3 Axis or 4 Axis CNC Lathe?

Hi -

Recently I got to thinking about making some large urn type pots and wondering how I could do this with CNC. I've attached a picture of something representative. This pot could be 26 to 28" tall, maybe 20" in diameter.

I wondered first about slicing a model horizontally and carefully card on my more traditional desktop 3 axis cnc router. Then looking at the complexity and alignment and under cuts, I turned to thinking about the lathe. ;-)

So I don't have much experience with a CNC lathe. I find myself first wondering, if this is a realisitic idea. It would need a bit of build volume, but seems doable. Next I was wondering if it would be fine for three axis or if I really should be building 4th. Would be nice for just three, seems like an easier and less expensive build.

The lathe would need a long bit, say 6 to 8 inches, to be able to work from the outer more diameter to the inner most without being hung up by the shape. It would need up/down, and side to side and rotate. Would it benefit from having back and forth too? The router head I'd need to keep slim, so maybe more like a palm router or really tight spindle of some sort.

Once carved on the lathe I'd have to do some jig to hollow out the pot part.

What do you think? A good project? Or not the right tool for the job? I may be need something like 10 of these, thus I was thinking a machine may be great, allowing me to reproduce units, maybe even sell locally units locally the design works well.

I could use something like Foam Coat to harden it. There are similar products, I'd have to research which on may be best. A variation on this would be once one foam is made, to make some larger mold using the foam as the model to mold around, then I could cast these in concrete.

I'm grateful for any thoughts or advice on making these.

Even yet another idea that strikes me, maybe I make a large model somehow, starting with a 2d profile template I could make on my existing desktop cnc router or shaper, then building up some how the more intricate details to make the unit that I would then make a mold out of.

 

Thank you @Giarc , Your build has been super inspiring to how I want to accomplish my build. May need to adjust dimensions, but I was thinking three axis may be enough. Very nice!