The machine to which I will be refering to appeared on here as a Senior Mill but was in fact a Centec 2B. It was on Easylife Auctions. Well, I landed up with it – now I've got to get up and running ! It has an underdrive cabinet that has sadly been narrowed, taking off the lip and I will use it with coolant, so thats one job ! It has the orginal switch along with a dewhurst reverser that is needed (see later ) , a new 1Hp 4pole 1Ph motor that is currently mounted on the side, this will be rubber mounted in the cabinet. The bolts for the knee mount were missing, no problem ! The table looks new but is 17.75" X 5" not 25" as should be. The Y axis gib is missing but all ways look very good. It has very well made 3" swivelling machine vice, but the handle is missing. The arbor and it's support are missing, though the over arm I have. The pedestal, gear box etc all seem ok and in good condition. It's crowning glory is the Mk3 verticle quill feed head, with an autoloc type imperial collet holder Without a reverser the VH runs the wrong way !.

Now the questions ! what will make a good gib strip ? 3/16 or 1/4 silver steel strip suitably fashioned to fit ? Did the 2B have a bearing or bush in the arbor support ? Are the supports available ? Can a 2MT arbour suitable for this machine be bought ? I see that ARC do a stub arbor that would work near the gearbox. The motor has a 2.25" dia double pulley – the gearbox has a 5.125" double pulley this seems wrong, i would think they should be the same , or close ie 5"ish. Gear speed 6 seems to be 1:1 = 1400rpm, The current belt ratio is 1:0.45 = would only give 650rpm.

I have an INT30 arbour that could be shortened, and married to a 2MT soft arbor, I also have the matching support that could be altered to fit I think ! Is there anything special about the drawbars, or will 3/8" BSW or UNC threaded rod do ? Needless to say guards will have to be made.

I have Tony Griffiths manual with a good exploded diagram but sadly no key to parts. This shows an INT 30 arbour and gearbox shaft !

Answers,advice or comment on the above will be greatly appreciated, I'm new to milling ! Noel.

Hi Nigel, thanks, I have plenty of mild steel so that's that sorted. Since the machine is not wired and has no arbor or support bracket, horizontal milling was not an option and the small motor pulley seems odd for vertical giving a low speed. The speed range is 85, 195, 395, 595, 890, 1400, these speeds seem based on a 1 to 1 ratio from the motor not o.45 as is. I have 1" plate and oxy cutting gear and lots of 25mm self aligning bearings so I can feel a plan coming on ! Once the vertical head works a dovetale cutter will see to one end + a bearing and putting a cutter on the table an arbour can be made and trued, is a keyway needed, or is that luxury ? If I really got carried away I could cast one in Bronze and forget the bush , or speak to friends and get it done in SG iron. I have seen an original support and it looks too thin at the bottom to take a bearing.

Hi Duncan, According to the pulleys on the machine there would seem to be a 1: 1.1 step up onto the VH from the gear box. With the motor where it is both swarf and coolant will go straight into the motor, the mounting of which is easy to adjust. Thanks, Noel.

Edited By noel shelley on 26/05/2022 18:26:00

Edited By noel shelley on 26/05/2022 18:29:25

I have found the letters CTE B GM stamped in the dove tail on top and B32 20 on the front. I'm told that it's serial number is 5398 but I can't find that on the machine – where might it be ? The lates .co manual the drawing may well be an autimil as it shows a INT 30arbour. Noel