Centec 2A Milling Machine £1100 (Kent)

[Beauvais]

I am selling this Centec 2A with various tooling due to an upgrade to a larger milling machine. I have taken the table, knee and head apart for cleaning and inspection. The video attached shows very little runout (approximately 5-6 micron) using a Cutwel ER20 MT2 Collet chuck with 10µm accuracy collet. The spindle is in very good condition. I have also made a new m10 to m8 draw bar. With the addition of a DRO, it would make an excellent hobby mill, far more rigid than modern mills.

There is some slight backlash but good for its age, the ways are also in good condition.

It comes with ER16 and ER20 Cutwel collet chucks and a few 10µm accuracy Cutwel collets, along with an unbranded ER25 collet chuck with a couple more collets. A facemill with arbor, spare new 22mm arbor and a small vertex vice, along with suitable t nuts.

A dro, 5µm collets and head raiser block would make this a very capable machine..

It is located in Tenterden, Kent and can be tested for viewing.

£1100

I have an engine crane so can be lifted my end, there's plenty of space for loading at my workshop. Any other questions feel free to ask.

 

[neanderthal mach]

I'd suggest your asking price is much too low for a machine of that quality.

 

[trevj]

I'd suggest your asking price is much too low for a machine of that quality.

Depends on what the local market will bear. It's not 'impossible', that someone from the far reaches, want's to pay the postage on it, but improbable, unlike, say,a nice Deckel or the like, which would have a higher likelihood of a 'world' market. Worth a pass through the listings at www.lathes.co.uk, in the classifieds though!

Don, the owner of this website, has opined that the Brits are pretty much the champions of being tight with a coin. Based upon following the UK markets over the years, that's a pretty accurate assessment, esp with the high price of house space.
Another factor I have really noticed at play is that the very ready availability of cheap Import Machine Tools, catches the eyes of a greater number of the 'newb' users, as they seem to want stuff like, say, Warranties, and Parts Availability. For all the good it will actually do them... Good for us that want something better, as it does drag the prices of good quality tools down, not so good, from the perspective of having bought at higher prices and trying to sell to even fewer folks that appreciate the difference!

At one point i described my new-to-me mill to some friends by telling them to picture the work envelope of a Sherline mill, except made with 600 pounds of cast iron!

Nice looking rig. Mine does not have the universal table swivel, but is pretty similarly equipped. Mine also had the table feed motor replaced, at some point.

 

[neanderthal mach]

All of course true trevj, but I think there's still enough at least semi knowledgeable people around who would or might mostly understand just what that Centec is and can do compared to the utter pos and rigidity of Chinese mills costing over double what his asking price is. I bought a 3/4 sized Taiwan BP clone when what I really wanted was a Deckel. Unfortunately around my area there just about non existent.

 

[trevj]

All of course true trevj, but I think there's still enough at least semi knowledgeable people around who would or might mostly understand just what that Centec is and can do compared to the utter pos and rigidity of Chinese mills costing over double what his asking price is. I bought a 3/4 sized Taiwan BP clone when what I really wanted was a Deckel. Unfortunately around my area there just about non existent.

I grew up in, and returned to Lillooet, when I was done with the Forces. I know exactly what the machine tool supply is like around here. And I have dealt with trying to find decent quality (not even Top Quality) machinery, living in Quebec and all the Provinces west of there, except Manitoba, over the course of almost 30 years.

I have bought decent lathes and mills, at auctions, just so I could pass them on to friends that were looking, or just, because they were too cheap to pass up on, but the number of times I have pointed someone at a decent deal only to have them get all hand-wringy over the availability of parts etc., I have lost count of. I dunno. Some folks are just ignorant of what the difference is between a decent buy on a used Lathe that originally cost more than a guy made in a year (or years!), and the shiny, new, POS Import that they can get for less than a months wages! Same money, just not the same quality!

I got pointed at the Centec I have, by a friend, and I had a pretty decent idea what I was going to look at, via the info on lathes.co.uk. It fit in well with my Myford Super 7, and fits in the basement 'shop' pretty well too. I honestly do not foresee getting the cash I laid out for it ( a bit more than the list price above, once converted to CAD), out of it, when I decide it has to go, as there seems to ever be fewer and fewer folks interested in doing this as a hobby, as well as fewer that have the ways and means to move stuff like this (even as small as it is) around easily.

 

[bob]

The newbie buyers of machine tools always amaze me. They will pass up a reasonably priced plug and play machine and then buy something not complete and not running at auction for a "good" price. Then spend countless hours looking for parts or trying to fix what they have only to give up and wind up with scrap. Recently two Boxford lathes really beat up and incomplete sold to the same guy at auction in MJ for $200 each i guarantee that they will never make a chip.
Bob

 

[trevj]

The newbie buyers of machine tools always amaze me. They will pass up a reasonably priced plug and play machine and then buy something not complete and not running at auction for a "good" price. Then spend countless hours looking for parts or trying to fix what they have only to give up and wind up with scrap. Recently two Boxford lathes really beat up and incomplete sold to the same guy at auction in MJ for $200 each i guarantee that they will never make a chip.
Bob

Well, they went a lot cheaper than the landfill grade machines that I can recall going to Auctions specifically for, at least, when I lived there. I was in shocked awe, when a bunch of guys ran the price up well into $2K+, at the first auction I went to North of the Jaw! Foolishness!

I think I only ever dragged one 'orphan' home, and that was a South Bend 9 that was only about half there, but it only cost me $25 and my time. Someone offered me $400 for it, and it became theirs, really quickly!

 

[lucky7]

Fwiw, a good condition Centec, very similar to OP’s was sold for $2500 about fifteen years ago in the Peg. One hobbiest to another. Having seen in use, seems to be a good small mill for those with no garage and only a small basement. I didn’t buy it, but did help move it. Can confirm it’s a solid little bugger.

 

[Beauvais]

Appreciate the comments guys. The market seems a fair bit different between countries..

 

[neanderthal mach]

Fwiw and if you don't already know about it plus your location I think I'd try listing it here. https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/classifieds/ Anyone mentioning buying a Centec or similar on those forums usually gets quite a few envious comments so there's enough there who do understand and appreciate what they are. But you might have to join if your not already a member to list it though.

 

[Beauvais]

I listed the machine on ebay today as they had 80% off final selling fees, I was avoiding them because I dont want to give them almost 13% once sold. Someone has arranged to see it Sunday, Id say its sold.. Hopefully..

With the additional tooling included and care I have taken of the machine, It is worth more to me than listed yes. But after buying some other machines (Colchester Master 2500 and a Bridgeport) and a car in the last year or so, where I feel I paid more than they were worth after stripping them down and finding some surprises. I just want to make sure that the new seller gets a good a deal and is happy using the machine without any adjustment or amends needed.

I just made this thread about the bridgeport if you want to know what the problems were.

Cleaning up a Bridgeport and upgrades

Oiling system didnt work, saddle ways possibly damaged beyond being scraped, wont go into low gear as someone had been into the head and damaged the 3 springs so the gear couldnt go down far enough, the powerfeed starts to move towards the end of its dial range among some other smaller things...

www.practicalmachinist.com

 

[trevj]

I listed the machine on ebay today as they had 80% off final selling fees, I was avoiding them because I dont want to give them almost 13% once sold. Someone has arranged to see it Sunday, Id say its sold.. Hopefully..

With the additional tooling included and care I have taken of the machine, It is worth more to me than listed yes. But after buying some other machines (Colchester Master 2500 and a Bridgeport) and a car in the last year or so, where I feel I paid more than they were worth after stripping them down and finding some surprises. I just want to make sure that the new seller gets a good a deal and is happy using the machine without any adjustment or amends needed.

I just made this thread about the bridgeport if you want to know what the problems were.

Cleaning up a Bridgeport and upgrades

Oiling system didnt work, saddle ways possibly damaged beyond being scraped, wont go into low gear as someone had been into the head and damaged the 3 springs so the gear couldnt go down far enough, the powerfeed starts to move towards the end of its dial range among some other smaller things...

www.practicalmachinist.com

Well, here's wishing you luck on the sale!

I've met a fair few long term friends via such dealings. It starts when they show up, and you find you have enough other interests in common... LOL!

 

[Beauvais]

Sold! The person that came to view the machine the other day made a mess testing it, was adamant to test the facemill with unknown inserts on some alloy of his and made chips everywhere. As I was expecting them to buy it I wasn't going to say no. Said hell think about about and left. Had to clean it all up again, I took the vice off for any future viewers that want to do the same. Bit annoying but doesn't matter as someone just clicked buy it now on ebay, phoned me up to ask for an address, minimal questions just small talk, the sort of buyer you want, no fuss.