RE: New guy needs help
Cutting the ribs seems to be the most tedious part. But then once you've worked out a method that doesn't take long either. I made a template out of aluminum sheet and after that it only took a single evening to cut out and sand a set of ribs.
If you think of it as a two step process of 1) making the pieces and 2) putting them together it shouldn't be much different than the kit building you've done.