Comment by mauvehaus

I built one out of home center 4x4 posts with hand planes, chisels, and a mallet. I did mortise and tenon joinery on mine, but honestly, construction screws and plywood gussets would probably get you there too. Go for it; you can probably do it!

Learning how to turn on one is a bit of a trick. A lot of good turning technique is body motion rather than arm motion. Standing on one foot while you treadle makes it harder to do the body motion well.