Re: Pedal Board.... To build or Buy?
Sounds like you've arrived at the same conclusion I did years ago - building from scratch is easy unless you need a lid. For me, a lid is a necessity, though. Nothing beats the convenience of popping the lid on, tightening a few latches, and throwing the thing in the truck (van, car, whatever) and not worrying about it.
I built my first few pedalboards (early 80's) from scratch and it was a pain. Later, chasing some fuzzy vision of going into business, I bought about six 12" x 18" flight cases from a local vendor. He took care of the shell, handle, latches, and feet, then I added the guts. I think this is the optimal way to go, and it sounds like you're doing something similar, building a DIY board into an existing case.
Depending on the size you need, and your amount of patience, eBay can supply used flight cases that can be turned into nice pedalboards. Single-turntable cases work for small boards, dual-TT DJ coffins or PA mixer cases work for large boards. Like anything on eBay, do you research, figure out a good price, shop for bargains, and don't over spend.