I hand made my new rudders some 10 years ago and they still look and function just fine. It was a fun winter project that was fairly easy to do. My only regret, was that I should have two sets because of all the time it took to finish with fiberglass and paint. I would paint one side of each in 2 minute and have to wait a day to sand and repaint. Making two sets would have only required maybe another 20% in effort concerning all the cleanup.....Hind sight is 20/20...oh, they do weigh 2oz. more than the originals...my bad
I did mill out some Teflon sleeves that I epoxied into the mahogany wood I used as a bearing for the bolt to pass through. No slop at all.
The original rudder was used as a template, cut out with my jig saw, routed with a bull nose and sharp bit and than hand rasped with my buddy's grandfather large rasp. This process to all of an hour per rudder blade. It was unreal just how fast a good rasp took a flat piece of wood and shaped it to the routed edge.......
The only barrier that clouds our ability to made something ourselves is our own limits we place in front ourselves...........
That is one strong quality that my son has shown me time and time again. I have watched him take on very difficult auto repairs without any training and though his determination he finished what he started....I know that somethings I can't do. He, on the other hand, doesn't erect that "I can't do it attitude" and just process to do it........ I am always amazed by him.....