And when am I going to be finished, or at least hit a worthwhile milestone?

There really should be some celebration due, and it most likely is going to be with people who have no understanding of what you are doing so often on your own.

It's not the manstream but it is actually normal if you're an individual craftsman.

At one time some of the most high-tech were called "watchmakers" :)

It's called "solo, together"

Spend time around others who are also building solo and develop meaningful relationships with them.