Greg,

I, too, am about to procure my own press. However, after many endeavors to build things myelf, I've just about come to the conclusion I can have something made professionally -- because of scale of economies -- cheaper and probably better than I can make it myself.

Here's the press I'm going to be ordering in a month or so:

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=262693&highlight=toad+press