RepStrap: some mdf and 5 / 16 rods...

I got my rods right after the nuts and bolts came in. I ordered the rods from WTTool.com. Cutting them to length was a quick job with a 12 inch metal saw. One more $8 tool to add to the overall cost. I am keeping a running cost of materials and tools to keep me honest and smart about this. It is too easy to throw money at something in order to get it working faster. After cutting my rods to length I began making complicated parts like the X bracket shown below. I grabbed a piece of pine to make this part out of before admitting that thin MDF was the only way to go. Once again, Bruce steered me in the right direction.



Here is a picture of one of the more complicated motor brackets. This was made out of MDF and pine.



And then a picture of the whole rig as it is shaping up currently.