so it seems like i should make bikes for myself (maybe 5-10) and also make a lot of test joints. The test joints sounds cool. If I know how to TIG I'll most likely just be looking for reasons to weld things together, baskets, car parts, whatever.

But now it seems like before recouping any initial investment on this hobby, i'm looking at spending:
1 cost of UBI, housing, flights
2 cost of equipment at home
3 cost of 10 bikes and scraps

all these things will be "investments" before I can ever thing of making a cent back? Is that correct?
I also live in Pittsburgh, and it seems like there aren't any custom frame builders (I think Thick might still do it, but they exclusively worked with freestyle bikes)

Does that sound correct? So perhaps $10k into a "hobby" until I start digging myself out of the hole? That's tough to swallow.