Where to start?

[xken]

I suggest you start by purchasing this book, while it is not the same equipment many of the principles are the same. Also goggle their site and they may have some support resources for you.

Tabletop Machining

Ken

[hot ford coupe]

Hey Steve. Welcome to the site. You're one of the luckiest guys I know to have inherited a Unimate lathe with the mill. It's supposed to be one of the best out there. Follow what Ken recommends. He's one of the guys in the know about machining. That's a great book.

[Lee in Texas]

Ask questions here, too. I also have small machines and very little experience. Your question could help another newbie...like me :)

I think it's great to see a forum for machining model parts.

[Mario Lucchini]

Hello, I'm blown away by the great work presented on this board. I could spend hours just looking at all the wonderful craftsmanship!

Last year, I inherited a Unimat set up, the lathe, as well as the vertical mill. It seems to have almost all of the accessories. It's been lanquishing in a box in the basement by my workbench since I brought it home. I don't really know where to start insofar as setting up the machine and learning how to use it to create miniature machines. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,
Steven

Lee, what kind of a Unimat have you?

Mario

[Andym]

Absolutely check out the book.

But also, just start trying things. As you look at various pieces, sub-assemblies and models in this forum, try and break it down into miniparts. For example, when you are looking at a scratch built generator, look at the round parts versus the square parts. Then think to yourself how each of those parts got made and then finally consider how each of those parts got attached to each other.

A lot of first-time machinests make the mistake of looking at a very complicated finished part and concluding that it's too complicated for them. That complicated finished part, more often than not, is nothing more than a number of simple parts glued and soldered together.

Bottom line - (1) Read the book, (2) PUT ON YOUR SAFETY GOGGLES and (3) start making chips. As you begin to understand what each cutting tool does to metal you'll begin to understand how those seemingly complicated scratch built pieces came together.

Andy.

[fuzzy]

If you can locate a copy of Gerald Wingrove's book "The Complete Car Modeler 1" it is a great help in showing how one of the best modelers around breaks down complex parts into simple pieces. The examples will give you some insite and visualization into seeing the basic form in a complex part. It still requires a lot of work and practice to get right but it is not impossible. Everybody starts from simple beginnings one step at a time. Great satisfaction in seeing a metal part you have made that look like you intended.

[ScaleMotorcars]

If you can locate a copy of Gerald Wingrove's book "The Complete Car Modeler 1".

You beat me to it.

Try this (Unimat Lathe Projects from Gerald Wingrove). Ive learned allot from these pages.

Amazon has if for about $30.00

[fuzzy]

I haven't read that one by Mr. Wingrove so I only wrote of what I know. I Do need to get that one for my library.

[slee]

...what kind of a Unimat have you?

Mario

Hi. It's a Unimat 3.

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I'm going to try and get some of those references. I've seen some aluminum and brass rod stock at the Pearl Arts and Craft store so I guess that might be a good place to start with materials. I found a couple of metal blocks, they look like small, heavy 90 degree angle blocks, a micrometer, and a metal rule in the box as well as a small wooden box of files but they all look rusted.