a decent sized lathe

[hughie]

They even approached the Guinness book of records.

Pacific Northwest Boating News: On Watch | How one of the biggest lathes turned a tree into a 120-foot-tall mast | Three Sheets Northwest

[comgreserv]

I love the Lucas in the photo! Makes mine that can handle 30ft long logs, look tiny

[dai sensei]

Certainly an interesting set-up. My father used to turn masts in our back yard with a home made similar but smaller set-up. No rails, the headstock/tailstock/steadies were just pegged into the backyard with giant tent-pegs . He hand planed the glued up blanks to almost round first with a home made plane that was 2' long. I remember as a child sitting on a steady, my older brother on another, to help with the vibration as the giant pieces whipped around. Bit hard to remember, but they were probably ~30' masts, so steadies were at ~10' centres. I certainly remember the chunk, chunk, chunk sounds as he turned them