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View Full Version : NEW MEMBER: Blacksmith going all 21st Century!


Fireweaver
28-12-2013, 07:33 PM
Hiya, thought I'd better say hello! I run a small workshop where I bash lumps of hot metal, though I mostly make woodburning stoves, which means lots of mig welding too. I also have a very sweet capstan lathe and have recently acquired a centec 2a mill with a vertical head, which I would rather like to convert to cnc! The machine is a bit unusual as the head has a fine downfeed but does not look like the centec one, which is a bit strange. I hope to use it for milling aluminium blocks up to 25mm thick. I keep seeing kits all over ebay but have absolutely no idea where to begin, so please be patient and expect lots of thick blacksmith type questions...
Cheers,
Julian
Web Goblin
28-12-2013, 08:48 PM
Post a pic of the centec. Ive got one with a fine feed vertical head as well. I believe that three different types of head were made but I cant be sure about that.
EddyCurrent
28-12-2013, 09:14 PM
. . . thick blacksmith type questions...
Cheers,
Julian

Don't you go upsetting your fellow Blacksmiths now :whistle:
Fireweaver
28-12-2013, 09:56 PM
Do you go upsetting your fellow Blacksmiths now :whistle:

Ah, that should be read as "thick blacksmith" rather than "thick, blacksmith type":welcoming:
I'll try to figure out how to upload a picture of the head, but I'm sure it's not a centec, it's too square and the feed is different. It has a lever for rapid feed, but the worm mechanism must be oivoted out of the way in order to use it.
mekanik
29-12-2013, 02:59 PM
Fireweaver
Welcome to the Forum M8
Have sent you an PM
Fireweaver
01-01-2014, 01:04 AM
Post a pic of the centec. Ive got one with a fine feed vertical head as well. I believe that three different types of head were made but I cant be sure about that.

I hope this works!
11145
You can see the fine feed and the two bolts on sliders so the worm pivots away allowing use of the rapid feed lever. You can also see the bent knob on the gear range selector and the small chunk out of the bed.
The quill is MT2 and is threaded, the collets go straight into the taper and don't need a drawbar as the nut holds them up into the taper. I only figured that out today haha.
magicniner
01-01-2014, 12:50 PM
upsetting

Hmmm, Very Good! ;-)
Web Goblin
01-01-2014, 01:22 PM
That's not a centec head. I think that both the MKI and MKII heads did not have a fine down feed at all and its definitely not the MKIII head, pictured below. Don't know what machine its from though.


11146
Fireweaver
01-01-2014, 04:50 PM
Hmmm, Very Good! ;-)

And I try and avoid upsetting, it takes ages, I prefer to start thick and reduce! :-)
Fireweaver
01-01-2014, 04:51 PM
That's not a centec head. I think that both the MKI and MKII heads did not have a fine down feed at all and its definitely not the MKIII head, pictured below. Don't know what machine its from though.


11146
As I thought. It's quite a decent head but I can't identify it!