Thanks for the replies, guys!
Actually I'm not looking to go super-cheap since I can easily buy a $500-something Whiskey or Ritchey fork (or even $2k+ for a complete gravel bike) with just the change I got laying around my house but my significant other would be quite displeased if she found out since I already have six other bikes and I'm already having a hard time justifying my purchases.
I'm trying to do this project somewhat "under the radar" if you know what I mean.