With the mass of a lathe like this, chatter will be dealt with very effectively.
As I learned quite dramatically a couple of weeks ago, mass alone isn't going to solve all chatter problems. The lathe I was working on weighs more than two tons and it was chattering like a cocktail party. Actually, gouging and hammering is a more accurate description than chattering.
Backlash in the leadscrews, looseness in the ways/gibs/bearings, a spec of dirt in the tailstock socket, elasticity in the work or the tool -- all contribute to chatter.
