I'm late to the party, but a warm welcome to you and your son! How great it is to take on a project like this with him. You guys are going to have a blast IMHO.

You've had some great advice already from a few of the forum heavy weights--they've helped me as well! You're in good hands. As you progress, I think you'll find the pieces will start to connect in your mind over time, and become a little less intimidating. The F5 manual is far from perfect, but I consider it a great resource for new builders (like I was!), or those without much mechanical experience (like me!). I look forward to following along.