Hi Guys:
Re: making a base for a metal lathe

I have a cabinet that it rests on, and it's just basically mounted on a
couple of sheets of plywood.  I would rather it be mounted on a rigid base
to permit leveling of the lathe (ie removing twist), preferably some thick
steel plate, but since I can't find any cold rolled plate at a reasonable
cost, I thought why not try some concrete?

  In about 1990, I put some sand and concrete on the shelf beneath an
inexpensive "RecordPower" wood lathe, that really improved performance
(weight, rigidity, and absorbed the harmonics and whatever), and I've read
that the Gingery Lathe guys are using concrete bases for their home foundry
cast aluminum lathes.

  I was hoping that someone on the list had direct experience with doing
this sort of thing, and whether to use simple 9 g ladder wire reinforcement
or integral glass fiber mixed in with the concrete, or whether to use the
"countertop" mixes that have those sorts of things built in, or any other
useful suggestions (esp what NOT to do).

   My thought was to cast about a 3 inch thick base with some cast in place
studs for mounting the lathe.  I would simply lay this slab on top of the
plywood cabinet top, relying on the rigidity of the concrete to hold the
lathe ways flat (after I have taken any twist out with the hold down
bolts).  I'm not sure if concrete "moves" with ambient moisture changes- I
just don't know much about concrete since I have personally only used it to
hold up clotheslines & fenceposts and the occasional small stair landing.

  I did ask for responses off list, so as to not offend those woodworker
only Galoots (even though every single Galoot treasures metal tools, each
tool consisting of parts made either directly or indirectly on a metal
cutting lathe... the several thousand year old mother of all tools).
Claudio