Can you indentify this model and is it any good?

[Balood31]

31586

This is for sale at a local auctions. I want to look it up online but cannot find the model online. Can someone identify it? Is it any good? Where can I read up on it and get the manual?

[m_c]

It's an old Conect machine.

Company is long extinct, but the machines were fairly reasonable. I used to have one of their lathes (were based on an ML10, I'm not sure what the source was for their mills).
Conqueror used to do upgrades for them ( http://www.eaziform.co.uk/backup/index.php?products,cncupconect ), but I'm not sure on their current trading status.

Provided you can get the machine for a reasonable price, I'd personally advise doing a complete retrofit with modern drives and controller.

[Balood31]

It's an old Conect machine.

Company is long extinct, but the machines were fairly reasonable. I used to have one of their lathes (were based on an ML10, I'm not sure what the source was for their mills).
Conqueror used to do upgrades for them ( http://www.eaziform.co.uk/backup/index.php?products,cncupconect ), but I'm not sure on their current trading status.

Provided you can get the machine for a reasonable price, I'd personally advise doing a complete retrofit with modern drives and controller.

Thanks for your advice...What us a reasonable price? I wonder how much it would be to upgrade as suggested, as I can take this into consideration

[m_c]

I think value is probably going to be more a case of what it's worth to your self.

To build a similar spec machine, it'll probably cost you over 1k. I'd probably say the base machine isn't too far away from something like a X1, which would cost you £5-600. It'll only likely have some pretty basic rolled (C7/9) ball screws, which would probably cost you another couple hundred pounds, plus motors, wiring, and enclosure.
I wouldn't include the controls, as most of that is obsolete so it's not really worth much.

Personally, if it was under £400, I'd probably buy it regardless of condition.
£4-600, if I knew it was mechanically good.
If I needed it and the location was convenient, I might pay more, as moving even small machines can cost quite a bit of money.
It might even be worth paying more as it's got an enclosure, which for some people will be quite useful, and would be fairly expensive to build.

Certainly over £1k, I'd be looking for something from Denford, as they are better machines.

[JohnHaine]

From the table and what can be seen of the column it might be based on the Peatol / Taig machine?

[m_c]

I just done a bit searching, and apparently the mills were bought from Rishton.

I'm fairly sure the Conects are bigger than Peatol/Taigs.

[JohnHaine]

Rishton's were highly prized when they were available.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/rishton/

The base and table look similar but the Rishton column was circular with a key I think? The one in that photo looks a bit like it's a dovetail type.

[m_c]

In my searching earlier, the only photos I found did have round columns, but I think they were all the Contour Minor. The mill in the photo above isn't a Minor as the enclosure is too big.

There was also a Major, but I couldn't find any photos of what kind of column they used.