Yeah - I suppose you can turn a platter & plinth from exotic hardwoods but then you'll end up with a Teres turntable! LOL!
Na - that gimbal is rubbish. I am busy designing a totally different pivot-system for my tonearms & a tonearm-wand made from a titanium wire lattic.
You can make an arm. It is very easy. See this links:
http://www.altmann.haan.de/turntable/
http://www.altmann.haan.de/tonearm/
You are quite talented aswell and can so something like in this link. The possibilities are endless.