Yes machine tools that big exist today.

It would most likely have been turned on a vertical lathe, not a horizontal bed lathe. The shop I worked at before I retired had several, the largest one, built by the Gray machine tool Co, had a 12 foot diameter chuck with its face set about 5 inches above the shop floor, and the motor and gearing below the floor. It would actually swing a part almost 15 feet diameter between the vertical columns. Powered by a 100 hp motor. It would turn a part around 10 ft tall, although everything we did with it was much shorter. It was not a machine for rookies LOL!

@@6h471 Thanks! That's interesting!

@@6h471 is that the same as a wheel lathe? We have one at our shop they used to use in wwii era to machine train wheels with. Runs like a top still today. Only machine we have that doesn’t constantly need maintenance.

Nope it's got igniters

Yeah it is crazy but that’s how they have to do it down where I’m at their is one at this tractor museum and the dude cranks it with his foot it’s a piece of cool machinery love the thing