Pat Delany and the Open Source MultiMachine

[phantom power]

Delaney expanded on Ewen’s idea to create an all-purpose metalworking station that he called the MultiMachine. This apparatus functions as a combination lathe, mill, and drill press. In addition, after some tinkering, Delaney attached a chop saw blade on the spindle and found it makes a great saw. Delaney’s Multimachine is founded on two engine blocks. Two six-cylinder engines, one in the back to hold the spindle for the mill, and another situated above the first engine to hold an overarm that extends out to a tailstock for converting the machine as a lathe. A fast motor and a slow motor working with three pulley clusters drive the spindle mounted around it. This enables different speeds and torques to be enabled by changing around belts. The spindle itself is just a piece of pipe that rotates inside bearings easily found from old car differentials.

The main component, however, is what Delaney calls the “adjuster”, which is a small ring around the spindle that acts like a ball bearing adjuster on a bike axle. Therefore, a variety of tools like a lathe chuck, end or horizontal mill, drill, saw and blade with up to 14” sanding discs and grinding wheels, can be attached to the end of the spindle turning the MultiMachine into small unit capable of recreating almost anything done in a fully stocked metal shop. The MultiMachine is situated on a series of metal plates that interlock and serve as a slide mechanism, bolted to a four-cylinder engine block. An automotive jack supports the lower block, and by applying a bit of jack pressure, releasing the clamps, and slightly tapping the lower block with a hammer, the table can be raised by just a few ten-thousandths of an inch.

http://opensourcestorage.com/index.php/oss-blog/item/42-pat-delany-open-source-multimachine