Pinnacle milling machine

[acklam65Participant @acklam65]

Can anyone let me know what the value is of a pinnacle milling machine please

 

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

Depends on condition. I would not pay more than £250 for one as they are not exactly the most desirable of machines.  Others may disagree!

Andrew.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

They do not get a lot of wear as they are only used for hobby work but do suffer cosmetic (rust) deterioration. Good machines if you are not trying to hog off cubic inches per pass as if it were a two ton industrial machine. Often appear on ebay at around £750 which would be about half the inflation adjusted new cost.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Three sizes, this one is the smallest. Also sold as the Warco Economy in the 80’s. It needs a collet chuck to mill with.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

It might be a look alike of either the Warco Minor or Major.

It certainly seems to have the same speeds as the Economy, but the same pulleys may have been used on the larger models.

They were available in Imperial or Metric forms.

Comparing specifications, (Table travels / size) may make identification easier.

Presumably 3MT spindle, and 3/8 BSW drawbar?

Although it is a round column machine (with the inconveniences that that brings), as long as it has not been abused, damaged or neglected, it could still be useable machine.

Howard

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

I thought (that underneath the grime) it actually looks like a nice unmolested machine – look at those virginal screw-heads, and the paint is still on the handwheels.

Whilst they came in many variants, Taiwanese ones like the Pinnacle have a better rep. for build quality than the later models. For many years they were a hugely popular home milling machine.

I really like the Major I have – I don’t recognise the ‘loss of register’ as an issue at all, one just needs to plan the work and use the right techniques & tooling – and even then, ‘picking-up’ features on an existing workpiece is a pretty elementary machining skill.

Good luck selling it.

 

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

This machine was sold 30 – 40 years ago under the “Alpine” label by Graham Engineering  of Birmingham. Lathes.uk has a review which is quite favourable.

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

Graham engineering! Brings back happy memories – talk about an Aladdin’s cave! I can still picture it clearly now even after so many years. The range of stuff they used to have was mind boggling. Also many helpful blokes in brown ‘cow gowns’ to help you. The good old days before all the foreign imports killed the business I suppose.

I did actually consider buying one of those ‘Pinnacle’ mills from them at the time (there weren’t many ‘hobby’ sized alternatives around then) but didn’t for a reason that now escapes me!

One totally irrelevant point- wonder why the name plaque has the belt setting headed in french (courroie)? When the rest is in English

Mike

 

[Mike Hurley]

On Mike Hurley Said:

[…]

One totally irrelevant point- wonder why the name plaque has the belt setting headed in french (courroie)? When the rest is in English

Mike

 

Perhaps for the sake of disambiguation [?]
Belt has multiple meanings in English

MichaelG.

[Martin of WickParticipant @martinofwick]

Depends whether you want to price to go or want to tough it out for a higher price. Might sell reasonably quickly between 450 to 500. It will be a harder sell at 750 as there are other better machines in that range.

You see all sorts of mad things on e-bay and not everything you see sells at the posted price. Auctions – always a risk. If using the Bay best to post at a price close to what you want achieve. Setting a low start can result in a severe haircut!

[vic neweyParticipant @vicnewey60017]

I see it was supplied by Excel machine tools,  it takes me back to 1980 when I visited their place to buy a cast iron 10″ table saw which I still have. The owner and his son were Asian and the saw I wanted was out of stock so they let me have the more expensive version at no extra cost. I remember putting my back out as I bent to unload it at home and had to wait a week before I could assemble it.

I also was a regular visitor to Graham engineering which I remember was at West Bromwich rather than Birmingham

[Chris CrewParticipant @chriscrew66644]

Wasn’t there another Graham Engineering in Birmingham? I seem to recall it was around or near Spaghetti Junction. I have no idea if the two businesses were connected but one outlived the other.

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

I was talking about the West Brom site. (Side road off the top of the high street) Never new about a B’ham one, but seems likely they were connected with such a a business name. I think it sells carpets or something now.

Mike

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Got £550 for similar machine around a year ago via Facebook Marketplace.

Helping out a friend of a friend whose aged parent was going into care so every florin counted. Hence I listed at what seemed to me a high, but still plausible price. Figured I could always drop if need be.

Five asks. Four “would you take £400 (ish)”, one “can I pay cash and pick it up tomorrow”. Listed Monday, gone Friday I think. Buyer from 50 odd miles away.

I tend to prefer Facebook for heavier, pricier, stuff as folk not only understand they will need to collect it but also get a chance to look at things. Obvious risk of buyer backing out or trying to re-negotiate price once they see it but I prefer that to the sort of shenanigans that can happen on E-Bay when buyers remorse cuts in.

Clive

[JonParticipant @jon]

It was at or still is on Hickman Avenue Monmore Green, Wolverhampton by another brother. Had a few chucks, saw blades, driller never used etc from there in to 90’s.

 

West Brom still using me Vertex 8″ RT as a sell off in 1999 and saw.

Miller driller is a generic asian RF25, Machine Mart did them £800 by 1999, sold with dro £250.

 

 

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