bit the bullet and bought the frame.
LKLM 318-series 700c, 58cm (23")
$90 online with shipping.

it's steel, 3 h2o cages, brake+gear
cables internally routed, v-studs and
disc mount. came with seatpost clamp,
and no-name (prolly jagwire) housing
pre-loaded.

did not get the lklm fork. weirdly,
all lklm forks sold with frames in mainland
china are sized for the smaller frames.

bought a generic steel "placeholder"
fork, maybe replace later.

alex dh19 rims, pillar 2018 3-butt spokes,
novatek (joytec) hubs, will be built this weekend.

other stuff on order, most will be be done
before xmas, final build after chinese
new year holiday.......expect total cost
will be around $500.