[Aren Siekmeier]

We also have all the sloppy tools you mention (manual mill and lathe, some ok drill presses, chop saw, etc.), as well as basic welding that we can do square (which could be foregone with some more holes, gusset plates, and riveting), and a WCD is something I think is very much within our capabilities.

It seems to me that the biggest thing is easier maintenance of the wheels, but after just replacing one last night at the shop due to a failed bearing on our drivetrain that's supported on both sides, it was really a snap, so those benefits are really the last few percent. Also, frame simplicity and weight are improved.

We could even probably do the bearing blocks in house on our manual lathe and mill if we felt like spending a lot of time on it, but since we know some people with CNC capabilities we probably wouldn't bother. I actually think I would prefer dead axles because that gives you more wheel options (namely, plaction, omni, etc.) and you could just slot the axle hole on a manual mill for chain tensioning.