# Unimat-sl db 200 restoration



## Lex_Peacekeeper (Jan 29, 2022)

Ello Everyone I have just joined to hopefully pick some peoples brains for the info I cant find online in restoring a unimat-sl db 200 that fell into my lap 




right now my main projects are little things made from resin and wood so this will help alot the plan is to restore this as close to original as I can with what I have.
I am unlikely to hunt down OG parts for it unless I need to as they are costly for how tiny this little lathe is.

lets get to what I need help with so far.

1: does anyone know of a digi copy of the OG manual? the few links I have found via video and googling are all dead what I mainly want from it is how the spindle is put back together as I think mine is missing the preload washers some video have talked about not 100% sure on this as I am waiting to borrow a parts washer before I finish taking the spindle apart

2: what grease do I need to repack the spindle? the only info I have found that's not a product no longer sold is "never #2 grease" its to solid from what they have said

3: should the back gear plate (the darker part of the chuck) be able to come off? the chuck is a bit rusty so was going to soak it in Evapo-Rust to help clean it up as I do this.

4: one of the things that's missing of main parts are centers was wondering would it be reasonable for a brand new person to turn down the shaft of some cheap ones from amazon or the like? I missed my window for buying some off ebay and the ones on amazon are 1mm to big if their measurements can be believe

5: I know the OG motor is a 80% cycle one (8 minutes on 2 minutes off for cool down) are there full cycle motors out there that can be mounted on the old bracket and are still drive the unit proper? every thing I have seen been this big clunky thing with a control box mounted on like a steel plate and was hoping to keep this guy moveable and able to go back into the OG box I have

this is all I have for now I am sure more things will come up as this goes on, I plan on repainting it, saw a few video of the same paint type in a nice dark blue so will likely hunt that down once I am ready for painting (never liked machine green paint saw to much of it in the 89/90s)
if more pictures are needed/wanted I can take more forgot to grab one before I started taking it apart


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## Dhal22 (Jan 29, 2022)

The original green paint is unobtainable.


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## Dhal22 (Jan 29, 2022)

There's a yahoo group for unimats.


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Jan 29, 2022)

Dhal22 said:


> There's a yahoo group for unimats.


"Yahoo! Groups, once upon a time a hub to many online communities, *was shut down in 2020*. Yahoo! Groups used to host mailing lists going as far back as 1997, and perhaps you may have once been a part of it yourself."

saw it talked about many times but its gone no clue if they opened up somewhere else, trust me when I say I looked around the net before picking here to join and ask stuff


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## matthewsx (Jan 30, 2022)

Hello and welcome.

You are definitely in the right place to ask questions and learn. I don’t have a unimat but I’m sure one of out members will be able to answer questions.

There are three Unimat docs in our downloads section but you do have to be a supporting member ($10) to access that area. It’s well worth the price imho.









						Premium page
					

This space allows you to choose a Premium deal




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				




Yes, some Yahoo groups live on but this place is very active compared to most mailing lists I’ve been on. It looks like @Ulma Doctor may have your same machine so hopefully he’ll be able to answer some questions.

John


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## ub27Rocks (Jan 30, 2022)

The Unimat Yahoo group moved to Groups.io: https://groups.io/g/Unimat It is very active (156 messages in Jan this year) In their Files section is a drawing of how the spindle is put together, along with manuals, catalogs etc.


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## Richard King 2 (Jan 30, 2022)

It is mechanical and looks pretty simple to me.  I have never done one, but I am sure I can help you.  I recommend  30% fill https://www.exxonmobil.com/en/aviation/products-and-services/products/mobilgrease-28


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Jan 31, 2022)

Richard King 2 said:


> It is mechanical and looks pretty simple to me.  I have never done one, but I am sure I can help you.  I recommend  30% fill https://www.exxonmobil.com/en/aviation/products-and-services/products/mobilgrease-28


will be taking apart the spindle tomorrow, if no one else has a "this should be use" I'll go with that, not sure what a 30% fill is (guessing 30% of the housing filled of grease) so might need some more info there, ^^; this project is out of my wheel house, I mainly fix computers so everything is new to me


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Jan 31, 2022)

over all update, I dont get to borrow a parts cleaner turns out if you let them sit for a bit they rust out very easy knew three people that had them all three now just have rust piles. so will be cleaning the spindle by hand with a bucket and degeaser hopefully I dont lose anything I did however get use of a sand blaster chamber so I can remove the paint need to order the new paint before to long


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## Richard King 2 (Feb 1, 2022)

I took a SKF Bearing class several years ago where I learned that most bearing failures were from poor installation of new bearings and to much grease. Theytold me to never pack a bearing with more then 30% Volume.  I just spent a 1/2 hour looking on You Tube for a super way to pack bearings.  The tech counted the openings of the cages that separates the bearings and divided by 30%.  Using a syringe he bought a a farm store, he filled it with grease.  Then he filled the 30% of the gaps with grease. Stopped and installed the bearing.  I did find this SKF booklet and on Page 933 they discuss grease and how to much grease heats the bearing up and ruins it.  If the area around the bearing is open then if you fill say with 50% then as the bearing turns it flings the grease out.  http://bearing.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/SKF.Bearing.Installation.Guide_.pdf

I also use Kluber grease on the expensive bearings.  Kluber is probably the best grease made.    Look on page 13 where they show a photo of a bearing..  They suggest 25 to 35% pack  file:///C:/Users/richa/Downloads/B010000502_Rolling_Bearings_EN_1220.pdf


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## Richard King 2 (Feb 1, 2022)

Here a funny show on Bearings made by SKF.   These are huge bearings compare to yours, but it makes the point.


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## Richard King 2 (Feb 1, 2022)

Lex_Peacekeeper said:


> will be taking apart the spindle tomorrow, if no one else has a "this should be use" I'll go with that, not sure what a 30% fill is (guessing 30% of the housing filled of grease) so might need some more info there, ^^; this project is out of my wheel house, I mainly fix computers so everything is new to me


Be sure to take some photos of how it comes apart.  I would mark the end caps to the quill so you install it in the same locations.  Use some baggies or plastic tubs to put the parts in.  You can clean the bearings with brake cleaner, good grade of lacquer thinner.  Be careful and don't spin the bearings with blowing are.  Many times swish it in thinner and then empty the dirty stuff and pour in some new.  Before packing the bearings spray it with fast dry brake cleaner.  Now if it was a super precision spindle and class 7 or 9 bearings I would check the bearings before I took them of the shaft for a burnish mark *  <--- looks like that.  

On a precision bearing that's called the TIR mark or total Indicator run-out.  If thats on your bearings, be sure to mark where they are mounted.  and put them back on in the same place.  On new installs or you forget to mark the shaft, you check the shaft mounting surface for it's TIR and mount the bearing 180 degree's from the shaft TIR so they off set one another.  I doubt yours is that way, but check it out.  If you want to se the class bearing or class of precision, call a local industrial supply and give them the bearing number.  They should be able to look it up in a book.


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## matthewsx (Feb 1, 2022)

Whatever this guy says ^^^^


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## Richard King 2 (Feb 1, 2022)

Lex_Peacekeeper said:


> Ello Everyone I have just joined to hopefully pick some peoples brains for the info I cant find online in restoring a unimat-sl db 200 that fell into my lap
> 
> View attachment 394239
> 
> ...




Just looked at the picture with the motor.  I may have carbon brushes.  The round cap on bottom of the motor. If there is one on the opposite side, I would unscrew the cap and pull out the brushes or they may break if you leave them in when you pull it apart.  Be slow and careful when you pull it apart.


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 1, 2022)

not what I wanted to find when I did this likely both bearings need to be replaced, and maybe the shaft, the inner wall of the head side bearing seems to have fused with the shaft, I stopped here as I am not sure what to do at this point maybe just clean out out re grease it and put it back together but not sure, replacing the bearings would have been fine they are not costly unless you go after OG ones, but replacing the shaft and maybe the shell? that's going to be a pretty penny the grease is like mud so likely no clue there what type it was


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## tghsmith (Feb 1, 2022)

actually that doesn't look bad at all, I would clean it up and put it together with some light grease and see how it feels.. the center points could be turned but a "buddy bar" that matches the spindle and tailstock works much better to set the head alignment.. finding a live center for the tailstock is money well spent...


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## Richard King 2 (Feb 1, 2022)

On many spindles the builder drilled holes that line up with the front bearing  inside race.  Look the the chuck side and see if there are blind holes or tapped holes.  If they are tapped try screwing in a cap screw to push the race off.  Many times after you run out of bolt threads put in a short hardened dowel pin under the bolt. 

On a blind hole use a alignment punch and tap a little on each side to keep it coming off evenly. It is probably a press fit and looked fused.  There are other methods to remove the inner race and I would bet you can find how on You Tube.  What are you holding that is blue?   It's dirty with grease and I don't know what your showing us.  You should micrometer the haft and if it is round, you can squirt on some Loc-tite to compensate for looseness.  It looks like there are 2 seals on the ends?


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 1, 2022)

Richard King 2 said:


> On many spindles the builder drilled holes that line up with the front bearing  inside race.  Look the the chuck side and see if there are blind holes or tapped holes.  If they are tapped try screwing in a cap screw to push the race off.  Many times after you run out of bolt threads put in a short hardened dowel pin under the bolt.
> 
> On a blind hole use a alignment punch and tap a little on each side to keep it coming off evenly. It is probably a press fit and looked fused.  There are other methods to remove the inner race and I would bet you can find how on You Tube.  What are you holding that is blue?   It's dirty with grease and I don't know what your showing us.  You should micrometer the haft and if it is round, you can squirt on some Loc-tite to compensate for looseness.  It looks like there are 2 seals on the ends?


that "blue" thing is the shell of the spindle in the mounting for the main unit had to put in somewhat back in there just so I could grip the bloody thing  that photo was more just showing how mud like the grease was in there as that was the area with the most so it could be seen better in a photo, I just checked there are no holes other then the tummy bar hole and the main shaft hole added a drawing I found that shows more or less how it goes together, its not 100% there but with the photo of the parts the missing info is easy to guess


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 1, 2022)

tghsmith said:


> actually that doesn't look bad at all, I would clean it up and put it together with some light grease and see how it feels.. the center points could be turned but a "buddy bar" that matches the spindle and tailstock works much better to set the head alignment.. finding a live center for the tailstock is money well spent...


I am likely going to try to just put it back together and see, did a little digging and if the inner wall of the bearing is fused to the shaft most people say its junk at that point, there's no spacer at all from where that bearing sits to the front wall of the spindle so no way to get any sort of prying tool in there to pull it off, also need to figure out some sort of back plate, this one is missing its little sealing washer that keeps the grease inside it, still no luck on a center dead or live I can get some off amazon but would have to turn them down about 1mm to fit this little guy


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 1, 2022)

alright spindle is now clean, so many paper towels used, I have an extra washer that I am not sure what its doing there the bearings themself look fine its just they are free of their housing now looking at that drawing that washer was ment to be in front of the front most bearing, likely to make it easy to remove it not sure what that hole on the back end of the shaft is for, its not on anything I can find for the spindle and seems to be done by hand and is roughly threaded


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## Richard King 2 (Feb 1, 2022)

I have a split bearing spreader and a hydraulic press, so I would take it off and replace the bearing.  It sounds as if you know what you know what you want to do.  I see that here a lot.  Someone is afraid to do something and one of us gives you a little encouragement and you figure it out.  Seeing it is anon precision machine and parts are missing .  You maybe right and put ti back together and sell it.  I would bet the center taper can be bought.  I will bow out now.   Good Luck.


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 2, 2022)

Richard King 2 said:


> I have a split bearing spreader and a hydraulic press, so I would take it off and replace the bearing.  It sounds as if you know what you know what you want to do.  I see that here a lot.  Someone is afraid to do something and one of us gives you a little encouragement and you figure it out.  Seeing it is anon precision machine and parts are missing .  You maybe right and put ti back together and sell it.  I would bet the center taper can be bought.  I will bow out now.   Good Luck.


here is the thing, I dont fully know what I want, I do know that I dont have like 90% of the tools they would use, no bearing spreader, no hydraulic press hell I am pretty sure this lathe is the heaviest tool I own (by pounds) when its fully together I would replace the bearings if I could as they are not one unit anymore and this type of bearing from what I know likes to be one part and still usable split like this the inner part of the bearing is so close to the front wall that I could not even get a pry wedge in there so I am doing what I can I dont have alot to sink into this project


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## matthewsx (Feb 2, 2022)

Lex_Peacekeeper said:


> here is the thing, I dont fully know what I want, I do know that I dont have like 90% of the tools they would use, no bearing spreader, no hydraulic press hell I am pretty sure this lathe is the heaviest tool I own (by pounds) when its fully together I would replace the bearings if I could as they are not one unit anymore and this type of bearing from what I know likes to be one part and still usable split like this the inner part of the bearing is so close to the front wall that I could not even get a pry wedge in there so I am doing what I can I dont have alot to sink into this project


So, thing is this hobby is kinda about tools. I have tools to build tools to make tools with

Didn't buy them all at once, and lots of them I got used or from Harbor Freight. Here’s a bearing separator:









						Bearing Separator with 1/2 in. to 4-5/8 in. Jaw Capacity
					

Amazing deals on this 1/2 In. To 4-5/8 In. Bearing Separator at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.




					www.harborfreight.com
				




You can improvise the hydraulic press with clamps, a hammer, or plenty of other things. Some auto parts stores even lend tools, but then you don’t get to keep them.

Now that you have the Unimat apart you have three choices:

1. Complete the repairs and learn how to use it.

2. Part it out on eBay and pocket the money.

3. Put it away in pieces and forget about it.

Choice is yours, but you’ve had the good fortune to have a true master tool rebuilder chime in on this thread.
If you want to move forward you’re in the right place, but…. We will tell you to buy more tools, that’s what we do here

John


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 2, 2022)

I am going to try to repair it without replacing the bearings and if that does not work its not like it will be a ton of work to pull the spindle apart again and try once more, not going to sell it, and I dont tend to just shelf projects like this forever.
if it does not work will borrow/buy bearing separator or whats needed, but ya part of this is repairing this to make income have not had a stable job in years to the resin/wood stuff is to replace that so I could go out and buy a $100 tool to use once or twice


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 2, 2022)

so I just looked over my wording on the last few post  and see an area that was 100% misleading, when I said "put it back together and see" I was talking in the lines of cleaning it up, re-greasing it and seeing if it works, as there is no real damage to the bearings, the outer wall or the inner wall, all thats wrong with them is the shell plastic is missing and these guys might be so old they never had it had a hand drill like that ordering the grease now should be here in a few days


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## tghsmith (Feb 2, 2022)

the bearings were designed to taken apart and cleaned, will run a great long time if set-up correctly, lubed correctly and free from corrosion.. (new bearing in photo)


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 4, 2022)

tghsmith said:


> the bearings were designed to taken apart and cleaned, will run a great long time if set-up correctly, lubed correctly and free from corrosion.. (new bearing in photo)


most of the bearings I have seen being sold as replacements is this type with walls (pic taken from one store selling them at $40 a pop)


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## tghsmith (Feb 4, 2022)

try here,, lots o stuff,, including bearings...  http://unimat.homestead.com/


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## ub27Rocks (Feb 4, 2022)

Lex 
You are getting lots of good advice here, but you probably need to also ask on the Unimat groups.io site. It will save you time and agro. 
The spindle bearings are not your run-of-the-mill ones that you and many others here are used to. Some/most of what you are seeing is normal. The Deckel/Alexander d-bit grinders use similar bearings, where one of the races is part of the shaft, not separate.


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 5, 2022)

ub27Rocks said:


> Lex
> You are getting lots of good advice here, but you probably need to also ask on the Unimat groups.io site. It will save you time and agro.
> The spindle bearings are not your run-of-the-mill ones that you and many others here are used to. Some/most of what you are seeing is normal. The Deckel/Alexander d-bit grinders use similar bearings, where one of the races is part of the shaft, not separate.


I have applied to the group and got a message saying "waiting for admin to approve" so I guess its just a waiting game now


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Feb 5, 2022)

got approved to use a sandblasting station on sunday so thats a little bit closer to being done, still need to order the paint, but the grease should be here this weekend so will know if new bearings are needed or not


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Apr 9, 2022)

here is an update of this project, been getting pulled in many ways so had less time for reading/posting stuff in places




its now usable, but I dont think the paint will last its a harden metal paint but it seemed very off (like 4+ days cure time)
tailstock's paint got messed up as I touched it to soon

slowly making/buying things for it to get it for project use, right now the big one is figuring out if I can set it up for drilling things or if I need a drill press for that.

stupid lathe ? is there a easy way to mount things onto the lathe carriage to drill them? I know most things have you mount on the spindle side and the drill bit is held in the tail stock but my tailstock only has about 1/3 inch travel, and I'll need to drill stuff about 3 inchs deep

also if anyone knows of a 4 jaw chuck that is thin (about an inch from mount to face) thats 12X1mm threading and a good brand that would be very usefull mainly been finding zinc alloy stuff on my own


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## tghsmith (Apr 9, 2022)

the unimat tailstock should have much more travel!!


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Apr 9, 2022)

tghsmith said:


> the unimat tailstock should have much more travel!!


the tail stock pipes guide grove is less then an inch long, will be easier to do this is mm as thats what my calipers do
its 22.6mm long grove it starts getting chattery at about 7mm out so yes it could go the full 22.6mm out but it would be lose and jittery

(1 inch is 25.4mm just fyi)


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## hudstr (Apr 9, 2022)

Yeah the tailstock only has like 5/8" of travel. You could clamp, drill, then unclamp and slide closer and repeat. Or you could start it in lathe mode, then transform into drill press mode to finish the rest.


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Apr 9, 2022)

hudstr said:


> Yeah the tailstock only has like 5/8" of travel. You could clamp, drill, then unclamp and slide closer and repeat. Or you could start it in lathe mode, then transform into drill press mode to finish the rest.


drill press mode wont really help much more, its travel is 31.5mm (from the manual) even flipping the item over would not get me to 76.2mm needed for some of these projects, so I am either buying a drill press (there are some $100 ones that should work) or finding a none pain in the butt way to mount work material on the carriage in line with the middle of the lathe


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## gard (Apr 17, 2022)

Perhaps a small angle plate could be bolted to the cross slide using the same bolt that holds the tool holder on, this would then create a vertical  drill press "table", mount your drill bit in the lathe chuck. Some lathes have milling attachments with a vise and vertical adjustment that mount to the cross slide. That said, a drill press will be a lot more handy for most stuff

I recently had a correspondence with rustoleum and they said parts can be used after about a week but the paint attains maximum hardness after about a month. This was brush on paint and the can suggests much quicker times.


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## Lex_Peacekeeper (Apr 17, 2022)

i got input from a few places after looking at the numbers and things decided to just pick up a small drill press that can at least do a 3in travel

but i got this here 



 video of the lathe running with a tiny load on it the clicking sound is the tools in the background


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