OK, original poster here, reporting back. I'm making progress, with rims and spokes ordered, and even scored a used Bike Hand YC-512N truing stand for $50.
Lee (childhood_dreams on ebay) is indeed great to work with, as indicated by a few people previously. I used his direct e-mail, avoiding the hassles of messaging through the auction site. After much measuring, and many spoke calculator sites, I've ordered 3 slightly different lengths.
Front, 299 mm
Non-drive side, 297 mm
Drive side, 296 mm
Lee recommended a Pillar spoke, which he believes is better than Sapim Race, and only slightly more expensive. His total price was very reasonable, based on my comparisons of other options. Here's the description of the spoke he recommends: Pillar PSR 2017 (butted 2.0/1.7/2.0) made from Swiss T302+ Sandvik stainless wire.
Thanks again for helping me get started on my first wheel build!