Raglan vertical mill value?

[gooseParticipant @goose]

Hi guys

 

i’m looking for information around this milling machine, my late father bought it to take up some model engineering in his retirement but unfortunately passed away before he got any use out of it. It all works and is a three phase machine connected up with capacitors to make it run in single phase.

its down to me to clear out his barn and but I don’t know what this is worth at all? I can’t find another one for sale anywhere

does anyone know what I should put this up for?

 

thanks guys

 

owen

 

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

The last few to sell on ebay made around £500.

HOWEVER, just a couple of years ago these used to sell for £1000+ quite regularly. I don’t know why they have dropped so much.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I suppose an imported machine offers more travel than the rather small 12″ x 4″, more vertical height and a quill to make drilling on the machine easier. Or there is old iron out there with bigger capacity for a similar cost.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Had mine for at least 30 years and it would take more money than suggested to get it off me!!

[gooseParticipant @goose]

Thanks for the reply guys, I think the value is that it’s a compact machine but very heavy duty for the size!

Good to hear a few prices, they were more expensive a few years ago due to covid probably, with more people at home with time to spare for hobbies!

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

There’s was one for sale nearby (in Lincoln) on Facebook marketplace recently for £650 looked to be in around the same good condition with a small vice and some other tooling, It disappeared quite quickly so presumably sold somewhere around that value.

[gooseParticipant @goose]

What’s the best things about this mill Bernard?

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

See here

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Its ridgity and seamless speed control with full torque. with the parts I make (tools and ic ) the physical size suits me and the table tooling doesn’t need an o/head crane to fit it. I fitted an x way feed motor a lot of years ago and that transformed the finish, oh and yes dro as well, most probably the best thing you can do to improve your work IMHO.

[Brian Baker 2Participant @brianbaker2]

I had one for many years and it was fine as Bernard said, the variable speed was very good.  I only sold it to the Newcastle area, when the locomotives I built got bigger, and I had no room for 2 mills. mine sold about year 2000 for over £1000.

Regards

Brian B

[Chris CrewParticipant @chriscrew66644]

I sold mine last year on Ebay and it made £475, i.e. the starting bid price because there wasn’t much interest despite it being the rarer two-speed version.

I have a workshop and garage full of classic British machine tools, mostly in very good condition, which I thought were somewhat of an investment when I bought them. However, I now think they are becoming more of a millstone round my neck with the time to downsize, or the need to relieve my wife of the problem should something happen to me, fast approaching.

I think this is because of several factors: a. there is diminution of interest in the hobby generally as the older generation recedes, b. the younger element that exists is increasingly interested in modern technology with CAD, CNC machining and precision laser cut parts becoming commonplace and c. as the old British machines change hands over the years, becoming increasingly worn, they are more conveniently replaced by new far-eastern products of which the quality, price and availability makes them a very attractive proposition.

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

I sold one with some tooling 4 or 5 years ago on Ebay for £500. It received one bid. The Warco mill that replaced it is rather more versatile, which is probably at least part of the reason why the demand for the Centec has dropped.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Price depends a lot on time of year and location. People are not looking to buy heavy tools just before Christmas from a mountain top in Wales.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

The value of the machine is when its up and running and making parts!

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Bernard, out of interest is that your only mill or do you have others available?

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

I have a Sherline as well that has a dro fitted but does not see an awful lot of use.

[willcorkeParticipant @willcorke]

@bernardtowers3773 could you please let me know more detail of your cross feed motor and dro on your Raglan Vertical Miller. I’d like to modify mine similarly. Thanks.

[Engine BuilderParticipant @enginebuilder]

I made a power feed for my Raglan and showed the build in youtube videos https://youtu.be/uRLs1ZT8XJE

It works very well.

[willcorkeParticipant @willcorke]

Great, thank you @enginebuilder.

[willcorke]

On willcorke Said:

Great, thank you @enginebuilder.

I made my long travel power feed ‘loosely’ according to the youtube video by Phil Vanderlay.  Works OK.  The only mod to the mill was to drill and tap the feed screw.  I shimmed the bracket and retained the mill table original end plate.

It is out of the way of the locking and gib screws, which was one reason I chose Phil’s idea.  T’other was the position of the y axis for the DRO. Yet another was that I used the motor from a scrapped screwdriver (I think).

Like Bernard, mine will stay with me for as long as I can use it.  Mine runs with a VFD, so speed variation/control is as easy as pie.

 

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