Of course it's a lot cheaper in materials only.Hey Glen! Awesome fixture. I love your DIY approach and your independence from 'mainstream knowledge'. You do what you think is best for you and yours. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge!
I'm curious if your fixture saved you money over buying multiple fixtures to provide equivalent light levels. Would you be comfortable sharing and comparing those costs?
But on the other hand you need the knowledge and a lot of time to design and construct the whole thing. Often with trail and error. I have an electronics background so for me this is doable. Not everbody have the knowledge, patience and precision required to construct a complete light fixture. When your don't work secure or do the wrong calculations there may be a fire hazard.
So before you start messing around with electricity you better have basic electric knowledge.
For me the designing and developing things is a nice challenge and the main reason i love this hobby so much.
DSR Master