"Firewood" I love it.
I started off the same as you are, twisting factory guitars into customs, and I still do on occasion. I've covered 'em in velvet, chrome, posters, you name it. Some have become wall-hangers or "reminders"....
The best laid plans can sometimes go awry, so cutting before planning was something I had to grow out of.
You seem to be well on your way and you're at the right place. When I showed up here, I could build a body, but necks were out of my reach.
Finishing is an area that I myself lack expertise in , so you won't get any advice from me in those regards.
As far as your neck goes, before anything else, get it leveled and crowned. You'd be amazed what that'll do for it! If you still wanna re-fret it later you can, but that will require leveling and crowning anyway, so......
Awesome link to the paint supplies, BTW.
Hopefully, this one will get built and won't live up to its name.