i found a centec 2a milling machine

[jakec]

i went to pick my harley up from the shop and got to talking about wanting a milling machine. my buddy points in the far corner of his shop and says "like that one?". i couldnt believe i hadnt seen it before! he said i could HAVE it! im gonna have to keep him stocked up good with boolits. i dont know much about them except theyre old and were made in england in the 40s and 50s. supossed to be real well built and good machines. anybody know anything about them?

[jakec]

Forgot the pic106883

[HeavyMetal]

Nice find!
Not familiar with the brand but it looks like it will do both vertical and horizontal milling.

If it is, and you have all the pieces, then its a great find and should allow you to do some fine work.

Post picks when you get it cleaned up and in it's new home.

[CastingFool]

I know you can do a lot with a milling machine, but I have never enjoyed running one. A nice lathe, on the other hand, is pure joy watching the chips fly. Of course, I got spoiled when I ran a J&L Universal turret lathe at work.

[EMC45]

Nice milling machine! Looks like it would go nice in a corner of a shop.

[jakec]

thanks yall! the price was definately right. everything feels smooth and he said everything is there, some parts might be in a box, but its there. it was ran last 4 years ago then pushed in the corner. i hope to get it cleaned up and put in the corner of my shop. it wont go 4 days without being run then. i cant wait!

[cwheel]

It's more likely than not that this has a 3 phase motor on it. But the good news is phase converters have come a long way. You need to keep the 3 phase motor to keep the reversing part of the power switch. You can get a single phase to true 3 phase VFD converter in the $500 range now, and that should be much cheaper than a new main electric motor. How useable it ends up being might depend on what spindle taper it has for tool mounting. The #2 morse taper the earlier ones have will only take lite tools with lite cuts. Vert spindle taper should be the same as the horizontal. If it has a #30, you lucked out. Should restore nice, and best part is the price. Depending on what you get with it, could wrap lots of money up in the tooling.
Chris

[jakec]

i thought about the 3 phase but he had it going in his shop and he doesnt have 3 phase there. we had a lift we were going to put in that was 3 phase but he never could get it there for some reason. it came from ohio somewhere when his brother died. yea all the tooling ive found, which isnt much, is pretty pricey. ill just have to see what i get with it.

[stephenj]

even if it is three phase ... a person can build a rotory converter for next to nothing with a bit of scrounging .

i built one with a scrap yard salvaged 10 hp three phase motor for the generator and a 1/2 hp single phase for the pony along with the box and switches for a good bit less then $100

ive also used capaciters to start 1-1.5 hp three phase motors that dont have a big load on them at start up .

any number of our members who are bit better versed in electrical can do a better job of directing how to wire up a rotory converter better then i can

[bangerjim]

Just put a 1.5-2HP single phase 120 vac motor on it and be done with it. That is what I have on one of my bench mills and it has PLEANTY of power!

Hope it has R8 spindle........that is the standard for pretty much all milling machine tooling. There are others, but they are hard to find and usually cost more!

I have 3 mills and use them all the time. You cannot really do anything in a machine shop without one. Milling in a lathe is a joke....not rigid enough. Mabe for toy stuff but for REAL milling you need a milling machine.

Tear it all down, clean and grease all the ways and gibs and you will have a useful tool. ALWAYS wipe it down when you are done. That goes for ANY machine tool, wood or metal. You will want a set of bolting with appropriate size of Tnuts to fit the slots. Not everything is done in a vice. And what you show there is NOT a milling vice!!!!!! That looks like something cheeeeeep from Harbor Freight! It will not clamp square and will "rise up" when you clamp things in it. Check out a KURT brand of vice. Only way to go.

You will also need a set of parallels. And an indexing head. And boring head. And boring bars. And end mills. And..................well you get the picture! I probably have 2-3 times the cost of my 1st mill just in the tooling! But R8 fits them all.

Have fun fixing it up. If you need any advice, PM me.

bangerjim

[bangerjim]

Here is a start $$ to a decent milling machine vise:

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INSRAR2&PMAKA=510-2300&PMPXNO=8916845



banger

[jakec]

i just noticed the "vice" on there. it took me 30 min of cleaning up just to get close enough for a pic and serial number. once i get it in the light and see what hes got with it ill have a better idea whats gonna need to be done. he had it running somehow so i think i can get it going. my good buddy is an electrician and said he would help me with that. ill enjoy even just taking it apart and cleaning it up. my ol lady said ill never be in the house now!!

[Bent Ramrod]

It's getting harder and harder to find a machine tool that Tony doesn't have data on:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/centec/index.html

[MaryB]

I have some of those cheap harbor fright vices, they can be tightened up and then work okay. I used a cross slide from them to mill amplifier cavities with my drill press.

[jakec]

went and cleaned a little path to get to it yesterday. it has a single phase 2 hp motor on it already. its only missing one part of one handle. hes got a box full of tools and bits for it too just dont know exactly what yet. cleaned a spot in my shop for it and got some wire to hard wire it in. i cant tell you how excited i am to get this! my friend said he would rather see it being used instead of just rotting away. i told him not to worry.

[Echo]

Man - What Fun!