Here’s an early photo of “The Big Machine”, taken shortly after arriving from Grand Rapids. In it’s previous life this machine seems to have made speaker parts. Shavings of black polyethylene were everywhere, and I do mean everywhere.

Although it was made in late 1999 and probably sold then for upwards of $50000, when I called Multicam, the manufacturer, they said they didn’t have much info on machines that old, and couldn’t really help me very much. Can’t really blame them for focusing on new machines, I guess.

The internet wasn’t really a lot of help either. There isn’t really a discussion forum for Multicam machines, like Shopbot has Talkshopbot.

So, I just had to do what I usually do, which is figure it all out. Fortunately I had the PC which had been driving it. After cleaning off all the grime and have a new encoder installed on one of the x-axis motors, I’m up and running with a heavy-duty industrial machine with servo motors for less than I could buy a lightweight machine with stepper motors brand new.