1/2" ) and the 9mm hole thorough the middle are above the capacity of the Unimat 3 tailstock drill chuck, so I couldn't see a way to use the Arc holders without modification. The drill chuck only goes to 8mm.

You could turn a shaft to a sliding fit in the 9mm shank bore of the dieholder, and turn a holding diameter of 8mm for the drill chuck, but the Ebay dies that screw straight onto the quill seem simpler.

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember32069]

[This posting has been removed]

[SteveWParticipant @stevew54046]

Is it necessary to get metric and imperial size dieholders? I seem to be able to use my holders interchangeably but that could be luck!

[clivelParticipant @clivel]

I don't recall seeing a commercial tailstock die holder for the Unimat, but they are not too difficult to make. I made mine from an article in the June 1979 issue of Model Mechanics magazine which I downloaded from this website.

To find the magazine, scroll up to the main menu bar – a black bar with white text: HOME FEATURES WORKSHOP .. etc.

If you hover your mouse over FEATURES, a little drop-down menu will open, choose "Magazine Reprints".
The Model Mechanics magazines are on the second page of the reprints, The issue you require can be found by clicking on "Model Mechanics Complete Issues for Download Parts 5 – 10" which will present you with a list of issues – The June 1979 issue is Vol 1 Issue 5.

The actual article is called "A tapping adaptor for the Unimat 3" by Peter Lumb
Clive

[Adam BishopParticipant @adambishop38724]

Posted by Mick B1 on 21/04/2020 13:34:57:

Well, you can use an ordinary hand die holder, and set it square to the bar stock in the chuck using the front face of the tailstock. That's what I used to do when I had a Unimat 3. But it was small quantities, never more than about 4 at a time.

The Bay has a few items that might be of interest if you're doing enough threads to justify the outlay. I ran a search on 'Unimat 3' and it turned up several instances of this:-

Unimat 3

This seems to be exactly what I need! Thanks. I'm not much good at making things and only use the lathe for straightening rods and (now) cutting threads. I'll be mounting everything on the lathe to get thewm straight but turning by hand.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by SteveW on 21/04/2020 17:19:33:

Is it necessary to get metric and imperial size dieholders? I seem to be able to use my holders interchangeably but that could be luck!

Depends on the diameter of the dies you have, imperial will tend to have an OD of 13/16 or 1" but metric can be had in those sizes as well as 20mm and 25mm OD. main problem with putting a metric OD into an imperial holder is it will be held eccentric to the lathe axis.

Gerald Wingrove's book "Unimat lathe projects" had a tailstock dieholder as one of the projects

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