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Trevor Jones
 
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Default Centec Milling machines

I have a Centec 2A. I'm pretty happy with it considering that I have
barely used it in the couple years that I have had it. I have just
rewired it from 220V single phase to 110V to allow me to run it in the
house without haveing to pull new wire. Even worked out how the reverse
switch was to be wired in, about which I admit to feeling a bit smug
(and a bit releived).

I know that there are a couple other Centec owners out there.

What have you got on yours for a motor (HP?) I have 3/4 HP on mine and
am thinking it's possibly overkill on this machine. Any comments?

I would like to find a decent very low profile vise to put on it.
Whatcha using?

I am actually contemplating making a set along the lines of
Mitee-Bite's clampling kits for it, referring to it as a Babee-Bite for
want of a better term, as I have not seen anyone dealing in really small
tooling outside of the sherline/taig stuff that seems, well, awkward to
me.

Anyone built a riser for their vertical head?

Cheers
Trevor Jones
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Gary Wooding
 
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Default Centec Milling machines

Trevor Jones wrote:
I have a Centec 2A. I'm pretty happy with it considering that I have
barely used it in the couple years that I have had it. I have just
rewired it from 220V single phase to 110V to allow me to run it in the
house without haveing to pull new wire. Even worked out how the reverse
switch was to be wired in, about which I admit to feeling a bit smug
(and a bit releived).

I know that there are a couple other Centec owners out there.

What have you got on yours for a motor (HP?) I have 3/4 HP on mine and
am thinking it's possibly overkill on this machine. Any comments?

I would like to find a decent very low profile vise to put on it.
Whatcha using?

I am actually contemplating making a set along the lines of
Mitee-Bite's clampling kits for it, referring to it as a Babee-Bite for
want of a better term, as I have not seen anyone dealing in really small
tooling outside of the sherline/taig stuff that seems, well, awkward to
me.

Anyone built a riser for their vertical head?

Cheers
Trevor Jones

I and a friend have 2Bs, and another friend has a 2A. They all have 1hp
main motors, and the 2Bs have 0.5hp table feed motors. The 2A has a home
made cast iron raising block for the vertical head, which adds about 3
inches to the headroom. Since the 2Bs are also hight challenged I'm
considering making one myself. All of us are successfully using standard
4" swivel vices, around 3" high.
I've fitted VFDs to both motors of my 2B; it was a big job because I had
to convert them from star to delta and this involved removing them to
split the star points. Well worth doing though, finger tip control has
to be tried to be appreciated. I'm in UK, so our 240v supply is OK for
the delta wound 415v motors - no good for 110v though.

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)
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Boris Beizer
 
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Default Centec Milling machines


"Trevor Jones" wrote in message
...

What have you got on yours for a motor (HP?) I have 3/4 HP on mine and
am thinking it's possibly overkill on this machine. Any comments?


I've got a 3/4 horse on my 2a, but that was only because I had to get a new
motor and this cost only a few dollars more than a 1/2 horse. My biggest
objection to a bigger motor (e.g., 1HP0 is that it is a devil of a job
putting the motor in and the extra weight would be a bear.

I would like to find a decent very low profile vise to put on it.
Whatcha using?


I use a very nice, low profile vice. 4" jaw, 3." opening, 2.5" high
including the swivel base. I have this vice on both my mills (the other is
a #4 Burke, Horizontal). It is not sold as a milling machine vice. It is
from a small, precision, grinder. Just about perfect for both of these
mills. I looked a long time, always hunting for "milling machine" vice in
used machinery shops until I saw this on a grinder. Neither the vice nor
the mills seems to mind my abusive machinery miscegenation.

I am actually contemplating making a set along the lines of
Mitee-Bite's clampling kits for it,


Several vendors sell small clamp sets with 5/16x18 studs and t-nuts
as well as an assortment of step blocks and clamps. The cheapest are those
used on bigger mills at about $55 for the set. The smaller gauge sets are
typically more expensive, but I have seen them on sale for as little as $65.

Anyone built a riser for their vertical head?

That's another "one of these days projects." Problem is that whenever I
thought I needed that, I found a way around the problem. I guess I'm
basically lazy. If someone came out with a casting set (hint, hint) I'd buy
it in a shot.

Boris

BTW --anybody have a power feed for the 2A they want to get rid of?


--

-------------------------------------
Boris Beizer Ph.D.
1232 Glenbrook Road
Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006

TEL: 215-572-5580
FAX: 215-886-0144
Email bsquare "at" earthlink.net

------------------------------------------
Trevor Jones



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DoN. Nichols
 
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Default Centec Milling machines

According to Gary Wooding :

[ ... ]

I and a friend have 2Bs, and another friend has a 2A. They all have 1hp
main motors, and the 2Bs have 0.5hp table feed motors. The 2A has a home
made cast iron raising block for the vertical head, which adds about 3
inches to the headroom. Since the 2Bs are also hieght challenged I'm
considering making one myself. All of us are successfully using standard
4" swivel vices, around 3" high.


They sound like nice machines. Perhaps similar in capability to
my Nichols horizontal mill with the optional right-angle head to make it
also a vertical machine.

I've fitted VFDs to both motors of my 2B; it was a big job because I had
to convert them from star to delta and this involved removing them to
split the star points. Well worth doing though, finger tip control has
to be tried to be appreciated. I'm in UK, so our 240v supply is OK for
the delta wound 415v motors - no good for 110v though.


Hmm ... not a real problem, as almost any house in the US which
has 120V also has 240V, because it is commonly delivered with two 120V
lines either side of a center tapped ground, so the 240V is available
between the two sides of the line. (This is normally used for the higher
powered things such as water heaters, electric stoves, electric clothes
dryers, and central air conditioning -- but this means that it is also
available for machine tools.) (With the additional benefit that no
single point of the normal power is any higher above ground than
120VAC.)

Of course -- industrial motors here are typically dual voltage,
but not accomplished by the Delta-Wye changeover but rather by having
two of each winding. For lower voltage operation, the second set are
connected to a common center point, and paralleled with the primary
windings. For higher voltage operation, the second set is split into
individual windings, and connected in series with the primary set, which
has its own common center point buried deep inside the motor -- not even
accessible through the termination box. This results in one voltage
being double the other -- e.g. 240V / 480V, rather than the somewhat
different ratio which you get from A Wye/Delta switchover -- which I
don't remember, because I never have to work with it.

Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
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Gary Wooding
 
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Default Centec Milling machines

DoN. Nichols wrote:


They sound like nice machines. Perhaps similar in capability to
my Nichols horizontal mill with the optional right-angle head to make it
also a vertical machine.

I tried Googling the Nichols but couldn't determine which one you have;
is there a model number or some other form of identification?
The table sizes of the Centec are 16"x4.25" for the 2A and 25"x5" for
the 2B, so although very sturdy machines they are not massive like
Bridgeports, and can be fitted into small workshops like the sheds that
are traditionally used by UK model engineers.


Of course -- industrial motors here are typically dual voltage,
but not accomplished by the Delta-Wye changeover but rather by having
two of each winding. For lower voltage operation, the second set are
connected to a common center point, and paralleled with the primary
windings. For higher voltage operation, the second set is split into
individual windings, and connected in series with the primary set, which
has its own common center point buried deep inside the motor -- not even
accessible through the termination box. This results in one voltage
being double the other -- e.g. 240V / 480V, rather than the somewhat
different ratio which you get from A Wye/Delta switchover -- which I
don't remember, because I never have to work with it.

Don't the dual windings increase the bulk of the motors? Another friend
has an old Holbrook lathe with a 3ph 2HP motor. It has 3 sets of
windings to give it 3 different speeds. Its massive: at least twice the
size of normal single speed motors - that's twice the linear size: eight
times the volume! He wants to convert it to run on 240v (via a VFD) but
the terminal block shows that its only wound in star format (9
terminals, 3 for each winding), so he needs to remove it from the lathe
and dismantle it to expose the star points. Trouble is, its built into
the cast iron base and appears to involve lifting the 2 ton lathe and
removing the motor from underneath - the motor must weigh around 200 Lbs.

Most modern 3ph motors over here have both ends of each winding exposed
in the terminal block, thus making it easy to configure into star or
delta format. Old motors like those in my Centec have the star point
buried inside the windings themselves, that's why I had to remove and
dismantle them in order to make the conversion.

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)


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Trevor Jones
 
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Default Centec Milling machines

Boris Beizer wrote:

I use a very nice, low profile vice. 4" jaw, 3." opening, 2.5" high
including the swivel base. I have this vice on both my mills (the other is
a #4 Burke, Horizontal). It is not sold as a milling machine vice. It is
from a small, precision, grinder. Just about perfect for both of these
mills. I looked a long time, always hunting for "milling machine" vice in
used machinery shops until I saw this on a grinder. Neither the vice nor
the mills seems to mind my abusive machinery miscegenation.


Got any idea who the vice is made by?

I am actually contemplating making a set along the lines of
Mitee-Bite's clampling kits for it,


Several vendors sell small clamp sets with 5/16x18 studs and t-nuts
as well as an assortment of step blocks and clamps. The cheapest are those
used on bigger mills at about $55 for the set. The smaller gauge sets are
typically more expensive, but I have seen them on sale for as little as $65.


I would guess by your comments that you are not familiar with the
Mitee-Bite clamps. They are a side clamping unit that locks into the tee
slot, and grips the side of the material. They don't eat up any
headspace, and allow maximum utilisation of table space. The standard
hold down clamp sets are available in sizes small enough to use on the
Centec, but you pretty much have to resort to good name brand tooling
(and pay accordingly) as they are sold to be used on jig borers and that
ilk.

Mitte-Bite clamps http://www.miteebite.com/

The Tee Slot kit that is shown in 10mm might work, but I have other
cash priorities, so will likely make something simmilar for use when I
need.

Anyone built a riser for their vertical head?

That's another "one of these days projects." Problem is that whenever I
thought I needed that, I found a way around the problem. I guess I'm
basically lazy. If someone came out with a casting set (hint, hint) I'd buy
it in a shot.


I figured to just plough one out of barstock off the stack at work. We
have a fair pile of larger size steels that are unidentified for one
reason or another, and could likely be spared for something like this.
Not really useful to us otherwise, but too good to throw away.
As castings go, it would be a pretty straightforward casting with a
core. Not real tough other than finding someone reasonable to pour it.

Cheers
Trevor Jones
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DoN. Nichols
 
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Default Centec Milling machines

According to Gary Wooding :
DoN. Nichols wrote:


They sound like nice machines. Perhaps similar in capability to
my Nichols horizontal mill with the optional right-angle head to make it
also a vertical machine.

I tried Googling the Nichols but couldn't determine which one you have;
is there a model number or some other form of identification?


You'll more readily find them on eBay, as the company is long
gone.

Well ... mine is a very old example of the toolroom version. A
choice of leadscrew and handwheel or lever for X-axis feed, while
leadscrew and handwheel only for Y-axis.

You might take a look at:

http://www.d-and-d.com/NICHOLS-mill/index.html

which will show you some of what I have done to and with it.

The weight is about 1100 pounds.

[ ... ]

Of course -- industrial motors here are typically dual voltage,
but not accomplished by the Delta-Wye changeover but rather by having
two of each winding. For lower voltage operation, the second set are
connected to a common center point, and paralleled with the primary
windings. For higher voltage operation, the second set is split into
individual windings, and connected in series with the primary set, which
has its own common center point buried deep inside the motor -- not even
accessible through the termination box. This results in one voltage
being double the other -- e.g. 240V / 480V, rather than the somewhat
different ratio which you get from A Wye/Delta switchover -- which I
don't remember, because I never have to work with it.

Don't the dual windings increase the bulk of the motors?


Not much -- compared to a single winding of the proper wire
gauge for the lower of the two voltages. You simply have two identical
windings of a smaller gauge, which take up a bit more room than a single
winding of the proper gauge, but when paralleled add up to the proper
gauge. And when connected in series (for higher voltage and lower
current), they don't need the additional current capacity, so they work
out correctly again. All of the wires are used all of the time -- just
in different configurations.

Another friend
has an old Holbrook lathe with a 3ph 2HP motor. It has 3 sets of
windings to give it 3 different speeds. Its massive: at least twice the
size of normal single speed motors - that's twice the linear size: eight
times the volume! He wants to convert it to run on 240v (via a VFD) but
the terminal block shows that its only wound in star format (9
terminals, 3 for each winding), so he needs to remove it from the lathe
and dismantle it to expose the star points. Trouble is, its built into
the cast iron base and appears to involve lifting the 2 ton lathe and
removing the motor from underneath - the motor must weigh around 200 Lbs.


Hmm ... nine terminals is standard for a two-voltage (but single
speed) US-made motor. But there is only one center point for the Wye
(star) connection. It looks something like this:

Primary Secondary
(1) (4) (7)
+---wwwwwwww---+ +---wwwwwwww---+ Phase A
|
| (2) (5) (8)
+---wwwwwwww---+ +---wwwwwwww---+ Phase B
|
| (3) (6) (9)
+---wwwwwwww---+ +---wwwwwwww---+ Phase C
^
|
+-- Wye center point
(not brought out)

Note that I may be mis-remembering the actual numbering of the
winding terminals, but the principle remains.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway -- (assuming a 240/480V version) for 240V operation, you
would connect terminals (4), (5), and (6) together, and insulate them.
Nothing brought out.

You would connect terminal (1) to terminal (7) and bring them
out to connect to the first phase.

You would connect terminal (2) to terminal (8) and bring them
out to connect to the second phase.

You would connect terminal (3) to terminal (9) and bring them
out to connect to the third phase.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
For 480V operation, you connect:

Terminal (1) to terminal (4) and insulate

Terminal (2) to terminal (5) and insulate

Terminal (3) to terminal (6) and insulate.

You connect terminal (7) to the first phase.

You connect terminal (8) to the second phase

You connect terminal (9) to the third phase.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

So -- you get operation at two voltages different by a factor of
two and use all of the windings in either configuration.

Delta connections are quite uncommon in machines of the size w
which I use in my home shop. I've never had to deal with the big
machines which were in the shop at work, including a planer which could
happily hold and plane down a 1-ton pickup truck, and have room left
over to work on a couple of Volkswagen beetles at the same time. :-)

Most modern 3ph motors over here have both ends of each winding exposed
in the terminal block, thus making it easy to configure into star or
delta format. Old motors like those in my Centec have the star point
buried inside the windings themselves, that's why I had to remove and
dismantle them in order to make the conversion.


Because it was made for a single voltage only, while all that I
have seen have been designed for dual voltage at the least.

What is the ratio of voltages for a Wye-Delta conversion? I
should know that but I haven't had to use it, so I forget.

Granted -- three-speed motors are a totally different ballgame. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
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Gary Wooding
 
Posts: n/a
Default Centec Milling machines

DoN. Nichols wrote:


You might take a look at:

http://www.d-and-d.com/NICHOLS-mill/index.html

which will show you some of what I have done to and with it.

The weight is about 1100 pounds.

That's a nice machine too; I particularly like the "using its head"
feature. I think its a little bigger than a Centec, but not by much; I
think a 2B weighs in at around 700Lbs.
And thanks for the info about the American electric system; its quite
different to the UK one.


What is the ratio of voltages for a Wye-Delta conversion? I
should know that but I haven't had to use it, so I forget.

The ratio is 1 to root-3 or 1:1.732. Thus 240v:415v.

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)
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Gunner
 
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Default Centec Milling machines

On 10 Apr 2006 01:17:54 GMT, (DoN. Nichols)
wrote:

According to Gary Wooding :
DoN. Nichols wrote:


They sound like nice machines. Perhaps similar in capability to
my Nichols horizontal mill with the optional right-angle head to make it
also a vertical machine.

I tried Googling the Nichols but couldn't determine which one you have;
is there a model number or some other form of identification?


You'll more readily find them on eBay, as the company is long
gone.

Well ... mine is a very old example of the toolroom version. A
choice of leadscrew and handwheel or lever for X-axis feed, while
leadscrew and handwheel only for Y-axis.

You might take a look at:

http://www.d-and-d.com/NICHOLS-mill/index.html

which will show you some of what I have done to and with it.

The weight is about 1100 pounds.



Ive got one for sale...has air over oil feed on one axis..the other is
micrometer.

First $500 gets it. Its actually quite nice

Gunner Southern California



[ ... ]

Of course -- industrial motors here are typically dual voltage,
but not accomplished by the Delta-Wye changeover but rather by having
two of each winding. For lower voltage operation, the second set are
connected to a common center point, and paralleled with the primary
windings. For higher voltage operation, the second set is split into
individual windings, and connected in series with the primary set, which
has its own common center point buried deep inside the motor -- not even
accessible through the termination box. This results in one voltage
being double the other -- e.g. 240V / 480V, rather than the somewhat
different ratio which you get from A Wye/Delta switchover -- which I
don't remember, because I never have to work with it.

Don't the dual windings increase the bulk of the motors?


Not much -- compared to a single winding of the proper wire
gauge for the lower of the two voltages. You simply have two identical
windings of a smaller gauge, which take up a bit more room than a single
winding of the proper gauge, but when paralleled add up to the proper
gauge. And when connected in series (for higher voltage and lower
current), they don't need the additional current capacity, so they work
out correctly again. All of the wires are used all of the time -- just
in different configurations.

Another friend
has an old Holbrook lathe with a 3ph 2HP motor. It has 3 sets of
windings to give it 3 different speeds. Its massive: at least twice the
size of normal single speed motors - that's twice the linear size: eight
times the volume! He wants to convert it to run on 240v (via a VFD) but
the terminal block shows that its only wound in star format (9
terminals, 3 for each winding), so he needs to remove it from the lathe
and dismantle it to expose the star points. Trouble is, its built into
the cast iron base and appears to involve lifting the 2 ton lathe and
removing the motor from underneath - the motor must weigh around 200 Lbs.


Hmm ... nine terminals is standard for a two-voltage (but single
speed) US-made motor. But there is only one center point for the Wye
(star) connection. It looks something like this:

Primary Secondary
(1) (4) (7)
+---wwwwwwww---+ +---wwwwwwww---+ Phase A
|
| (2) (5) (8)
+---wwwwwwww---+ +---wwwwwwww---+ Phase B
|
| (3) (6) (9)
+---wwwwwwww---+ +---wwwwwwww---+ Phase C
^
|
+-- Wye center point
(not brought out)

Note that I may be mis-remembering the actual numbering of the
winding terminals, but the principle remains.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway -- (assuming a 240/480V version) for 240V operation, you
would connect terminals (4), (5), and (6) together, and insulate them.
Nothing brought out.

You would connect terminal (1) to terminal (7) and bring them
out to connect to the first phase.

You would connect terminal (2) to terminal (8) and bring them
out to connect to the second phase.

You would connect terminal (3) to terminal (9) and bring them
out to connect to the third phase.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
For 480V operation, you connect:

Terminal (1) to terminal (4) and insulate

Terminal (2) to terminal (5) and insulate

Terminal (3) to terminal (6) and insulate.

You connect terminal (7) to the first phase.

You connect terminal (8) to the second phase

You connect terminal (9) to the third phase.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

So -- you get operation at two voltages different by a factor of
two and use all of the windings in either configuration.

Delta connections are quite uncommon in machines of the size w
which I use in my home shop. I've never had to deal with the big
machines which were in the shop at work, including a planer which could
happily hold and plane down a 1-ton pickup truck, and have room left
over to work on a couple of Volkswagen beetles at the same time. :-)

Most modern 3ph motors over here have both ends of each winding exposed
in the terminal block, thus making it easy to configure into star or
delta format. Old motors like those in my Centec have the star point
buried inside the windings themselves, that's why I had to remove and
dismantle them in order to make the conversion.


Because it was made for a single voltage only, while all that I
have seen have been designed for dual voltage at the least.

What is the ratio of voltages for a Wye-Delta conversion? I
should know that but I haven't had to use it, so I forget.

Granted -- three-speed motors are a totally different ballgame. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.


"I think this is because of your belief in biological Marxism.
As a genetic communist you feel that noticing behavioural
patterns relating to race would cause a conflict with your belief
in biological Marxism." Big Pete, famous Usenet Racist
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Junior Member
 
Posts: 3
Default

Gary ,

I'm trying to work out whether I should get a vertical mill or a combination vertical/horizontal . Basically I will be using this to fabricate adaptor plates and small items for my hot rod hobby .

What is the throat radius of a 2b fitted with the vertical head ?

Thanks
Simon


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Trevor Jones
 
Posts: n/a
Default Centec Milling machines

striebs wrote:

Gary ,

I'm trying to work out whether I should get a vertical mill or a
combination vertical/horizontal . Basically I will be using this to
fabricate adaptor plates and small items for my hot rod hobby .

What is the throat radius of a 2b fitted with the vertical head ?

Thanks
Simon

--
striebs


Check out the Centec pages here at
http://www.lathes.co.uk/centec/index.html

This site is about the best reference material out there when it comes
to putting a face to a name, in the small size machine tools.

As you can see, the Centecs are not very large machines, I think my 2A
has about the same size table as a sherline, or pretty close. In it's
favor, it is built of a couple hundred pounds of cast iron, and was
expected to be able to work for a living.
The 2B is a little larger.

Cheers
Trevor Jones
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DoN. Nichols
 
Posts: n/a
Default Centec Milling machines

According to Gary Wooding :
DoN. Nichols wrote:


You might take a look at:

http://www.d-and-d.com/NICHOLS-mill/index.html

which will show you some of what I have done to and with it.

The weight is about 1100 pounds.

That's a nice machine too; I particularly like the "using its head"
feature.


I first got the manual for the machine (how could I resist with
the coincidence of names), and later found one being offered for a quite
reasonable price on eBay. It actually cost more to ship it down from
the Boston area than to win it. :-)

I think its a little bigger than a Centec, but not by much; I
think a 2B weighs in at around 700Lbs.
And thanks for the info about the American electric system; its quite
different to the UK one.


Quite different -- though I believe that delta motors are still
used -- but mostly for larger machines. I've picked up some of the
information about the UK system from articles here and in a mailing
list, and already had a reasonable feel for the US system (though I have
learned about strange systems here too -- such as "Wild leg delta",
which produces the same voltages as the normal Wye motors use, but has
one of the three legs center tapped, so you can run standard 120V loads
from either side of the center tap, and yet still have three phase
available for the larger loads. (Of course the motors and the supplies
don't really care whether it is Delta or Wye configuration as long as
the voltages are the same. Wye feeds to shops will have the center
point grounded, so they have a non-standard voltage available from each
phase to the center. There are industrial fluorescent lamps designed
for this voltage, to distribute the lighting load around the three
phases.


What is the ratio of voltages for a Wye-Delta conversion? I
should know that but I haven't had to use it, so I forget.

The ratio is 1 to root-3 or 1:1.732. Thus 240v:415v.


Thanks!

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
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Gary Wooding
 
Posts: n/a
Default Centec Milling machines

striebs wrote:
Gary ,

I'm trying to work out whether I should get a vertical mill or a
combination vertical/horizontal . Basically I will be using this to
fabricate adaptor plates and small items for my hot rod hobby .

What is the throat radius of a 2b fitted with the vertical head ?

Thanks
Simon


Hi Simon,
The max. distance between horizontal spindle and table is 10.5" and the
distance between the vertical centre and column is around 5"; it is
variable because the vertical head is clamped to the column in the large
dovetail groove originally intended for the overarm and can be slid in
and out a little.

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)
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Hi Gary,
not sure if you will get this post after all this time.. i need help with my inverted centec 2b.. i will explain if you reply haha
cheers Ash

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary Wooding View Post
Trevor Jones wrote:
I have a Centec 2A. I'm pretty happy with it considering that I have
barely used it in the couple years that I have had it. I have just
rewired it from 220V single phase to 110V to allow me to run it in the
house without haveing to pull new wire. Even worked out how the reverse
switch was to be wired in, about which I admit to feeling a bit smug
(and a bit releived).

I know that there are a couple other Centec owners out there.

What have you got on yours for a motor (HP?) I have 3/4 HP on mine and
am thinking it's possibly overkill on this machine. Any comments?

I would like to find a decent very low profile vise to put on it.
Whatcha using?

I am actually contemplating making a set along the lines of
Mitee-Bite's clampling kits for it, referring to it as a Babee-Bite for
want of a better term, as I have not seen anyone dealing in really small
tooling outside of the sherline/taig stuff that seems, well, awkward to
me.

Anyone built a riser for their vertical head?

Cheers
Trevor Jones

I and a friend have 2Bs, and another friend has a 2A. They all have 1hp
main motors, and the 2Bs have 0.5hp table feed motors. The 2A has a home
made cast iron raising block for the vertical head, which adds about 3
inches to the headroom. Since the 2Bs are also hight challenged I'm
considering making one myself. All of us are successfully using standard
4" swivel vices, around 3" high.
I've fitted VFDs to both motors of my 2B; it was a big job because I had
to convert them from star to delta and this involved removing them to
split the star points. Well worth doing though, finger tip control has
to be tried to be appreciated. I'm in UK, so our 240v supply is OK for
the delta wound 415v motors - no good for 110v though.

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)
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