Describes four simple but powerful tools that can be built anywhere in the world using local materials. They can be used to build or repair agricultural equipment and other machinery, and can be used in a small village, urban neighborhood, small factory or trade school. One variation can use human power to generate electricity to charge cell phones and power LED lighting. These machines are part of an open source project supported by a Yahoo group composed of machinists, engineers and enthusiasts.

1. 4 Simple, Cheap Open Source Tools for African Rural Development Need to make a plow from scrap steel? Need village lighting and cell charging? Need machine tools for training, shops or industry? No problem!

2. 1. THE DRILL 2. THE MULTIMACHINE 3. THE GENNY 4. THE CONCRETE LATHE Together, they create a full-scale machine shop – or a small factory or trade school. Plus, the Genny can provide power for a village. And, they can be built using leftover materials available anywhere junked cars exist.

5. 3. THE “GENNY” Inspired by a 2009 Maker Faire question – how to use an automobile alternator to generate power for a village or neighborhood? Problem: One person is not strong enough to power an alternator My solution: A multi-person treadle-powered alternator strong enough to last through long, heavy use and built with materials found everywhere. It also needs no welding. I used a worn-out engine block with 3 of the pistons removed and the last piston put in upside down so that it could power the crankshaft from the bottom.

7. The all–important upside-down piston for the “Genny”! Use bolts to connect the piston to the treadle. This connection must be very strong! Use engine-belt idler pulleys to insure that the belts wrap around the small pulleys as closely as possible. If you are using this treadle to power an alternator, use a small resistor in the field circuit to make the generator easier to start. The Genny can also provide mechanical power for grain mills or pumping water With just a couple of people working the treadle, the “Genny” can provide power for LED lighting, cell phone charging and other uses. Car batteries can store power for later use.

9. CONCRETE LATHE The original design does need a few changes! Change 1: The “carriage”, the part that slides back and forth is made from concrete and not cast iron or steel. Iron foundries were common in the “olden” days but not now. This change is much easier and less expensive to build. Sorry for the technical points but this is really simple stuff.

10. CONCRETE LATHE Change 2: This lathe has a longer bed or “frame” than was needed for the production of cannon shells. Not only can the machine be made in almost length, it can also be made large enough to fit jobs 5 feet in diameter!

11. CONCRETE LATHE Change 3: The original design was quite short because long, round lathe “ways” (the rails the carriage slides on) tend to flex even if they are heavily made. This added support is a steel bar turned on its edge. It will support the round “ways) and stops such flex. This simple change really is a big deal because it allows the lathe to be made almost any length and size.

13. CONCRETE LATHE Change 5: Many types of carriages and tail stocks can be used and easily interchanged to make more specialized machines. One example is this carriage used on a Multimachine.

14. CONCRETE LATHE Change 6: Alignment Without accurate alignment all our machine building efforts would end up as junk. The original machines were built in factories where everything could be accurately aligned while molten type metal was poured over to hold every thing in place. We don’t have factories or fancy alignment jigs but we do have $10 dial indicators and these wonderful devices made by Pratt&Whitney in 1870. These will work just as well as any factory jig and can be made for just a few dollars. They are shown on different shaped ways but will work just as well on our round ones.

15. CONCRETE LATHE Change 7: The original factory jigs held things temporarily in place while pouring molten type metal to lock things in place permanently. Simple steel wedges can be used in place of giant jigs and epoxy or cement in place of type metal (which can no longer be found).

16. CONCRETE LATHE Change 8: Threading The original machines had no provision for threading but every lathe should have some sort of threading capability. This simple type is called a thread follower. This is one is shown on a Multimachine and is driven by a bicycle chain..

18. For much more information about building any of these machines go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/multimachine/ For the Genny, also go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/africapowerandlight/ For the original L.I. Yeomans concrete lathe patent, look on the Multimachine group site or Google for patent number 1,154,155 For personal help on any of these projects: email Pat Delany [email_address]