Hi BR549:

I just watched the video, and got a better picture of what goes on.
Never saw such a machine myself.

The leading ring (steady rest) is a major contributor to it's productive capacity. It appears the leading tool pre-cuts the OD, for the trailing tool, which does the major in/out excursions in the X axis. When the trailing tool is making the big in/out profiles, the leading tool basically holds steady at the current OD.

In the beginning of the video, the leading tool prepares the profile like a standard lathe, while the trailing tool just sits there backed off. The trailing tool doesn't remove the bulk of stock; that is done by the leading tool.

When the cutters move towards the tailstock, they do not go further than keeping the steady rest ring on the square. The two tools trail the ring by a 4 or 5 inches I am guessing, so that is the max reversal distance for the carriage.

Each tool seems to be moving in a regular 2-axis lathe profile manner.

I must say, it is a slick operation to see, and I can see how it gets such productive capacity.

Perhaps with a little creative programming, Mach could drive a lathe like this. Just linking all the profile segments together some simple?? way. Just the thing for a new Wizard.