My big worry with welding that kind of thing, is accuracy, and finishing the mounting surfaces. Unless you do it so things bolt together, access to finishing surfaces is going to be a challenge.

I've often wondered if there would be much price difference between welding and casting. By the time you factor in materials, machining them, welding them, stress relieving them, and finishing them, would it be more expensive than a set of patterns, getting them cast, and chucking the casting outside for year or so before machining/finishing them?
Plus spec the right grade of cast, and you get inbuilt damping, without having to worry that you're building a big resonator.

There are certainly lots of options. It just comes down to time and cost, as to what one suits.


If in your research, you happen to come across a Fadal with it's clothes of, I'd be interested in seeing how they've done the main construction.