Well Scott, I guess i have to chime in too. I have been quietly looking in on this thread, and I too think it is a great project. Keep at it and get 'er done.
As for the weld lines, I usually use milliput for mine. I roll it into fine, long pieces and then take a length of it to fit the weld I am doing. Place it where needed and take a hobby knife, or toothpick, or anything you have that fits the bill, and make the shapes to simulate a weld bead. There are other methods, like using a syringe with tamiya putty to do this, but my preferred method is milliput. hope this helps.