This side view shows the cast concrete headstock block and the 4" by 8" wooden ways. The steel plates under the pillowblock bearings add more mass.  It's a 1 11/16 shaft with 1 1'2" by 8 tpi threads on the end. An adaptor reduces to 1" threads for the 4" dia faceplates I use most. The toolrest post is 1 1'2" An AC variable speed motor (1800 rpm max, and a great improvement over the DC motor I had) drives a 4" pulley. There's an 8" pulley on the lathe shaft, to which I bolted a 3/4" plywood disk and turned a 12" pulley, for the slow speeds I use most.

Here you can see some of the cast iron I've added for stability.   The end piece plus the two on the other end of the lathe came from an ancient square-head planer. In addition, the plywood box under the headstock is filled with sand. Still, the whole thing will rock if a large blank is much out of balance.

When the wood is damp and clear enough, the shavings come peeling off. I will generate a big cartload every two bowls or so.  A 100 pound blank becomes a 2 pound bowl.