1950s Adcock and Shipley Universal Machine Tool - photos

[Frank S]

While I do like the concept of the machine there are several points that I find would be a poor compromise to having such a conglomeration of machines on a single foot print. Don't get me wrong if one were available as a barn find I'd be right there trying to talk the guy out of it. The Horizontal mill feature appears to be the main feature of the whole machine because it is the only machine in the works which has unobstructed use. as a vertical mill you have only the Knee rise of the table for the Z axis so any angular milling would have to be done via sine or adjustable angle plate milling of compound angled surfaces or holes would require an elaborate set up fixture.
Having a surface grinder ona machine which possibly could have other functions running at the same time would be disastrous. The drill press in a claustrophobic location boxed in on 3 sides and 0.75" spindle hole in the lathe, Seriously? and I thought the less than 1.5" in all 3 of La-blond's is bad Lastly comes swarf clean up I'm quite sure my wife would divorce me if I asked her to help me clean that thing after a day's use.