DEL-YO mould

This weekend saw me completing the cutting and assembling of the concrete mould. Now it's a lot clearer how it will look. Instead of a solid bed, you will note I have made a hollow bed.  This is to save weight as well as to allow space for a heavy concrete saddle, the lead screw and a gap for shavings to fall through. You will see from the photos that I have still not cut any of the core holes for the spindle headstock, leasure and ways. As before, I am adjusting and modifying as I go and want to see how it all looks when together. However. I think my marked holes are going to turn out to be correct. The first two photos show the mould without the headstock and tailstock end enclosures. It's easy to see how the headstock will join to the tail end through the way supports. The hollow way supports are also easy to see. They are quite substantial....250mm by 130mm in section and I think machining resonance will not be a problem with this type of bulk.
Next month,  I will buy the reinforcing rebar and cement and aggregate. I also need to purchase more screws and fasten the mould shuttering more firmly as well as fit the shuttering which is missing on the insides of the leg supports

Naming the Beast

I am involved with many other interested engineers and mechanics as I build this lathe. I have given a lot of thought to naming this lathe. It's getting awkward just calling it "the concrete lathe". I have therefore decided to name my particular machine a "DEL-YO 1000"
This is am anagram of letters in recognition of "Yeoman" and "Delaney" I believe that the concept deserves due recognition to the innovators who started and put this together. It is also going to be 1000mm bc. Of course, unfortunately many important players such as the draughtsman Tyler Disney, and members of the multi machine yahoo group discussion have played important roles in my final design are not included. But hey!  They are certainly included!